NEWCASTLE United have unveiled their brand new facility for the club’s foundation a stones throw away St James’ Park as former club favourite Shola Ameobi cut the ribbon.

Nucastle is a centre for the foundation to offer educational programmes, sports facilities and opportunities for kids and adults who live in areas of deprivation. It includes a sports hall, exercise facilities for gym based activities, state of the art classrooms and a rooftop artificial football pitch with a view of the club’s home ground.

The project has been five years in the making but construction on the building has been delayed due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The new facilities were opened with Mayor for the North of the Tyne Combined Authority Jamie Driscoll, Chief Constable of Northumbria Police Winton Keenan and former Newcastle United striker and Foundation Trustee Shola Ameobi who lived in the surrounding areas as a kid.

Ameobi said: “I think standing here now and seeing the end product, it goes beyond what I thought it was going to be. The backdrop of St James’ Park and the inspiration that I used to have living around here and seeing that. Knowing what his facility is going to do for countless of other thousands of kids that come through this place, it’s a momentous occasion for the foundation.”

He continued: “For me, when I talk about Murray House it was the inspiration that I took. Every time I came here to play football, I was thinking that I was in the stadium because it was so close.

“That’s hopefully what it’s going to do for countless other kids and it’s not just about playing football. It’s being the best you can be regardless of what you. I think part of the foundation’s ethos is to make sure kids understand their worth and what they can achieve.

“Having a space like this helps us do that all the more.”