The old clubhouse was approaching 60 years old, was in poor repair and was becoming increasingly expensive to maintain. Its condition discouraged external users, leaving the HSC reliant on members and occasional events for revenue.

The changing rooms no longer met sporting governing body standards. They were in poor condition, uninviting and unable to provide sufficient hot water for showers. There were also no suitable female changing rooms, contributing to the Barton RFC losing a ladies’ team.

Various plans to replace or upgrade the clubhouse had been proposed over the years, but none secured funding. The opportunity to build the new clubhouse became possible when the Mercer family trust offered funding, subject to the project starting and being completed before the end of 2026.

The objectives for the new clubhouse were set out early in the project:

• Create a vibrant community hub that brings members, residents and visitors together in a welcoming and inclusive environment.

• Provide more opportunities for people of all ages, genders and abilities to participate in sport, health and wellbeing activities.

• Provide welcoming social, hospitality and event spaces that encourage greater community engagement.

• Support the existing affiliated sports clubs and encourage greater participation and collaboration across the HSC.

• Build a sustainable future for the HSC by attracting investment, strong partnerships and expert management, generating reliable income and reducing operational risk while supporting the HSC’s existing sports and community ethos.

Recognising the importance of HSC and the quality of its facilities to the wider community and its sports clubs, the parish council has been very supportive. This includes:

•           Contributing £100,000 towards the project, specifically to fund the changing rooms, through a loan from the Public Works Loan Board;

•           Granting permission for demolition of the old buildings, which formed part of the lease to Holland Sports. The new clubhouse will belong to the HSC but will revert to the parish council if anything happens to the HSC;

•           Granting a new lease to Holland Sports Club that provides greater commercial scope; and

•           Arranging extraordinary meetings to approve leases and sub-leases to meet Holland Sports Clubs’ deadlines.

Recognising that the project needed to be delivered by people with the time and relevant experience, the HSC Exec established a steering group to manage the project and a separate fundraising committee.

The steering group includes representatives from the HSC exec, HSC members with particular skills, the parish council, the fundraising committee and Rob Mercer, representing the major project sponsor.

Three contractor quotes were obtained. MDB’s quote was the most competitive and MDB also performed strongly against other selection criteria. Its performance to date has been exemplary.

Construction progress and contractor payments have been overseen by Neil Crawley, a parish council member and qualified quantity surveyor, whose input has been vital.

Where required the team members have sought legal and technical support from suitably qualified professionals to ensure that the decisions they make are in line with current construction, operation and legal parameters.

Fundraising has been led by Jodie Hargreaves. The fundraising committee has led grant applications and organised a series of events both to raise funds and maintain the project’s profile.

Funding for construction of the building to date is as follows (expected values; not all have yet been received)

Building construction funding

• Major donor and grants — £1,015,000

• Corporate sponsorship — £47,000

• TOTAL NON-COMMUNITY FUNDING — £1,062,000

• Parish council — £100,000

• Community donations — £71,000

• Community events — £59,000

• COMMUNITY FUNDING — £230,000

• TOTAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION FUNDING — £1,292,000

As a result of variations and professional fees, the project cost, including contingency, has reached £1.39m, creating a projected shortfall of around £100,000. We intend to bridge this gap through loans.

Further investment from the incoming operators takes the total investment in the wider project close to £2m.

No.  The HSC’s expenditure of around £1.39m provides the shell/core building works. Further investment is then required to fit out and equip the facilities so that they can operate.

Additional investment from the new outsourced tenants has been required to provide the services. When this is included, the total investment is approaching £2m.

The new tenants are paying for the fit out of the function rooms, gym, all works related to the padel and the resurfacing of the remaining MUGA surface. Without the tenant’s investment the community would need to raise these additional funds to fund these aspects.

The key considerations were construction cost, operational practicality and community value. The aim was to create a modern, sustainable building that delivered the facilities needed by the Club. Cost was an important constraint, and the design needed to provide the best value within the available budget while meeting planning, building regulation and sporting requirements.

Public funding for more elaborate or traditional buildings such as the one at Melbourne Sports HSC has largely dried up. We were unable to secure National Lottery funding, whose pots are heavily oversubscribed and focused on areas of deprivation. Melbourne was one of the models considered, but that project cost £2.5m in 2015 and had been 30 years in gestation. Our project needed to be more modest and delivered more quickly, as the old clubhouse was unlikely to last another 10 years, let alone 30.

A clad steel-frame building provides the best value for money method to create the space required. Large areas of exterior glass add considerable cost and create overheating issues in summer.  The colour was chosen to complement the woodland, meadow and fields surrounding the clubhouse. Once operational we could potentially retrofit windows if this is desired, however for now we have had to work within the available budget.

The new clubhouse will provide around 11,500 ft² of usable space at approximately £120/ft². Ballpark quotes for a more stylish brick structure were around £250/ft² — nearly £3m in total.

The additional benefit of the steel frame building wasthe reduced timeframe for delivery allowing the clubhouse to be constructed over a 6 month period, significantly less than a brick building of similar area. This smaller build time minimized the impact on our affiliated clubs due to the build.

Several meetings were arranged early in the process to obtain feedback from coaches and other sports HSC officials. Their suggestions were passed to the architect and resulted in a number of changes.

Ultimately, the design was subject to important constraints, such as existing building footprint, sports HSC needs and desires and importantly cost. It also had to satisfy planning requirements, building regulations and the changing-room specifications of the FA, whose Foundation provided a grant. Once these factors were taken into account, relatively few design decisions remained, and most were subjective choices that the steering group left to a nominated person with the relevant experience and knowledge.

The new clubhouse is significantly larger than the previous facility and will require longer opening hours, more staffing, greater day-to-day management and additional investment in equipment and fit-out.

HSC is a volunteer-led sports club. The HSC Exec therefore considered how the new facilities could be operated sustainably without placing the financial and operational burden of a much larger commercial operation onto the HSC Exec and its volunteers.

The HSC was also moving from an existing operating model that provided limited financial return and placed significant reliance on volunteers. The new clubhouse presented an opportunity to establish a more sustainable model that could provide greater financial stability for HSC, support wider community and sporting activity, and create capacity for continued investment in the HSC facilities.

The gym requires specialist expertise, equipment and investment. For the bar and café, HSC considered several operating models, including direct management. The preferred approach was to work with experienced operators who could provide the investment, expertise and day-to-day management required.

This allows HSC to receive guaranteed rental income while transferring the day-to-day commercial and operational risk to the operators, enabling the Club to concentrate on its core role of supporting sport, members and the wider community.

The approach also provides the HSC with a more secure financial base from which it can maintain and invest in its facilities in the future. It also means that the additional investment required to fit out and establish these facilities is provided by the operators rather than from HSC or community funds.

Padel is a growing sport and the HSC received approaches from potential padel operators well before the clubhouse project. The HSC Exec recognised that introducing padel would provide a new sporting opportunity for members and the wider community, while also generating a significant and reliable source of income for HSC. The facility would also strengthen the commercial viability of keeping the clubhouse open throughout the day for gym members, youth activities and wider community use.

A number of potential locations for the courts were considered. The area between the MUGA and the brook was identified as too constrained to accommodate the courts by the padel operators consulted. Using the overflow car park would create significant issues on match days. The MUGA was therefore identified as the most suitable location, taking into account operational, financial and planning considerations.

The HSC Exec recognised that locating the padel courts on the MUGA would reduce the space available to existing users and therefore considered how the remaining space could continue to support those clubs. Direct discussions were held with the senior leadership teams of the key clubs affected, particularly tennis and football. The remaining approximately 60% of the MUGA will be resurfaced as part of the private operator’s investment and will continue to provide space for a range of sporting activities. It has been assessed as capable of accommodating two tennis courts, a netball court and a 5-a-side football pitch. Football has also indicated that a smaller surface will be suitable for junior use, while it is acknowledged that tennis will lose one of its three existing courts.

The HSC Exec has also considered the likely impact of the new 3G pitch at John Taylor High School, which has secured funding and should be constructed in the near future. This facility is expected to reduce demand on the MUGA for football, which was an important consideration when assessing its future use.

There is also potential for the introduction of padel to complement tennis more generally, by increasing interest and participation in racquet sports. Tennis will retain two dedicated hard courts alongside the two remaining MUGA courts, and the tennis club is exploring options for additional dedicated hard courts. The additional rental income generated by padel will also strengthen the HSC Exec’s ability to support the tennis club’s longer-term ambition to develop additional hard courts.

As with the gym and bar, HSC does not have the specialist expertise or the approximately £400,000 required to build and operate the padel facility itself. Outsourcing therefore allows the Club to introduce the facility through significant private investment while securing a reliable income stream and professional operation.

The decision to outsource the commercial facilities was based on what would best support the long-term interests of HSC, its members and the village.

The purpose of the model is not simply to generate income for HSC, but to enable the new clubhouse to provide a wider range of professionally managed services and facilities for members and the wider community.

The new facilities will provide a professionally operated gym, bar and café, function spaces and padel, creating new opportunities for sport, health, wellbeing, social activity and community use. The aim is for the clubhouse to be active throughout the day and across the week, providing a welcoming space for members, families, visitors and local residents, as well as supporting clubs around training, fixtures and events.

HSC has traditionally found it difficult to generate sufficient profit from its commercial activities to fund significant improvements to the grounds and facilities. Outsourcing the commercial operations provides HSC with a guaranteed annual rental income of over £70,000, which can be used to support the Club and investment in its facilities.

The operators have made clear that they want to work collaboratively with HSC, its affiliated clubs and the wider village to develop their offering and create meaningful value for the community. Some examples of the ideas already proposed include:

·       A Club Card arrangement that creates a direct source of funding for HSC’s affiliated sports clubs, with spending at the clubhouse generating a financial return for the relevant club;

•           Opportunities for community groups, families and young people to make greater use of the clubhouse and facilities beyond matchdays, including a youth club, events, activities and social occasions;

·       Accessible and inclusive padel opportunities, including reduced rates for HSC sports club members, after-school clubs and junior sessions, coaching for juniors, beginners and more experienced players, and social leagues, events and activities to encourage wider participation.

•           Club evenings, events and other activities developed with HSC’s affiliated clubs, supporting participation, social connection and opportunities for clubs to generate additional income.

Once the operators are formally announced, they will be able to start developing these ideas with HSC, its affiliated clubs and the wider community. They will be keen to hear ideas about how the new facilities could best support the Club and village.

The commercial arrangements have therefore been structured to reduce operational and financial risk for HSC, provide a reliable income stream and give the Club the best opportunity to invest in its facilities and deliver a sustainable future for its members and the wider community.

A member of the HSC exec, Jodie Hargreaves, with a history in the sports and leisure industry expressed interest in the gym, creating a conflict of interest that needed to be managed.

That person was excluded from all discussions and involvement concerning the contract.

A separate bid review committee was established to select the preferred bidders. It necessarily included some HSC exec members and also included other HSC club members unconnected to any bidder.

The HSC Exec invited proposals for the bar, gym and padel facilities through a structured selection process. The Response Criteria set out in advance that proposals would be assessed on relevant experience, vision, operational excellence, financial viability and alignment with HSC’s ethos. Applicants were also asked to provide detailed business plans, financial projections, proposed investment and ideas for additional or value-added services.

The criteria also specifically required proposals to consider the benefits to HSC’s sports clubs and the wider village, including increased participation, community engagement, social impact, enhancement of facilities and partnerships or collaborations benefiting local residents and stakeholders. Proposals were also required to demonstrate how they would contribute to the Club’s ongoing success and the long-term benefit of HSC and the local community.

The bid review committee received presentations from the bidders and selected a preferred bidder for each contract, considering factors including proposed rental, business-plan viability and strategies to benefit HSC members and the wider community. The selections were unanimous.

A significant factor was the bidders’ emphasis on collaboration with the sports clubs and strategies to promote the HSC’s facilities to the wider community. The successful bidders are current members of several Clubs, and their proposals were strongly focused on benefits for HSC members.

Preferred bidder status gave the selected parties the right to negotiate a commercial contract with the HSC exec.

The preferred bidders issued heads of terms setting out their proposed contract terms. Following review by the committee, these proposals, including the bid review committee’s comments, were referred to a chartered surveyor for advice on appropriate commercial terms and rental values.

The surveyor advised on the proposed rental values and made a number of recommendations on the contract terms. These were then considered as part of the final negotiations, with the leases drafted by the Club’s solicitor.

HSC will receive guaranteed rental income from the gym, bar and padel operations, providing a predictable income stream to support the Club and its facilities.

The MUGA arrangement also provides HSC with a share of income above an agreed annual threshold, so the Club can benefit from increased use of the facility.

The leaseholders and other unsuccessful bidders initially offered revenue-sharing models, but after careful consideration the HSC exec concluded that guaranteed rent would provide greater financial certainty than variable revenue.

Initially the MUGA was intended to be excluded from outsourcing. The task of comparing bids and selecting preferred bidders that was devoted to the bid review committee was a long and complex iterative process in which bidders were asked to vary their proposals as the HSC exec’s deliberations on the preferred business model evolved.

When the HSC Exec asked the bidder for the bar and padel to offer a guaranteed rental, the bidder’s financial projection necessitated the inclusion of the MUGA in their revised proposal. This change was missed by the bid review committee and came to light only later during lease negotiations.

The HSC exec took advice from the surveyor who confirmed that the revised proposal continued to represent a sound commercial offer. Thus outsourcing the MUGA was an adjustment to the original proposal, which was necessary to conclude the larger contract. This does now, however, provide an opportunity for the MUGA to be actively managed, maintained and promoted, with the aim of encouraging wider community use alongside its existing sporting uses.

The arrangement also secures private investment in resurfacing the MUGA, avoiding an anticipated cost of approximately £40,000 to HSC and the community.

Existing sports clubs will retain their preferred booking slots and concessionary hire rates.

The needs of HSC’s sports clubs and members are a priority in the operation of the new clubhouse. The intention is that events and other commercial activities will be organised around the existing needs and bookings of the sports clubs, rather than displacing them.

A Service Level Agreement (SLA) will provide an important contractual safeguard. This will set out the operator’s commitments to HSC and its members, including:

• Sports clubs will retain their preferred use of the facilities and their agreed booking slots.

• The clubhouse operators have committed to working closely with the sports clubs and ensuring that their needs are understood and supported.

• Each sports club will have a number of evenings available to host its own events.

• The new clubhouse includes a large players’ lounge with a separate serving bar, which can be isolated from events taking place in the main clubroom.

The commercial operators have also demonstrated through their proposals their commitment to working with the sports clubs and their recognition that HSC members are an important part of their customer base.

The SLA will be a legally binding agreement between the operator and HSC, providing a clear framework for protecting members’ interests while allowing the clubhouse to develop its wider community and commercial offer.

Holland Sports Club was established in 1963 when Barton’s cricket, tennis and football clubs came together to create a single multi-sport club. The land on which the HSC is based had been gifted to Barton Parish Council in 1962 to provide a community sporting facility, and the Club was officially opened in 1965.

For more than 60 years, the Holland has provided a place for sport, community activity and social connection in Barton. HSC remains a volunteer-run, non-profit community sports club.

The purpose of the new clubhouse is to protect and strengthen that role for the future. The new facilities will support HSC’s existing sports clubs while creating more opportunities for sport, health, social activity and wider community use. The new operating model also provides HSC with reliable income and reduces the financial and operational risk of running a much larger facility, helping to create a sustainable financial base for the HSC and continued investment in its facilities.

The HSC Committee, comprising the HSC Exec and representatives of all the sports clubs, will review and be asked to approve all of the Club’s leases before they are signed. Under company law, however, responsibility for executing the leases rests with the Club’s directors.

HSC is a company limited by guarantee, the traditional structure for volunteer-run non-profits such as Holland Sports. The HSC was unincorporated until 2016, a structure which potentially exposed all members, and particularly its officers, to personal liability. The CIC option was relatively new in 2016, was more complex to establish and appeared to offer no significant advantage over the guarantee structure.

Similarly, charitable registration does not appear to offer significant benefits and would be complex to establish and maintain. Finally, the HSC does not qualify for CASC status in its role as a ‘mother club’ for other sports clubs but has not foregone any benefit as a result.