Sevenoaks Town Council has decided to launch the Sevenoaks Fund, to assist voluntary groups to share resources and fundraise for new facilities to be used now and in the future. The overall concept is based upon the idea of the community being direct beneficiaries of its own investment – similar to crowdfunding, but without the fees and constraints.
2017 will be the first year of the Sevenoaks Fund which has the ambitious target of raising £1m to support four local charities. If the Sevenoaks Fund is successful new projects will be considered for future years. 2017 sees the launch of the fund for two sports projects in the area.
The Sevenoaks Fund is a bespoke crowdfunding website with the aim of investing the local pound into local community facilities. The bespoke website avoids fees and difficult conditions that such a large fundraising target would have via commercial sites.
During the past few months Sevenoaks Town Council has continued to work with the charities helping to develop their aspirations, working on planning applications for a 3G Rugby Pitch at Knole Paddock and a 3G Pitch at Greatness Recreation Ground.
We are very excited to launch the initial Sevenoaks Fund and hope that the community will support it.
The very good news is that in the time we have been developing the Sevenoaks Fund, Sevenoaks Town Football Club has reached its fundraising target of £300,000 and on May 8th, 2017, Sevenoaks Town Council agreed to place the order for the 3G Football Pitch to enable it to be available for the 2017/18 season.
Paul Lansdale, Chairman of Sevenoaks Town Football Club said: “Thank you to Sevenoaks Town Council so much for your support, the Town Councils investment will make a significant difference to our Club and the local community.”
Full details of the 3G pitch at Greatness Recreation Ground for Football
Sevenoaks Town FC plays a major role in the local community providing football for over 700 people every week including junior football, girls’ football, senior football and our powerchair football teams.
Since 2007, the club has grown from 16 teams to 59 teams and, with this new facility accommodating further growth, we forecast that by 2019 we will be in excess of 68 teams. Some of the main benefits of the new 3G pitch will be:
- an increase in training and match capacity at Greatness Park every week of the year for junior, youth and senior football with a hugely reduced risk of cancellation due to adverse weather conditions
- an opportunity to offer local primary schools a free two hour slot every week so they can utilise the facilities for their physical education classes or extra-curricular activities promoting regular exercise and healthy living to their students without the fear of having to cancel sessions due to waterlogged school fields
- an opportunity to offer the facility to other local organisations, secondary schools and community groups
The installation of our new state-of-the-art 3G pitch is pivotal to the club’s future and will enhance, grow and widen the provision of football the club is already offering.
- Fundraising Target: £300,000
- Town Council Contribution: £200,000
- Project Total: £500,000
Full details of the 3G Pitch at Knole Paddock for Rugby
Help local children play sport on a surface they deserve.
A floodlit all-weather 3G rugby/football/multi-sports pitch, on existing playing fields at Knole Paddock, will help Sevenoaks Rugby Club give local children the facilities they deserve.
The Club is working closely with Sevenoaks Town Council, the RFU and our community to be a centre of excellence for rugby in the South East.
Eight hundred boys and girls aged 6-to-18 play for Sevenoaks. The Club runs four senior teams and our volunteering work in eight state Primary and six state Secondary schools is introducing rugby to a new generation of players.
- Fundraising Target: £500,000
- Town Council Contribution: £250,000
- Project Total: £750,000
Further information relating to the Sevenoaks Fund can be viewed at www.sevenoaks.fund
