The Hive London: Boosting sports provision in North West London

In just 16 years, The Hive London Group has transformed a neglected site into a professional-level sports and Community facility, with a football ground, conference and banqueting centre, gym and café. Now, it wants to go even further… 

Social Need

As well as improving physical fitness, sport can boost mental wellbeing and bring people together. However, it’s not always easy to find affordable, well-maintained sports facilities locally, especially if you want to compete at a professional level or run a community-based programme offering participation, inclusion and education.

Organisation

Back in 2010, The Hive London Group bought a 45-acre site in Edgeware, North West London. At the time, it was home to council-owned playing fields and a football club, but everything was poorly maintained and there was very little in the way of infrastructure. Today, the site has been transformed into a modern sports, community and events facility.

The Hive London’s football stadium is home to two professional clubs, Barnet FC and the London Bees. The site also features a large wedding and events centre, a gym, café and medical centre offering diagnostic scans. In addition, football pitches, padel courts and event spaces are available for hire and through its charitable arm, The Hive Foundation, the organisation also delivers a children’s football academy and sports summer camps, helping to engage and support young people across the local community.

Loan

The Hive London Group has ambitious plans to further develop the site and expand its facilities. While exploring funding options, the team approached several lenders but struggled to find one able to provide the bespoke, flexible finance they required. Their broker, PIA, introduced the directors to Charity Bank, which was able to offer a £12 million loan package. This funding forms a significant part of the overall development budget and will support the construction of additional ATP pitches, a North Stand Indoor Sports Hall, a South Stand for the stadium, new office space, and a new food and drink concept designed for wider community use.

Impact

The Hive London welcomes around one million visitors each year and has become a valued community hub in North London. Whether people come to play football, watch a match, work out in the gym or attend an event, it offers something for everyone. With new facilities and pitches on the way, visitor numbers are expected to grow even further.

Long-term, The Hive London Group has even greater ambitions, including the potential for building a sports campus and partnering with a university to offer sports degrees. It’s also working to future-proof the existing world class facilities to adapt to the UK’s changing climate. In short, the Hive London will continue benefitting the people of the area for many years to come.

“It was apparent from the very beginning that Charity Bank’s approach was exactly what we were looking for. We didn’t need an off-the-shelf loan; we needed to structure something that would have been very difficult for some of the bigger banks to structure. Charity Bank’s pragmatic, bespoke approach was a breath of fresh air.”

Mike Saul, Non-Executive Director of The Hive London Estates