• Ensure that a robust legal structure is in place (such as a registered charity or company limited by guarantee if you are going to sell services)
• Appropriate long-term planning
• Thorough feasibility study which looks closely at organisational capacity
• Regular review meetings of capacity

• Develop a thorough business plan which you review regularly
• Allow monies for further training from, for example, ACRE, Community Matters, DTA.
• Arrange a short-term trial run with the owner so, for example, you have the asset on a lease basis for 3 years before purchase
• Employ a good facility manager (on a salary basis) who can oversee all the day-to-day running of the facility

• Don’t rely solely on volunteers but raise sufficient funding to employ adequate paid staff before taking on the facility
  
• Consider taking on management of the facility in partnership with another organisation to share the responsibility

• Landlord and community organisation write an ‘expectations document’ including their respective legal, financial and other statutory liabilities and arbitration clauses where there is disagreement
• Where the local authority is providing funding, establish a formal service level agreement (updated annually) between the authority and the organisation to identify location of specific responsibilities, points of contact, service targets etc.

• Develop a refurbishment plan which means that improvements are phased into match income coming in
• Have a range of different funding options so that, should one not bear fruit, another can be approached
• Do not commit to anything before adequate funding has been raised
• Develop good links with local and regional networks, local public bodies and local VCOs to ensure that you maximize local and regional links and your own credibility
• Negotiate with the owner to make an initial investment in the facility to bring it up to a good standard and to encourage other funders
• Go into the venture in partnership with another organisation which might carry greater fundraising weight

• Ensure all initial budgets are realistic, accurate and include adequate contingency allowance
• Talk to other similar sports facilities about their budgeting and the costs they incurred
• Review your budget regularly getting new quotes where necessary
• Ensure that decisions about spending over and above the budget figures are only taken after due consideration by an agreed committee or sub-committee
• Employ an experienced book-keeper to maintain good records of income and expenditure and alert the organisation about any problems

• Develop a realistic fundraising strategy from the outset. Consider supplementing this with trading income.
• When raising capital for the purchase of the facility, raise an extra 10% to cover the first stages of maintenance and refurbishment
• Negotiate a leasehold transfer under which the landlord retains external and/or major repairs liabilities

• Ideally, start the project with an agreed level of undesignated reserves to cover any periods of time in which there is a shortfall
• Have a range of income options including different grant-makers, selling services, and advertising income for example.
• Consider a multi-purpose facility which will attract a wider range of funders, service users and other income
• Regularly review running costs to ensure that wastage is kept to a minimum

• Have effective consultation with the local community and prospective users of the asset and it services from the outset to ensure that your facility will be offering what people want.
• Utilise Sport England advice on marketing sports
• Offer a range of different sporting activities

• Ensure that the governing document does not allow for undemocratic take-overs by small groups and that voting procedures are laid out clearly
  

Antagonism from the local community

• Effective consultation (and listening) at the outset of the project
• Good ongoing communication with local communities through a website, newsletter, local media etc.
• links with local networks

• Data protection
• Copyright
• Disability discrimination
• Other equalities legislation
• Health and safety
• VAT
• Employment law
• Employee pension provision
• Company law
• Child Protection

• Take advice on all legal obligations and ensure a mechanism is in place to alert you to changes and updates in the legislation
  
• Attend training where appropriate
• Maintain good records in the facility about legal obligations which can readily be passed on should there be staff changes
  
• Include reference to legal obligations in management committee meetings and minutes
  

• Develop your resource as a multi-purpose facility which appeals to a wide range of people
  
• Stay informed about local developments and wider trends by being an active part in local networks and about community sports trends nationally
  
• As a soon as a possible threat is suggested, make plans to alleviate its impact – don’t wait