Folkestone Sports Centre Trust

Background

Folkestone Sports Centre Trust was formed in 1972 to provide affordable sport and leisure facilities to the local community. Every month more than 26,000 people use its facilities and 20 per cent of users come from disadvantaged backgrounds. The charity runs 18 separate programmes to help the elderly, homeless, low income families and disabled people. Among activities taking place at the centre are cardiac rehabilitation, youth clubs and homeless shower care.

How we helped

With a building dating from the 1970s, the centre was in need of major modernisation. Top priority was a new roof but the trust also wanted to improve its facilities and double the size of its gym in order to provide an attractive alternative to private health clubs in the town. Mainstream banks were approached but refused a loan because the trust didn’t make a profit and, they insisted, wouldn’t be able to make the repayments. At this point, the trustees turned to Charity Bank. “They immediately understood how a charity works,” says general manager Tessa Stickler. “They spent time looking through our business case and our projections and going through the history of the place to understand where we were coming from.” A loan of £1.67m was agreed. Charity Bank also put the trust in touch with Big Issue Invest who provided another £225,000.

Impact

Work has begun on replacing the leaking roof and the modernisation of the gym will begin in March. The trust has a target of  increasing membership from 500 to 900. “I know the support we will get from the community when this is done will be immense,” says Stickler. One user, Colin Bradley, says: “I am so looking forward to seeing the Centre modernized and moving forward to the future. I’m delighted that the ethos of the trust, to provide affordable activities for the community, will remain, and the centre will be restored to its former glory.”

www.folkestonesportscentre.co.uk