INVESTMENT GOAL TO GET SOCCER FACTORY ACROSS LINE

A Newton Aycliffe-based crowdfunding platform is hoping to raise vital cash to help bring an exciting football facility in the town to fruition.

Growthfunders, the North of England’s first online equity crowdfunding platform, is helping the team behind The Soccer Factory to raise investment funds.

The indoor soccer-led mixed leisure facility is aiming to raise £500,000 to develop top class facilities in currently under-served areas.

A first site, to include seven 3G astroturf courts on Aycliffe Business Park, is already secured, with planning permission granted.

The Aycliffe facility will also have a health and fitness suite, two multi-purpose studios, a café/bar, sports injury clinic and conferencing facilities.

The Soccer Factory was founded by Dan Lewis who, for ten years, was Deputy Director of Sport at Durham University, a role which included management of sports facilities across 15 locations.

Dan and his team are advised by David Pope, who spent 12 years with Brewin Dolphin’s corporate broking department, during which time he specialised in leisure and media and worked closely with another successful chain of football facilities.

The investment being sought will add to £20,000 of personal funds which have been injected.

Growthfunders has been launched to match ambitious entrepreneurs with great business ideas to a range of investors to create and grow exciting businesses.

The site allows entrepreneurs leading businesses with high growth potential to garner support and raise capital online from a wide range of investors, including angel networks and early stage venture capitalists (VCs).

Dan Lewis said: “We turned to GrowthFunders for three intricately linked reasons.

“The first is because crowdfunding opens us up to a much broader cross section of investors.

“Second, we are aiming to open a range of facilities for use by the general public, so why not give them a chance to invest in The Soccer Factory, which will not only make them stronger advocates for the business, but also give them a chance to get something back as we grow.”

Craig Peterson, Director of Growth Capital Ventures, the firm behind GrowthFunders, said: “The Soccer Factory team are making great progress towards launching their first facility and their listing on GrowthFunders is an opportunity for them to open their business up to a wide range of investors. Crowdfunding is a great way to get behind businesses with growth potential at an early stage and to drive growth and jobs in the economy.”

Launched by Aycliffe and Yorkshire-based entrepreneurs, Craig and Norman Peterson, GrowthFunders has a wealth of experience behind it.

Both Craig and Norman have supported entrepreneurs, helping to raise capital, acting as mentors and providing strategic advice to a range of high growth businesses.

For more information, or to register, visit www.growthfunders.com