Global Venue Services Launches Asset Finance Service For Sport

Global Venue Services (GVS), the company launched this summer by Simon Bazalgette and Paul Fisher, who previously ran one of the largest sport businesses in the UK, The Jockey Club, today launched its first operating business: Global Venue Finance.

‘GV Finance’ will enable businesses within the equine and other sports industry to access finance for the capital costs of projects, such as racehorse trainers developing new gallops and other training facilities.

It will do so in partnership with Andrews Bowen, the world leading equine and sports surfaces and equipment company, who developed and installed the competition surface in the London 2012 equestrian arena and a number of top racehorse trainers, as well as the base layer for new pitches for Premier League champions Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC.

GV Finance will work closely with a group of finance providers chosen for their experience within sport and asset finance. Immediate clients will include customers of Andrews Bowen, to help them to raise finance to install gallops and other sports surfaces, and spread the cost of capital installations over several years. The service will rapidly be expanded to other categories of capital purchase.

The demand for investment into equine facilities, for example, continues to grow in horseracing and other equestrian sports, who need state-of-the art facilities in an increasingly competitive market. Given the financial pressures they have faced during the COVID-19 lockdown, many require the kind of additional financing that GV Finance can assist with to enable investment far sooner than would otherwise be feasible.

Andrews Bowen surfaces are installed on the patented Equaflow under-surface, which collects and retains water for re-use in irrigation or for grey water purposes. The installations are proven to maintain their quality long-term, but if required they are fully removable and reusable, which gives them an ongoing value and allows for GV Finance’s new lease finance options.

GV Finance and Andrews Bowen will offer a fully serviced option to increase the lifespan of the gallop or surface and improve the financing options.

Paul Fisher, CEO of GVS, said: “The launch of GVS’s first operating business, GV Finance, aims to help sport businesses to invest in their future at a time when sport has suffered from the COVID-19 lockdown. By working with a world leader in Andrews Bowen we’re expecting significant demand, which will also allow us to expand the range of services and products we can offer. We’ve worked closely together with the finance providers and potential customers to develop the offering and ensure it provides access to the type of innovative financing needed.”