Funding

Roughly speaking we will need to raise £320,000 to complete the project.

‘Roughly’ because:

  • The plans are not yet finalised or approved.  A significant variable expense will be the extent of digging out required to make the sloping site usable by all, including the disabled.
  • The clubhouse will be designed and approved later, but made clear as an intention during the initial planning application.
  • It is envisaged volunteers from both clubs will contribute expertise and labour.  These are difficult to value in advance.

The project falls into natural phases.

Phase 1: Getting onto site £28,000

This involves all preliminary survey and planning work, legal and planning fees, and of course buying the plot from the Cleave Estate.  We are well on the way to raising the funds for this.  Huge thanks to all club members who donated so generously raising some £15,000. The most recent £5,000 grant from the Dulverton Trust means we have probably cleared this hurdle and can move on to raising funds for Phase 2.

Phase 2: Making the site usable, about £72,000

This depends on final plans and how much digging and earth moving is necessary, plus the cost of a boat shed.  The site level is about 3m above the road.  The first challenge is to create an access road up which we can pull gigs and boats, and to flatten out and surface enough of the lower side of the sloping field to park them.  All access has to be appropriate for use by disabled people.  Slopes have to be less than 1 in 20.

We will also need to bring in electricity and water across adjacent fields, and install a septic tank.

Plus, in this phase, we aim to build the boat shed.  This will house two wooden gigs to keep them dry for highly competitive world championship racing and to allow maintenance work on them in the winter.  It will also have drying areas for sails and equipment used for sail training along with basic toilet and changing facilities. Costs for this are not yet available.

Phase 3: Clubhouse £145,000

This is not yet designed, so this cost is notional.

Raising funds

Right from the start we have had great support from West Devon Borough Council and its officers, from Devon County Council, and from the Tamar Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

  • WDBC contributed £2,000 (subject to planning permission being granted)
  • DCC contributed £5,000
  • AONB contributed £2,000

The two clubs put up £1,000 each as a loan to get things started.

Local community groups have also been supportive:

  • Tavy Tars £70 from a gig
  • Bere Apple Group £100

In April 2011 Bere Ukes held their debut concert as a fund raiser for our project, with many other local musician friends in support.  It was held at the new Bere Alston Bowling Club clubhouse, a great venue, and was a sell out.  Our funding group organised the food and raffle.  It was a brilliant evening and in total raised £1,255.

The Dulverton Trust, through Devon Community Foundation has just told us our application for £5,000 has been successful.

A ‘Grand Draw’ is being organised for later in the year.  Already we have some wonderful prizes worth over £1,500 donated by local businesses and individuals.  Our aim is to multiply this by 10

In March and April an appeal to the membership of the two clubs for donations so that we could complete Phase 1 and purchase the land.  With Gift Aid uplift this has raised some £15,000.

Future funding

Most grant awarding bodies will not consider funding a project until it has security of tenure and planning permission.  This has limited what we can pitch for.  Once we have cleared those hurdles a number of funds will be open to us.  Also if we are granted Charity status another raft of possible grants opens up to us.

However in such straitened times all applications are very competitive often with only a 10% chance of success for a perfect application.  So we need to be self-reliant and are resolved to keep clear of debt.