After 18 months of thorough investigative research, The Friendly Club will invest £29 million over the next five years to bring its 110-strong Site network up to Club benchmark standard.
The project, which has seen a 100 per cent increase in investment compared to the previous five years, is being self-funded and will follow a strategically considered growth plan.
Re-development work has already begun in earnest at eight of The Club’s Sites (Cannock Chase, Crowden, Hayfield, Oban, Scone, Tarland, Theobalds Park and Winchcombe) whilst the finishing touches are also being put to the new Site at Gulliver’s Milton Keynes ahead of its Easter opening.
Sites Director Bob Hill is understandably excited about the five-year plan and said: “As The Club has evolved, we have seen huge growth in terms of pitch nights sold, which in turn has placed extra demand on Sites and generated more wear and tear.
“At the same time our members’ expectations are greater than ever and that is why we want to continue to provide Sites with first-class facilities, which we can all be extremely proud of.”
The Club has seen an 18 per cent increase in pitch nights sold over the last two years.
The majority of the work, which will include improvements to hard-standings, electric hook-ups, road surfaces, amenity blocks and staff facilities to name but a few, will be undertaken during the winter with minimal disruption being caused in the summer season.
Hill added: “The Club is in an extremely healthy position at the moment and whilst we have been sensible with our financial projections, now is the right time to act and take our Site network to that next level.”
Last year, The Club recruited over 64,000 new members– a 24 per cent increase on 2008, whilst The Friendly Club’s highest ever monthly recruitment figure came back in July, when a staggering 9,570 new members signed up.
The Club now has over 480,000 adult members, and reached a landmark membership figure of 250,000 households in August.
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