29 July 2010
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1 February 2010
Bank Funding Boosts Community Development Project
A community-focused Gravesend business is set to expand with the completion of four new artificial five-a-side football pitches and a new 7-a-side football pitch after securing a £190,000 loan from Lloyds TSB Commercial .
Established in 2005, Fleet Leisure and Sports Club provides high quality sports, leisure and entertainment facilities for the local community, and has commissioned the new football pitches as part of its ongoing plan to improve and expand its facilities.
Located on Nelson Road, the 11-acre Fleet Leisure site already includes a members’ bar and function hall, a bowling green, five football pitches, changing rooms and a multi-purpose hall.
Featuring floodlights and the latest ‘third generation’ artificial turf – which uses sand and rubber infill to create a safe playing surface - the new football pitches are already under construction, with work due to be completed by March. The firm’s expansion is also set to create three new jobs.
To secure the £190,000 loan for the expansion, Fleet Leisure approached its banking partner, Lloyds TSB Commercial, which has an experienced team in place that specialises in funding community-related projects.
Fleet Leisure was acquired from Kimberly Clark in 2005 with the help of a Government grant from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, combined with council funding and a £275,000 loan from Lloyds TSB Commercial.
The business employs 20 people and has an annual turnover of £500,000.
Brian Kilcullen, director of Fleet Leisure, said: “This expansion represents a big step forward in the development of the Fleet Leisure site and will hopefully be the first of many milestones for the business as we look to increase the leisure and health services we provide.
“We’re also focused on continuing to grow our presence in the local community by developing closer partnerships with schools and other local initiatives.
“The tailored lending devised by Lloyds TSB Commercial has been invaluable to the growth of Fleet Leisure, as is the sector-specific guidance provided by its specialist team. We would like to thank them for their continued support of our efforts.”
Steve Seath, relationship manager for Lloyds TSB Commercial, said: “Brian and his team work extremely hard to ensure the local community have access to high quality sports and leisure facilities, so it’s fantastic to see his plans come to fruition.
“This development will provide a great sporting facility for the area and will be a real boost for the local community, providing affordable facilities for people of all ages.
“We’re looking forward to working closely with Brian and his management team as they continue to develop and expand the business over the coming years.”
Established in 2005, Fleet Leisure and Sports Club provides high quality sports, leisure and entertainment facilities for the local community, and has commissioned the new football pitches as part of its ongoing plan to improve and expand its facilities.
Located on Nelson Road, the 11-acre Fleet Leisure site already includes a members’ bar and function hall, a bowling green, five football pitches, changing rooms and a multi-purpose hall.
Featuring floodlights and the latest ‘third generation’ artificial turf – which uses sand and rubber infill to create a safe playing surface - the new football pitches are already under construction, with work due to be completed by March. The firm’s expansion is also set to create three new jobs.
To secure the £190,000 loan for the expansion, Fleet Leisure approached its banking partner, Lloyds TSB Commercial, which has an experienced team in place that specialises in funding community-related projects.
Fleet Leisure was acquired from Kimberly Clark in 2005 with the help of a Government grant from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, combined with council funding and a £275,000 loan from Lloyds TSB Commercial.
The business employs 20 people and has an annual turnover of £500,000.
Brian Kilcullen, director of Fleet Leisure, said: “This expansion represents a big step forward in the development of the Fleet Leisure site and will hopefully be the first of many milestones for the business as we look to increase the leisure and health services we provide.
“We’re also focused on continuing to grow our presence in the local community by developing closer partnerships with schools and other local initiatives.
“The tailored lending devised by Lloyds TSB Commercial has been invaluable to the growth of Fleet Leisure, as is the sector-specific guidance provided by its specialist team. We would like to thank them for their continued support of our efforts.”
Steve Seath, relationship manager for Lloyds TSB Commercial, said: “Brian and his team work extremely hard to ensure the local community have access to high quality sports and leisure facilities, so it’s fantastic to see his plans come to fruition.
“This development will provide a great sporting facility for the area and will be a real boost for the local community, providing affordable facilities for people of all ages.
“We’re looking forward to working closely with Brian and his management team as they continue to develop and expand the business over the coming years.”
Notes to editors
Lloyds TSB Commercial is a trading name of Lloyds TSB Bank plc and Lloyds TSB Scotland and provides dedicated banking services for customers with an annual turnover of up to £15 million, from start-ups to established companies looking to grow. Lloyds TSB Commercial increased its lending by almost 20 per cent in 2008.Lloyds TSB was voted Bank of the Year for the fifth year running at the Real FD/ CBI FDs' Excellence Awards 2009 in recognition of the support it offers its business customers.
It has over 600,000 small business customers and has launched a three-year programme of support for SMEs.
The key points of the 2012 SME Charter are:
1. Lloyds TSB will encourage enterprise, boost access to finance and provide clearer and fairer pricing for customers – including a pledge to help 300,000 new start ups by 2012
2. Lloyds TSB will run a programme of 200 nationwide seminars every year for the next three years, to provide expert guidance and support for SMEs on starting up, employment, exporting, bidding for 2012 contracts, sustainability and finance
3. Lloyds TSB will agree to any reasonable request for competitive commercially-priced finance (whether short-term or long-term) from viable business customers
4. Lloyds TSB will not change the availability of overdrafts during the period of a customer’s agreement, as long as their accounts are kept within agreed terms and limits
5. The price of existing loans or renewed overdrafts will reflect the cost of funding. The margin Lloyds TSB charges over the cost of funding will only increase where there has been a material increase in risk (subject to a minimum 1.5 per cent over the cost of our funds). Lloyds TSB will be transparent about pricing and help customers understand the price of their facilities. Where margins increase, Lloyds TSB will provide a clear explanation of the reasons
6. Lloyds TSB’s fees will be competitively priced. And arrangement fees on loans and overdrafts will not be greater than 1.5 per cent of the overall value of the facility
For more information, please visit www.lloydstsb.com/business Back to top | More Lloyds TSB stories
