Think back to when your synthetic turf pitch was first installed. Not only was it exciting, a new facility, but the surface was pristine, often state of the art and designed to last for the next decade. Well time has passed, the pitch has been used and has aged, the time is now, or very soon, for it to be replaced.
The danger if you don’t change at the right time is loss of users to other facilities and this means revenue. Sometimes acting too late can kill a facility; it could be condemned and taken out of action. In some cases the surface may even become dangerous, with seams opening up, too much infill on the surface and bacteria forming where drainage has been impaired.
So what do you do? Well, the easy answer is to replace the surface. But can you afford to?
When the pitch was first built grants were available from sources such as the Lottery, Football Foundation and even further back, the Foundation for Sports and Art. At the time all would have recommended putting money into a sinking fund. But take a look at the new changing room block, or science lab, that’s where your sinking fund has gone. Don’t look to these funding bodies to bail you out.
Help is on hand with finance available to fund your new surface through future revenue generation. If you can show an income history, this may qualify you to borrow sufficient funds to replace your pitch. The numbers add up easily.
- To replace a full size pitch the surface will cost between £120,000 and £150,000. If you add a new shock pad you should add a further £40,000.
- A well-managed synthetic surface should generate between £5,000 and £9,000 per month.
- If some of this income is diverted towards paying off the pitch, the new surface could be funded easily over a 5 to 7 year period, and still leave sufficient funds to cover maintenance, management and marketing, not to mention contributing towards other facilities.
For more information, get in touch with one of the Rhino-Turf Team.
