Pitch Together Fund invested £40,000 into Gillingham Anchorians HC to install new sports lighting.

Gillingham Anchorians (GAHC) is a long-standing hockey club based in Gillingham, Kent, and is part of a busy community multi-sport hub.

Gillingham Anchorians HC supports over 150 juniors and multiple adult teams. The club’s growth was threatened by an aging floodlighting system reaching the end of its life, with frequent failures and scarce replacement parts making maintenance increasingly expensive. Without reliable lighting, the pitch was at risk of becoming unusable for evening sessions, directly reducing the club’s capacity to accommodate current members and prospective new participants.

Pitch Together Fund support included:

• Pitch Together provided a loan of £40,000 at an interest rate of 6% to fund the new lighting system.
• Ongoing guidance and expert support throughout the application and due diligence phases.

Sporting Assets led on the due diligence process and conducted an independent review of GAHC’s financial forecasts.

Outcome

As a direct result of investment from the Pitch Together Fund, Gillingham Anchorians HC has installed energy-efficient LED sports lighting, ensuring the pitch remains available year-round while reducing ongoing operational costs. Working with England Hockey, the club has developed an Impact Plan to expand programming, broaden participation, engage local schools not currently participating in hockey, and support community wellbeing, positioning GAHC as a vital community anchor committed to inclusion and lifelong participation.