Income Generation from MUGAs

Excellence and enterprise: how to generate income for your school with a multi user games area

Sport in schools has never been more vibrant, with exciting possibilities opening up for state of the art facilities from third generation football pitches to new tennis courts. For many schools, the ideal sport construction will ensure maximum choice even when space is limited, driving more and more schools to opt for a multi user games area. MUGAs are fantastically flexible, accommodating a range of sporting activities to inspire your young people. But have you considered that your school’s MUGA could actually generate precious income as well? Here are three simple ways to inject funding into your school whilst enjoying a sports facility that delivers all your PE curriculum requirements.

Use your MUGAs roof space to generate power and profit

If you’re interested in reaping the rewards of a long term investment, consider installing an indoor multi sport area and making use of the roof space. A variety of solar panels can be accommodated on flat or pitched roofs, and the Energy Saving Trust can advise you on sourcing funding to make your MUGA solar friendly.

Not only will you save on your school’s energy bills, you can also opt into feed in tariff schemes to generate income from energy sold back into the grid. Solar panels will help your multi user games area to feed into broader learning too. You can use them to spark off other curriculum topics – not least maths and science. It’s a great way of getting your pupils excited not just about the range of sports their MUGA has to offer – but also about renewable energy and it’s importance to the world around them.

Rent your multi sports area out to external users

With statutory funding at a premium and many community groups facing cuts in facilities funding, your multi sport area could be the ideal solution all round. Because it can accommodate such a variety of activities, any number of users can make use of the space not just as a sport construction but in a number of other ways too.

From the point of view of a scout group who have lost their meeting place or a charity looking for a last minute venue, a space is a space. And since your MUGA belongs to your school, you have the flexibility to negotiate a rent that users can afford. Look for rental agreements from users who require a regular venue for the most sustainable benefits. You already know that your school playground provides the ideal advertising opportunity to make the community aware that your multi sport area is available to them!

Plan your own fundraising events to show off your multi sport area

Fundraising and sports have long gone hand in hand – so your new MUGA is the ideal facility to kick off exciting fundraising ventures for your school and encourage pupils to stay fit and healthy at the same time. Challenge your PTA, school council and pupils themselves to get creative and think of fresh ideas to maximise your MUGAs potential. From bunny hops and sponsored sports days for younger pupils to running challenges and fundraising matches at secondary level, the possibilities are endless when you’re lucky enough to have a multi sport area at your disposal.

Make sure you encourage parents and the community to get involved. They will be keen to explore your new facility and if you choose your activities well they will prove popular and profitable. Zumba is everywhere right now – a sponsored Zumbathon could be very popular amongst Mums and you have the perfect sport construction to host it, thanks to the ample space and non slip synthetic sports surface. For Dads, a charity football league is a perfect choice all year round if you have chosen an all weather pitch as part of your build.

Your multi sport area could be easily adapted to other events if it has ample square footage, floodlighting and effective acoustics – as most MUGAs will. If your MUGA incorporates spectator seating a fundraising concert is a great way to showcase your student’s talent in a venue far more exciting than the school hall. You could even consider using the floor space to host a dinner dance – after all, you already have the perfect non slip, durable surface on which to dance the night away!

With a little imagination it’s easy to ensure that your multi use games area will generate regular income to enhance your school environment. But there are also other ways in which your MUGA can add value to education. Visit our guide to enhancing your curriculum through your MUGA to find out more.