Site Survey
If you are planning to purchase a facility, whether it is just land or buildings or both, you will need to get the site surveyed before you decide whether to buy it. When we buy a house to live in, we have a survey conducted on it as a matter of course. The survey can highlight structural problems and issues such as dry rot, woodworm and other nasties. Purchasing land or a building for a community organisation needs the same checking process. Any problems might mean extra costs in the future, or, if you are planning building work, may increase these costs.
Unlike the other professionals you might involve in the project, such as architects and planning consultants, there is no real need for this initial survey to be carried out by someone with particular sports or VCO experience as they are looking only at the existing building/land and not its future use. However, it is still important that you brief the surveyor on the purpose for which you are seeking to acquire the land or buildings.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors provide lists of their members.