Always on
This project successfully funded on 11th September 2024, you can still support them with a donation.
Brighter Lights Appeal for Community Astro pitch
Windermere, Cumbria, United Kingdom
Aim: The Lakes School's community astroturf flood-lighting is failing! More than half of the halogen units no longer work. Help us get LED's.
Brighter lights appeal
After more than 30 years of service in all weathers, The Lakes School's community AstroTurf flood-lighting is fading fast. The Astroturf is used every week for school and local sports clubs, with over 600 children and adults using the facility in any one week. Leading the project is ourselves, Windermere Hockey Club. We are a local club in the Lake District, with 2 men's, 1 ladies and junior teams. Our Men's 1st team play in North West Premier Division and our Ladies 1st's and Men's 2's play in North West Division 3.
Today, more than half of the pitch's halogen-bulbed units no longer work and both late afternoon school games and evening community sport usage in winter take place in semi-darkness.
Replacing the existing units with modern LED lighting is the obvious green, lower maintenance solution. LEDs use only a fraction of the electricity consumed by halogen bulbs and, because they run "cold", LED bulbs last for ten years or more. However, the capital cost of LEDs is currently beyond the school's pocket. Prices quoted for new lights plus installation have ranged from £30,000 to just shy of £40,000. So, Windermere Hockey Club, together with school, is launching this crowd-funding appeal.
The initial plan is to raise £15,000 with which school can order eight LED lighting units to fit to the astro's four corner masts. Then the halogen units that are still working can, in the short term, be recycled to the remaining four masts that shine across the middle of the pitch to floodlight the whole astroturf.
Sports lighting specialists Midstream have quoted school a price of £10,975 for eight LED floodlights alone so, hopefully, £15,000 will cover their purchase and installation by local electrical contractors.
Please help pupils and The Lakes School's wider sporting community enjoy a brighter future out on the astroturf. Every contribution really will shine brightly this winter!
How you can play your part
There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.
1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!
2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.
3. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!
“We are just a group of ageing guys who wish to continue kicking a pigs bladder about every Monday night. We do it for fitness and of course the social banter. We would love to continue in September 2024.”Tudor Griffiths
Please support us if you can, this will benefit so many peoples sport, fitness and mental wellbeing by able to continue sessions through the winter.