The Football Foundation have launched three new ‘Game On’ funds, committing over £16m of funding to help grassroots football to prepare for the return of sport.

The three Game On funds: Return to Football, Grass Pitch Maintenance and Small Grants are geared towards the varying needs of clubs who will need help prior to lockdown restrictions easing on 29th March, when outdoor team sport is set to resume in England.

What are the new Game On Funds?

The three Game On funds are targeted at grassroots football clubs across the country, each with a different purpose, such as supporting football in areas of need, grass pitch maintenance and funding for new sports equipment.

In total, over £16m is on offer for eligible groups across the three funds:

  • Return to Football Fund
  • Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund
  • Small Grants Fund

The Football Foundation is strongly encouraging community groups to apply for the funds, to help ensure a strong return to the sport on March 29th. Find out more about each fund below.

If you’re looking to secure funding for a non-football related or larger scale project, such as a new facility or facility refurbishment, please refer to our funding and finance page.

Return to Football Fund

The Return to Football fund is targeting the clubs and organisations who are most in need, to help them either restart existing grassroots football programmes or deliver new ones.

 

How much can you get?

Depending your organisation type, you can apply for grants of between £500 – £2,500.

 

What can you spend it on?

The grant must be spent on either restarting football activity, or delivering new football activity that was cancelled due to the pandemic.

This includes funding things like: sports equipment, safety and sanitation, staffing and training costs, marketing costs – any reasonable cost directly involved with restarting or delivering new football activity.

You can find a full breakdown of what you can/can’t use the grant on here.

 

Who is eligible for the grant?

  • FA Women’s National League Clubs (Tiers 3-4 of the Women’s Football Pyramid)
  • Disability Leagues
  • Professional Club Community Organisations
  • FA Charter Standard Clubs and non-for-profit organisations – only if delivering football in an area within Decile 1-3 of the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)

Still unsure? Check out the fund’s handy eligibility checker.

Ready to apply?

The Return to Football fund is now open and closes on Sunday 28th March 2021, with all funding decisions communicated to applicants by Friday 9th April at the latest.

Apply on the Football Foundation website.

Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund

The Grass Pitch maintenance fund is a whopping £14m fund which will provide six-year tapered grants to clubs wishing to improve the quality of their natural turf pitches.

 

How much can you get?

This will depend on two things: pitch size and the quality of your pitch, as assessed by PitchPower, which will give your pitch a ‘Performance Quality Standard’ (PQS).

Pitches with a PQS of ‘basic’ or below can receive up to £2,500 in the first year (for a full sized pitch).

Pitches with a PQS of ‘good’ or higher can receive up to £750 in the first year (for a full sized pitch).

Grant payment are made annually for 6 years, though are tapered, so your annual amount received will decrease over time. For full-sized pitches with a PQS of ‘basic’ or below, you could receive up to £10,000 funding over 6 years.

 

What can you spend it on?

What you spend your grant on will be informed by your PitchPower Assessment Report.

This could include: contractor works, purchasing materials or purchasing equipment.

You cannot spend the grant on routine maintenance work.

You can find a full breakdown of what you can/can’t use the grant on here.

 

Who is eligible for the grant?

  • Grassroots clubs
  • Leagues
  • Charities with an annual turnover of <£500k
  • National League System Clubs Step 1-6 – only for pitches that are used for community football

The below are not eligible for the grant:

  • Clubs, leagues or organisations without suitable security of tenure
  • Clubs, leagues or organisations without a PitchPower Pitch Assessment Report
  • Charities with an annual turnover of >£500k
  • Local authorities

Ready to apply?

Before applying for the Grass Pitch Maintenance fund, eligible organisations have to sign up for PitchPower and undertake a PitchPower pitch inspection.

The fund opens on Monday 15th March for eligible organisations who have completed their PitchPower pitch inspection via the PitchPower app.

Find out more on the Football Foundation website.

Small Grants Fund

The Small Grants fund caters for clubs who need help paying for essential equipment, machinery or small works needed to start playing again.

 

How much can you get?

Grants of up to £25,000*

*Not to exceed 75% of the total project costs.

 

What can you spend it on?

The Small Grants on offer can be used to make a variety of improvements such as:

  • Improving the quality of playing surfaces
  • Installing fencing
  • Buying pitch maintenance machinery
  • Replacing or buying new goalposts
  • Refurbishing or carrying out essential works on your changing rooms or clubhouse.

You can find further details on what you can/can’t fund with the grant on here.

 

Who is eligible for the grant?

So long as grassroots football is an integral part of your offering, the below organisations are eligible to apply:

  • Non-for-profit football clubs or voluntary groups
  • Local authorities
  • County FAs
  • Professional club community organisations
  • Schools, colleges or universities providing facilities for the community
  • Registered charities
  • Non-for-profit companies
  • Community interest companies (CIC) or other social enterprises
  • Companies limited by guarantee

The below are not eligible for the grant:

  • Individuals or sole traders
  • National governing bodies
  • Commercial or for-profit entities
  • A club within the Premier League, Football League, National League System (Steps 1-6) Regional Feeder League (Step 7), Women’s Football Pyramid (Tiers 1-5) or Welsh Premier League
  • Schools, universities or colleges providing facilities only for their students

Ready to apply?

It’s worth reading the full Guide to Small Grants to ensure your organisation and project goals are eligible.

The fund is open for eligible organisations who can apply directly on the Football Foundation Website.

I’m not eligible for the Game On Funds, what other funding options are there?

Last year Sport England announced their Return to Play Fund, which will deliver a total of £16.5m in funding to groups, clubs and organisations in the sport and activity sector who have been hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

The fund is split into three separate strands (£10m for small grants up to £10,000, £5m for Community Asset grants up to £50,000 and £1.5m for Active Together crowdfunding matched grants up to £10,000).  The Return to Play fund is aimed at helping organisations to get back on track, in turn helping to get people active in the coming months as restrictions ease.

You can find out more about the Return to Play fund on the Sport England Website.

Sports Facility Financing

If you’re not eligible for the Game On funds, Sport England or similar funding, then financing some or all of your new facility or refurbishment may be an option available to you.

 

Sports Operating Lease

Sports operating leases are particularly popular for academy and state schools and allow you to spread the cost of investing in your new sports facilities. Benefits include reduced upfront costs, no deposit options, fixed payments, reduced tax payments, and the option to reclaim VAT.

Find out more about sports operating leases.

 

Hire Purchase Agreement

Particularly beneficial for VAT-registered organisations, hire purchase agreements allow you to spread the cost of your new sports facility over time. Benefits include reduced upfront costs, deferred payment options, tax relief via annual capital allowances and the option to claim VAT back at the outset (if VAT registered).

Find out more about hire purchase agreements.

 

Finance Lease

Finance leases are recommended for organisations who are not VAT-registered, as they allow you to spread the cost of your facility, and VAT, over time. Benefits of a finance lease include no-deposit options, fixed repayments and the ability to reduce taxable income with the full asset value on your balance sheet.

Find out more about finance leases.

 

You can find out more about all of these finance options and alternative funds on our dedicated Funding & Finance page or call our experts on 01635 34521 for tailored advice.

Funding and finance advice from S&C Slatter

We’ve worked with clients who have utilised a variety of funding options to bring their sports construction projects to life. With 30 years’ experience in the design, construction and maintenance of sports facilities, we have a large network of funding partners and contacts.

View our sports funding and finance case studies to see a selection of projects funded by operating leases or framework funding.

Contact our team to talk to us about your plans and receive advice and guidance on what funding options may be best suited to you.

S&C Slatter, in exclusive partnership with FieldTurf, are delighted to deliver our first 3G Pitch under the new Football Foundation AGP Framework 2020-2024.

The project was delivered for Racing Club Warwick Football Club and was officially handed over on Wednesday 10th February 2021.

Racing ahead in Warwick

Following our re-selection to the Football Foundation AGP Framework 2020-2024, S&C Slatter and FieldTurf are thrilled to hand over our first completed project of the new funding cycle.

The new sports facility, delivered for Racing Club Warwick, includes a brand new, full-sized 3G pitch for football complete with fencing, footpaths and spectator seating. The pitch features artificial turf from our exclusive partners FieldTurf, FIFA Preferred Turf Producers.

Racing Club Warwick are a football club based in Warwickshire, currently playing in the Midland League Premier Division (Step 5 of the National League System). Following promotion in their 2018-19 season, the club made plans to construct a new 3G Pitch, not only to further the growth of the club but to serve the wider community as a whole.

At the time of the announcement, Club Chairman Gary Vella commented:

“The pitch will be a real community facility, linking in with other Junior clubs and partners from within the local area to provide a facility that is accessible for all. The new pitch will give us a top-quality playing surface for our first team, every day of the week, and allows Racing’s teams to host all of our training and games, expand the academy and offer facilities to other Junior sides in the area. It is an exciting and huge project, which is just the next phase of our plans to develop Townsend Meadow into a true community hub”.

Strong foundation for football’s future

Racing Club Warwick are the first of our clients under the new cycle to benefit from Football Foundation funding to realise their project.

As existing suppliers to the 2015-2019 Football Foundation AGP Framework, S&C Slatter and FieldTurf have proudly delivered transformational new facilities for schools, councils and community clubs alike.

With a further 9 projects underway for the new Football Foundation AGP Framework this year, we’re thrilled to have delivered our first under the new programme and look forward to continuing to deliver first-class sporting facilities that serve communities across the country.

We wish The Racers all the very best with their new pitch and are sure those in the local community will be racing to the new facility when coronavirus restrictions ease!

About The Football Foundation

The Football Foundation is the Premier League, FA and Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s charity, improving the health and wellbeing of communities across the country with football grants to construct or improve sporting facilities.

Find out more about how they’re truly changing the game for grassroots football on their website.

Join the Winning Team

Together S&C Slatter and FieldTurf have been suppliers to the Football Foundation AGP Framework since 2015.

Any Football Foundation Funded project that selects FieldTurf as the preferred supplier will benefit from our unrivalled ‘one team’ approach and can expect the highest quality and performance of their new facility.

To find out more, please get in touch.

Call 01635 34521 or email info@sandcslatter.com

We were thrilled to see the results of our specialist winter deep clean at two independent schools recently. The pitches, constructed by S&C Slatter, are looked after by our maintenance specialists – and still look as good as new!

Constructed – and maintained – with integrity

In December 2020, our dedicated maintenance division visited two independent schools to carry out artificial turf deep cleans. The pitches – one sand dressed hockey pitch and one 3G pitch for rugby and football – were constructed by S&C Slatter in 2015 and 2012 respectively.

We visited the schools on day one of the deep clean process, returning on the third day, once work was complete, to capture before and after images. Common problems were identified on both pitches, with compaction occurring on the 3G Pitch, where the infill was no longer visible under flattened pile.

3G pitch before deep clean
3G pitch after deep clean

The hockey pitch had contamination visible on the surface, with visible moss growth, commonplace on pitches during winter months.

Sand-dressed hockey pitch before deep clean
Sand-dressed hockey pitch after deep clean

Following the deep clean process, the pitches were free from contaminants and debris, with the artificial turf pile and infill materials completely revived.

What is a winter deep clean?

In truth, a deep clean can be – and often is – carried out at any time of the year. A deep clean is designed to revitalise an artificial turf surface, maximising performance, safety and longevity.

The reason they are sometimes known as a ‘winter deep clean’ is because even with regular maintenance, pitches face greater risk of damage during the winter months. Deep cleans are designed to fully penetrate the artificial turf, lifting and cleaning the infill, while reviving the pile.

The four-stage process can take between 1-3 days, depending on the size and condition of your pitch. Find out more about the process on our dedicated Deep Clean page.

 

Why do pitches need a deep clean?

Ideally, deep cleans should be carried out annually or biannually in addition to standard regular maintenance.

Following heavy usage throughout the year – and poor weather – artificial turf can become compacted. This, combined with debris such as fallen leaves collecting on the surface, can cause issues with drainage and the growth of moss and algae.

If not addressed, this can lead to a slippery surface, badly affecting the grip, performance and ultimately safety of a pitch.

 

It’s great to see the results of our specialist deep clean on these pitches – helping to extend their lifespan and provide optimum safety and performance.

Artificial Pitch Deep Clean

If your artificial pitch could benefit from a deep clean, get in touch with our maintenance experts to arrange a free site consultation.

Call 01635 34521 or email dpearce@sandcslatter.com

When you think of 3G pitches, you might think first of football or rugby, where 3G pitches are commonly utilised at the very highest levels of each game, for training and match play.

3G artificial turf technology provides for more than just these two sports alone however, including those less commonly played in the UK, such as American Football.

3G Pitches for American Football

We were thrilled to see a recent report on BBC Sport showcasing a rising star in American Football, Freddie Pelling, training with the NFL Academy in London on a 3G Pitch constructed by S&C Slatter.

The 3G Pitch was delivered for Haringey Borough Council and is situated at the New River Sport & Fitness Centre on White Hart Lane. While the pitch is available for rugby and football hire, it’s great to see the NFL Academy utilising the pitch to train Britain’s rising stars in the world of American Football.

The video report, filmed on the 3G pitch constructed by S&C Slatter, can be viewed here. The report features former American Football greats Jason Bell and Osi Umenyiora and highlights the NFLs Academy’s use of the pitch for its elite training programme. Congratulations to Freddie, who has received two offers to play college football at Division 1 level – from The University of Akron and none other than Ivy League college, Brown University!

 

What sports can be played on a 3G Pitch?

3G artificial grass pitches are most commonly constructed for football or rugby and must meet specific performance and safety standards for FIFA or World Rugby certification.

3G pitches for football can be used for match play up to Tier 5 in England (National League) and all levels of Welsh and Scottish Football – though the majority of England’s Premiership teams also use 3G pitches for training, such as Everton FC.

3G pitches for rugby are allowed for both match play and training at all levels of the RFU and RFL.

While commonly constructed for these two sports, 3G pitches are versatile and can also be used for sports such as lacrosse, American football and Gaelic athletics.

We’re proud to support the growth of American football players in the UK, not only through the pitch used by the NFL Academy. Other 3G pitches for American football we’ve constructed include those at Coventry Rugby Club, The University of Kent and Royal Holloway University.

3G Pitch Design & Construction Specialists

If you’re looking to construct a 3G pitch and would like advice on which artificial turf system would be best for your chosen sport(s) get in touch with our experts.

Call 01635 34521 or email info@sandcslatter.com

Whether you refer to it as ‘uncertain’ or ‘unprecedented’, 2020 has not been an ordinary year. As vaccines and the hope of the new year draw closer, we thought we’d take the opportunity to focus on the positive and reflect on our work over the last 12 months, despite the challenges brought about by the pandemic.

Here’s our roundup of just what we got up to in 2020:

We expanded

Following a successful 2019, which saw the company grow substantially overnight with the acquisition of White Horse Contractors by The Slatter Group, S&C Slatter made a number of new hires and changes to the company structure.

We announced the appointment of Ben O’Connor as the new Managing Director of S&C Slatter, with David Slatter moving into the role of CEO of The Slatter Group. We also welcomed a number of new faces to S&C Slatter across Surfacing & Civils, Design & Planning, Sales & Estimation, Purchasing and Health & Safety teams.

 

We began new partnerships

S&C Slatter have worked in closely with Tarkett Sports over the past seven years through our exclusive relationship with leading artificial turf manufacturer FieldTurf, across England and Wales.

In November we were excited to announce our exclusive new partnership with world-leading athletics track manufacturer Beynon Sports, a member of the Tarkett Sports Group.

Demonstrating our commitment to designing and constructing world-class facilities with the very best sports surface producers, the announcement came with the commencement of construction on two Class I World Athletics tracks in a prestigious project that will continue into 2021.

Meanwhile our sister company, White Horse Contractors, caused a stir in the elite sports market with the announcement of an exciting new partnership with pioneering hybrid sports turf manufacturer GrassMaster Solutions, another member of the Tarkett Sports Group.

…and built on existing ones

Earlier in the year, we celebrated 5 years of partnership with Freedom Leisure, the non-for-profit-leisure trust for whom we deliver 180 maintenance visits annually.

We were also delighted to be re-selected, with our exclusive artificial turf partners FieldTurf, to the Football Foundation AGP framework 2020-2024, following a successful four year term from 2015-2019.

We designed, built and refurbished over 100 sports facilities

All divisions of S&C Slatter were kept busy this year, with projects varying in size and scope – from small refurbishments for local schools to state of the art facilities constructed for global performance – our team have been kept on their toes!

 

Here are some of our favourite projects of 2020:

  • Delivering a 3G Community Pitch for Swindon Town FC, the pitch was 25 years in the making (well, funding…) with funding from the Football Foundation AGP Framework and the late Nigel Eady.

Swindon Town Foundation Park Artificial turf pitch

 

S&C Slatter tennis & netball court construction Charterhouse School

 

  • Working again with Paul Doswell to deliver his 2nd 3G Stadia Pitch conversion for a non-league club Havant & Waterlooville FC. We wish Paul all the best in recreating his success after installing an S&C Slatter pitch at Sutton United.

Havant & Waterlooville 3G Stadia Pitch opening constructed by S&C Slatter

 

West Midlands Safari Park roadway construction

 

  • Maximising sport through winter for students with a new athletics track at Castle School, a school in Newbury, specialising in education for children with complex learning difficulties.

athletics and sprint track construction Castle School by S&C Slatter

 

  • Helping to keep The Crown at Bray open through the winter, by maximising capacity with the installation of professional landscape artificial grass for their outdoor restaurant.

Crown at Bray Garden Restaurant constructed by S&C Slatter

We provided maintenance services at over 600 sites

Our hard-working maintenance division delivered routine preventative maintenance, ad-hoc repairs and specialist deep cleans to maximise the performance, safety and lifespan of sports facilities across the UK.

We shut down to protect the NHS

Although the construction industry was allowed to stay open during the first national lockdown in March, our senior management team took the decision to cease construction on all sites for a 3-week period.

The decision was made to protect the NHS as well as staff across The Slatter Group, while new health and safety measures could be identified and implemented.

Only when the situation became clearer and these procedures were in place did work slowly begin to re-commence, starting with a handful of carefully selected sites to ensure that new health and safety measures would be successful.

 

 

Like all companies in 2020, we have had to quickly adapt to ever changing rules and advice. Microsoft Teams may have replaced face-to-face meetings, kitchens may have become offices but our dedication to producing first class workmanship has only strengthened, with our dedication to customer service and team spirit very much alive!

Thank you to all of our staff, partners and clients for working with us during this extra-ordinary year. Here’s to a brighter 2021!

Constructed With Integrity

With our extensive in-house expertise across design, planning, construction and maintenance, S&C Slatter are your one-stop-shop for first-class sporting facilities.

We’re committed to producing facilities that are designed and built for top performance, maximum use and longevity.

Get in touch now.

Call 01635 34521 or email info@sandcslatter.com

S&C Slatter are thrilled to announce that our Group Director, Jason Douglass, has been elected as the new Chair of SAPCA, the Sports and Play Construction Association, for a two-year term.

On-board for SAPCA’s future

After joining the 12-strong SAPCA Board as Chair of the Pitch and Track Division in 2019, Jason represented the views and opinions of Pitch and Track Division members, helping to support the implementation of SAPCA’s Strategic Review.

Of his new role as Chair, Jason commented:

 

“I’m pledging my commitment, my time and my energy to do the very best I can in this important role. My vision for SAPCA is deliberate change and progression – built on the foundations of an already strong association.

Ultimately, I want SAPCA to be at the front of mind when architects, consultants, local authorities and estate managers are looking to procure sports and play facilities.

I want each SAPCA member to feel they are in an advantageous position over competitors who aren’t SAPCA members.”

 

Chris Trickey, Chief Executive, SAPCA added:

 

“I have no doubt that Jason’s considerable experience and knowledge of the sector will enable him to be a great champion for the sports and play industry, and that his ambition for the Association will certainly help to strengthen SAPCA during the next two years.”

 

Jason was elected as Chair at the Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 15th December, 2020, replacing outgoing chair Andy Reed OBE, who added:

 

“I’m sure I speak for everyone associated with SAPCA when I say that I look forward to Jason leading SAPCA in its next stage of development… I think Jason will ensure a very strong strategic direction for SAPCA, which stems from his passion for the sector.”

 

About SAPCA

SAPCA is the Trade Association for UK Sports and Play Construction, working towards building an active nation with a goal to “ensure that every project meets the customer’s expectations, is designed, built and maintained to last, whilst delivering excellent value for money.”

Find out more about Jason’s appointment on the SAPCA website.

 

We at S&C Slatter know first-hand the strength of Jason’s leadership and expertise, as well as the importance of SAPCA to the sports construction industry, supporting both members and customers. The appointment marks an exciting time for the sports industry and for SAPCA, who will undoubtedly continue to champion best practice, innovation and education under Jason’s leadership.

 

Get on board

If you’d like to learn more about Jason’s new role as SAPCA Chair, or are simply looking for guidance on a sports construction project then please get in touch.

S&C Slatter were delighted to work together with Group Partners White Horse Contractors to deliver two new natural turf pitches for football at Wimborne Town Football Club in November.

Football ground relocation specialists

Following the successful relocation of Ringmer AFC earlier this year, we were thrilled to work on another relocation project for Wimborne FC and property developers Wyatt Homes.

Wyatt Homes approached The Magpies with the proposition of purchasing their existing Cuthbury ground for residential development, with the proceeds funding a new purpose-built facility at an alternative site.

The new ground at Parmiter Drive features one natural turf stadia pitch for match play and one natural turf pitch for training, both constructed to Sport England Type 5 build specification.

 

 

One-stop shop for football ground construction

S&C Slatter were contracted to deliver the new ground, with the client benefitting from our dedicated in-house teams across both S&C Slatter and our group partners White Horse Contractors, to take care of design, pitch construction and ancillary works.

Our specialist Design & Planning team created the site-wide design and layout for the club’s new ground to The FA’s Sports Ground Grading C specification, suitable for football in the National League System.

White Horse Contractors’ in-house engineers and CAD experts produced the technical design and construction programme for the two natural turf pitches, delivering the construction of the pitches on site to Sport England Type 5 specification.

To round off the project, S&C Slatter’s dedicated Surfacing & Civils division took care of ancillary footpath construction as well as fencing and floodlighting for the two pitches.

Stadium fit for a King

In a recent interview with the Bournemouth Echo, club patron Harry Redknapp commented:

“To see a stadium like this for a non-league club is beyond belief really. It’s top draw. I had been to the old ground… but this ground is another level. It makes you want to play football again.”

Despite poor weather and the disruption caused by the coronavirus crisis, our teams worked to deliver the project on time, and to the PQS standards set out by the client.

White Horse Contractors utilised a custom-build specialist mobile irrigation system to cut the growing in time for the pitch by 50%, to overcome the time lost due to COVID-19 – and the Great British weather!

After more than 100 years at their old ground, we’re excited to see what the next hundred years holds for Wimborne FC and hope to see the ground put to great use for developing football in Wimborne in the next season and beyond.

For more information call 01635 34521 or email enquiries@slattersportsconstruction.com

S&C Slatter sister company White Horse Contractors have announced an exciting new partnership with hybrid turf manufacturers GrassMaster Solutions, part of the Tarkett Sports Group.

With a heritage built over 60 years, White Horse Contractors are a leading name in natural turf sports construction. Combining their design and construction expertise with GrassMaster Solutions’ market leading technology brings an outstanding hybrid sports pitch proposition to sports clubs and stadia across the UK.

Pioneers in hybrid grass sports pitches

GrassMaster gained market recognition as the inventors of hybrid turf in 1989. This revolutionary new technology transformed the elite sports industry by delivering reinforced natural grass playing surfaces that can support over 1,000 hours of play per year.

As a result, GrassMaster hybrid turf has been installed on over 800 pitches around the world with UK users including Manchester United, Liverpool FC, Twickenham Stadium and Wembley Stadium.

 

The world’s biggest stage

GrassMaster hybrid pitches have enjoyed ongoing endorsement from leading sporting bodies around the globe, having been chosen as the playing surface for the world’s biggest tournaments including UEFA Euro, FIFA World Cup, and the Rugby World Cup.

> Rugby World Cup 2015 | 2011

> FIFA World Cup 2018 | 2014 | 2010

> Euro 2020 | 2016 | 2012 | 2004               

White Horse Contractors and GrassMaster Solutions share a commitment to excellence and innovation and UK sports clubs and stadia can now benefit from their combined 90 years of experience in elite sports pitch construction.

 

Jason Douglass, White Horse Contractors Group Director, commented:

Following White Horse Contractors’ substantial growth over the past year, we are thrilled to be partnering with hybrid turf pioneers GrassMaster. Already partnering to great success with Tarkett Sports in the external sports facilities sector, our unique combination of expertise and technology introduces a powerful new hybrid pitch proposition to sports clubs and stadia.”

Already a winning team

Following acquisition by the Tarkett Sports Group, GrassMaster Solutions were rebranded in 2014 and now benefit from the globally renowned sports surfacing group’s research and manufacturing strength. As part of Tarkett the hybrid turf innovators have joined world leading artificial turf experts FieldTurf and athletic track specialists Beynon Sports, both of whom have exclusive UK partnerships with S&C Slatter.

With six decades of experience and a long heritage in the design, construction and maintenance of natural and hybrid turf sports pitches, White Horse Contractors have been trusted to construct the highest quality sports pitches for clients including Wasps Rugby ClubChelsea Football Club and St. George’s Park (the FA’s national football centre and home of England’s football teams).

 

Benjamin Huneau, General Manager GrassMaster Solutions, commented:
“This new partnership is an exciting moment for our hybrid business. Our companies share similar values based on internal expertise, attention to quality and service to customers. We are convinced that White Horse Contractors has a bright future in the development of high-end hybrid pitches in England and Wales. Together we will support Groundsmen, Club and Stadium Managers to get the best possible pitch every day, for every training session and every game.”

The new partnership between White Horse Contractors and GrassMaster Solutions offers a truly turn-key solution to the UK market with the ability to meet the needs of the most complex elite sport infrastructure projects.

To learn more call White Horse Contractors on 01865 736 272 or email whc@whitehorsecontractors.co.uk.

The government has announced a new Winter Survival Package of £300m to help national sports governing bodies and individual sports clubs impacted by the loss of revenue from spectators, due to coronavirus restrictions.

What is the Winter Survival Package?

The Winter Survival Package has been created by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and will be distributed by Sport England. The funds will provide support specifically to professional spectator sports. Read on if you think your club may be eligible, or head to our funding & finance page for alternative funding options.

The government recognises that coronavirus restrictions have greatly limited the ability for clubs and governing bodies to generate revenue through spectator attendance, severely impacting cash flow, in turn impacting their ability to support grassroots sport.

The Winter Survival Package is therefore providing £300m of funding for clubs or governing bodies who have suffered significantly from these restrictions, focused specifically on revenue losses directly related to the lack of spectators attending matches or events during the pandemic.

Who is eligible for funds from the Winter Survival Package?

The Winter Survival Package is a solicited fund, meaning that it is not open for applications in the same was as Sport England’s funds for grassroots sport. Sport England state that “All of the relevant sports and organisations have been engaged throughout the process to determine their specific needs”.

Only these relevant organisations will then be able to submit an application, with the £300m distributed by an independent committee primarily as loans, with some grants offered based on individual organisations’ needs.

How will the money be split by sport?

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, who are behind the package, have proposed the following breakdown of funds by sport:

Football

  • National League Steps 1-2: £11m
  • National League Steps 3-6: £14m
  • Women’s Super League & FA Women’s Championship: £3m

Rugby Union

  • Rugby Football Union: £44m
  • Premiership Rugby Clubs: £59m
  • Championship Rugby Clubs: £9m
  • Rugby Clubs below Championship level: £23m

Rugby League

  • Rugby Football League: £12m

Tennis

  • Lawn Tennis Association: £5m

Netball

  • England Netball: £2m
  • Super League Netball: £2m

Basketball

  • Basketball England: £1m
  • British Basketball League clubs (inc. Women’s): £3m

Additional funding will also be delivered to Horse Racing (£40m to racecourses), Motorsport (£6m to major circuits), Ice Hockey Elite League (£3m), Badminton England (£2m) and the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (£1m).

If you’re an eligible club, you can find out more about the fund on the Sport England page here:

 

I’m not eligible, what other funding options are there?

Last month Sport England announced their Return to Play Fund, which will deliver a total of £16.5m in funding to groups, clubs and organisations in the sport and activity sector who have been hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

The fund is split into three separate strands (£10m for small grants up to £10,000, £5m for Community Asset grants up to £50,000 and £1.5m for Active Together crowdfunding matched grants up to £10,000).  The Return to Play fund is aimed at helping organisations to get back on track, in turn helping to get people active in the coming months as restrictions ease.

You can find out more about the Return to Play fund on the Sport England Website.

If you’re not eligible for Sport England funding, there are alternative finance options available for schools, clubs and leisure centres.

You may be eligible for finance options such as Sports Operating Leases or Hire Purchase Agreements.

 

Sports Operating Lease

Sports operating leases are particularly popular for schools and allow you to spread the cost of investing in your new sports facilities. Benefits include reduced upfront costs, fixed payments, reduced tax payments, and the option to reclaim VAT.

 

Hire Purchase Agreement

Available to sports clubs, hire purchase agreements allow you to spread the cost of your new sports facility over time. Benefits include reduced upfront costs (variety of low deposit options), full ownership on final payment, deferred payment options, and tax relief via annual capital allowances.

To find out more about either of these options or alternative financing available to you, please read more on our Funding & Finance page or call our experts on 01635 34521.

Funding and finance advice from S&C Slatter

We’ve worked with clients who have utilised a variety of funding options to bring their sports construction projects to life. With 30 years’ experience in the design, construction and maintenance of sports facilities, we have a large network of funding partners and contacts.

View our sports funding and finance case studies to see a selection of projects funded by operating leases or framework funding.

Contact our team to talk to us about your plans and receive advice and guidance on what funding options may be best suited to you.