Posible New Site In The Ballinasloe/Athlone Area.

Brabazone

I thought I would post this here to gauge interest in a new site in the Ballinasloe/Athlone area.

I have been in contact with a land owner and put forward my proposal for an Airsoft site and will meet with him towards the end of next week to discuss the details.

Notting has been agreed at this point and it maybe that nothing comes of this, however he has asked me to bring along any information I have as well as an estimate of numbers that I believe may be interested in using the site.

Basically for me to start this site he needs to know that it will be a viable enterprise in the long-term. So what I need to know form you guys and gals is "Are You Interested"?.

A little info on the site without giving too much away.
It's a mature forest with scrub land and a lake located to one side. It has lots of dense vegetation for the odd ambush and for the snipers to hide.

gungun

:eek::eek::eek: this is what i have dreamed of! me and a and about 10 others would be massivly interested in this! best of luck to you
really really hope this goes well

Pwezem

This is the best idea i have heard this Year.

There is a growing Airsoft community in the Athlone-Roscommon area,
This is a brillaint idea.
You want support?
You got it! :pac::pac:

gungun

it would also be one of the best locations to hold large events due to being central
and of course the more sites the higher the standerd:)

Brabazone

gungun wrote: »

it would also be one of the best locations to hold large events due to being central
and of course the more sites the higher the standerd:)

Thats one of the requirments he is asking for "A High Standard", meaning he will be requiring me to construct a building on site that is in keeping with the area. In otherwards I have to construct a log cabin on site so I'm heading of later on today to look at a few and the costs involved. Have been checking it out on the internet and they are not too expensive but when you start put all the cost together it does add up.

Interesting.

I'd be less than a stone's throw from you, and I can think of a few people in Athlone who would drop over for a visit....

I'm sure I'd visit at some stage....

gungun

let us know how you get on brabazone, dieing to hear what the story is

Brabazone

gungun wrote: »

let us know how you get on brabazone, dieing to hear what the story is

Will be posting updates over the next few months to let y'all know whats happening.

Also the more interest I get in this the easier it will be to get up and running so let all your friends know.

If anyone has any ideas that they think would be of use, either for the site itself or the setting up of it, I would appreciate the input. You can post here or just PM me if you want.

Pwezem

gungun wrote: »

it would also be one of the best locations to hold large events due to being central
and of course the more sites the higher the standerd:)

People come from all sorts of places to play Airsoft,
and having a central Situated site, seems ideal.

gungun

Pwezem wrote: »

People come from all sorts of places to play Airsoft,
and having a central Situated site, seems ideal.

indeed, there are sites in the north, east, south, west
and yes, there is MAC but still, one right smack in the center would be lovely

Brabazone

Would anyone know where I would get information on the legalities and structures for setting up a club.

As part off the business plan I am compiling for the site I am looking into a club structure just because it will give me options for negotiation when meeting with the land owner. I have been looking in to company formation and sole trader as well and have no problem getting information on these. However I have searched the Internet high and low for the past two days and cannot find anything relevant to club formation in Ireland.

If anyone could offer some advice it would be genuinely appreciated.

deco nate

you can pm the guys at red barn,thats a club site,he may be able to help ya there.

Pwezem

There are many sites in Ireland you can ask for the legistics of a site,
Like

• Advanced Dundalk Airsoft
• Galway Tactical Airsoft Centre
• Red Barn
• The Warehouse

Good Luck!

gungun

he means club not site man:D

Pwezem

gungun wrote: »

he means club not site man:D

Potato, Tomato

Brabazone

Had a chat with the land owner today and we talked over a few issues.

The main issue I was concerned about was sanitation, I thought I would have problems in this area but he was very understanding and we have a provisional agreement on how I will deal with this.

The next problem I was concerned with was the issue of access to the site. This is still outstanding mainly because I am looking to have the club house as close to the site as possible along with the car park. As it is there is a road but it is a good distance short of the site itself so we will be meeting again around the middle of next week to discuss this further. If we cant find a solution to this all is not lost because he has another site that would might be suitable.

Anyways its still early stages yet and there is a lot to be discussed and organized before I have any real news but I just thought I would post this to let you know whats happening. Will let you all know how the meeting goes next week and will post here probably wed.

Pwezem

Good to hear what's going on!
We're behind you!

lux-et-veritas

hooorahhh for airsoft,, but please please please have some weekdays for those of us who have to have te be up at 5am on a sunday to take money from american tourists at country markets.....:D:D:D

Brabazone

lux-et-veritas wrote: »

hooorahhh for airsoft,, but please please please have some weekdays for those of us who have to have te be up at 5am on a sunday to take money from american tourists at country markets.....:D:D:D

Well its early stages yet but if all goes well will be hopeing to have games midweek if the numbers are there. I supose it will all depend on the players themselfs and how interesting I can make the site for them.

If anyone has any good ideas you can post here because I am puting together a draft bussiness plan for next weeks meeting and I want to include as much good ideas as I can.

gungun

:eek:how about an antigravity gameing zone!!:eek: :P

but on a serious note, i think putting up a small killhouse made of plywood that would last, as having the option for a bit of urban-ish play and room clearing would be great craic but i have no idea how much it would cost to build one

Brabazone

gungun wrote: »

:eek:how about an antigravity gameing zone!!:eek: :P

but on a serious note, i think putting up a small killhouse made of plywood that would last, as having the option for a bit of urban-ish play and room clearing would be great craic but i have no idea how much it would cost to build one

a kill-house is something I am looking at alright but with a twist, if I can raise enough funds I am thinking of a Vietnamese village. It shouldnt cost too much, it would be afterall only a matter of building a few huts. I am also hoping to do it in such a way that it would double as a CQB area.

gungun

Brabazone wrote: »

a kill-house is something I am looking at alright but with a twist, if I can raise enough funds I am thinking of a Vietnamese village. It shouldnt cost too much, it would be afterall only a matter of building a few huts. I am also hoping to do it in such a way that it would double as a CQB area.

thats a feckin brilliant idea!
would be perfect for any gameing scenarios
any idea on how much that would cost you?

Brabazone

gungun wrote: »

thats a feckin brilliant idea!
would be perfect for any gameing scenarios
any idea on how much that would cost you?

Doing the designs at the moment and im trying to keep the costs as low as posible. At the moment it is working out around 250 a hut depending on the size but i am looking for cheaper matierals to lower the cost. Hopfully I will be able to get that down to €150/180 a hut which should let me build a good size village.

Inari

There is a Sniper School set up. How about building a couple of Sniper towers, purpose built for specific games. They could double as flag towers as well. Just an idea to generate revenue etc as well as giving different games and opportunities.

Normally I have tonnes of ideas, but at the moment I cannot think of any budget ones. Vietnamese village idea is cool, especially if there is forest area surrounding it. I'd recommend the sniper towers for fun, usage and business plan to encourage groups to use the site.

If I come up with any ideas, I'll post 'em. Any chance of you being able to get pictures, of the site, overhead or Ordanance survey types...even Google Maps. That way we can give more effective suggestions.

Brabazone

Inari wrote: »

There is a Sniper School set up. How about building a couple of Sniper towers, purpose built for specific games. They could double as flag towers as well. Just an idea to generate revenue etc as well as giving different games and opportunities.

Normally I have tonnes of ideas, but at the moment I cannot think of any budget ones. Vietnamese village idea is cool, especially if there is forest area surrounding it. I'd recommend the sniper towers for fun, usage and business plan to encourage groups to use the site.

If I come up with any ideas, I'll post 'em. Any chance of you being able to get pictures, of the site, overhead or Ordanance survey types...even Google Maps. That way we can give more effective suggestions.

Thanks for the ideas, will have to run the sniper towers by the insurance company to see how they feel about it but its a good idea.

Cant give any photos of the site yet because its between two sites at the moment and we haven't made any solid commitments yet. At the moment I am getting the business plan with all the ideas he may or may not let me implemented into the site.

Hopefully next week we will be further on and I will be able to post some pics but keep the ideas coming til then.

While i did get some good news earlier in the week regards saving much need funds for the site, I am starting to get slightly concerned over the cost as the project seems to be taking on a life of its own. I will be talking to some people on Monday with regards to the financial side of this venture to see what options i have. Until then if anyone has any ideas on ways of raising some cash let me know because it doesnt look like my bank balance will do this on its own.

Inari

- Fund Raisers
Bag Packing in local supermarkets, asking locals in the area to donate anything they can (materials, services, money) to build something for the community. Organise a live event and invite people to put on a great show. Charge per ticket (cheap to encourage more to go).

- Sponsorship
You'll need a lot of materials and equipment for both the building, and the rentals etc. So you might be able to contact Airsoft Retailers (regard to dealing for rentals), wholesalers of wood etc to sponsor the site etc.

gungun

Inari wrote: »

- Fund Raisers
Bag Packing in local supermarkets

great idea:) was bag packing in dunnes on friday and tbh i hated every minute of it, but if it was for this, i would love every minute
us TY's dont have much else to do so ill see if i can get a group of lads to do that someday soon

Guys, I'd be careful about going down the "bucket shaking" or "bag packing" route with this. Donating for the sake of a bunch of lads going playing soldier when there's Concern, the local GAA club etc. etc. would be successful. I'd do this along the lines of a business.

Brabazone

I'd have to agree with SeaSlacker on this one lads. Not sure how the old ladies in the supermarket or street would feel about our cause, no matter how worthy we think it is:D. However thanks for the suggestions lads, there all welcome.

Might buy a couple of AEGs and raffle them off. Not sure that would work, would like to keep it open to the airsoft community only. Will have to think about that overnight and get back to y'all.

JonnyTwoCombs

Have you had any luck getting the info needed on Club Formations?

You could try Big Trev AKA Stone.Cold. He acts as the Chair for MAC. Or did the last time I heard!

Brabazone

JonnyTwoCombs wrote: »

Have you had any luck getting the info needed on Club Formations?

You could try Big Trev AKA Stone.Cold. He acts as the Chair for MAC. Or did the last time I heard!

Going to have a chat with my accountant later on today, why I didn't think of that earlier on I don't know. Anyways there may be a problem with setting it up as a club as from what I have read from a poster on Boards is that it can cost anything from €400-€1000 euro an acre. If you multiply that by 30 to 40 acres its just crazy.

I just have to wait and see what the accountant says.

Inari

As with any fundraiser, it's up to the individual whether or not they give. It's not compulsary. Fund raisers are necessary for nearly all clubs/organisations, as the cost of running them is not always met...so new equipment, expansion etc is covered by fundraising, or at least helped along. After years of fund raising for soccer clubs, gymnastics clubs etc you'd be surprised at how supportive people are of the endevour. I do see your point, but don't necessarily view it as valid because giving money to the local GAA is doing the same thing as money to the local airsoft site...supporting club/organisation to give young and old alike something to do. I'll withold my views on concern for the good of the thread.

What you need to do is decide what you'd like to do, see how much of it you CAN do, and see how much you COULD do with extra money. Obviously you have to sort it all out with landowner as well. Main idea so far is the VN village, have you had any others?

Brabazone

Inari wrote: »

As with any fundraiser, it's up to the individual whether or not they give. It's not compulsary. Fund raisers are necessary for nearly all clubs/organisations, as the cost of running them is not always met...so new equipment, expansion etc is covered by fundraising, or at least helped along. After years of fund raising for soccer clubs, gymnastics clubs etc you'd be surprised at how supportive people are of the endevour. I do see your point, but don't necessarily view it as valid because giving money to the local GAA is doing the same thing as money to the local airsoft site...supporting club/organisation to give young and old alike something to do. I'll withold my views on concern for the good of the thread.

What you need to do is decide what you'd like to do, see how much of it you CAN do, and see how much you COULD do with extra money. Obviously you have to sort it all out with landowner as well. Main idea so far is the VN village, have you had any others?

Sorry Inari, I should have made myself clearer. I'm not disagreeing with you on the point of fundraising, I think it is a great idea to have fundraisers. I just don't think packing bags in a supermarket is the way to go. The reason I say that is because so many people of differing ages, beliefs, political and social groups frequent supermarkets more so than any-other amenity in the country. It would only take a few to raise their voice high enough in outrage for all to hear and agree without knowing anything about what Airsoft really is. I know of people in my town that would be up in arms:D, well maybe not up in arms but they would definitely doing their best to stop this kind of a venue.

You highlighted how the GAA have fundraisers and are similar to Airsoft in that they are supporting the local community. You are absolutely right and it just happens that I know everyone that is on the committee. If I could manage to get the backing of them, then maybe they would let me organise a fund raiser in the clubhouse. Something like this would work both as a fundraiser and a public relations platform to educate the public about Airsoft and what it can bring to the community.

Haven't had much time to think about the site its self as I have been up to my eyes in a business plan that just seems to be getting longer and longer as the days pass. To be honest I so burn out at the moment that I find it hard to think of anything original that I could incorporate into the site so if you have any suggestions I would love to hear them.

I genuinely do appreciate you comments and thanks for all the suggestions so far:)

Brabazone

Had a meeting with the land owner today and discussed the site and issues relating to it.

The meeting its self was very productive with all the varying details of the site examined. At this time most of the main issues have been covered and there are no major problems, only some fine detail to finalise and as the land owner said himself "all these minor details are not a problem as I am not going to go too hard on you".

He said he would give the use of the land but he would first have to clear it with his colleague, he followed this by saying that he did not see this as a problem.

He did highlight a couple of problems that I am aware of. The two main problems are Access and the Local residents. As a requirement for the use of the site I will have to draft a document stating that "As a local resident I have no objection to the proposed arsoft site". This should not be a major problem as I would know most of the residents personally but there is always one, and in this case the one could be difficult but if I can convince them the rest should be fine.

As for the issue of access, there are two possible entry roads into the site, albeit dirt roads that pass through two separate farmers land. As it is the land owner owns one and has right of way through the other. However as it happens the one most suitable is the road that is the right of way. I am hoping that I will be speaking with the farmers in the next couple of weeks to discuss there feelings regarding there use. This is probably the biggest problem I have at the moment.

This issue of the build of a village was discussed and he has said that he sees no problem in this area but the look of the buildings will have to be slightly redesigned. However this should not take from the look of the village as it is a only a small alteration.

As I cant remember all of what was discussed at the meting feel free to ask questions and I will try to answer them the best I can.

Doneapoo

Great to here the news! just tought i'd let you no that you have the susport of my team 'hell in a helmet' and my buddies team the 'a-team'. you need anything like a hand fund raising or help with the construction of the site we would be more than happy to help you out. just drop us a line and we'll be ther in force!

gungun

any news on the site?

EDIT: just thought id mention theres a new airsoft shop open in athlone, so a good few more people could be starting very soon

Doneapoo

Ye i was in it there the other day! its called tactical supply! great shop and the two lads are real frendly! they got everything you need there as well!!

Brabazone

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, had a few things going on that I had to deal with, not Airsoft related.

I did post here before that I thought there was two farmers that had access to the site but I was wrong about this, it just so happens that there is only one. I had a meeting with him and he has agreed to let me use his land to access the site and will meet with him again tomorrow for a walking tour to decide the best access point.

During the meeting he did voice his concerns about the surface of the access road into the site and that something would have to be done about it if it was to be accessible by car.

So there ya have it, sorry I didn't get back sooner. Will be back tomorrow with an update.

gungun

good stuff,
hope all goes well tomorrow:)

Phractal

Good luck mate, the more places to visit the better! Love the sound of the village too!

Scody94

GOod luck

Brabazone

Went for a walking tour of the access routes to the site on the 22nd Dec to decide which would be the best. Haven't made a decision either way yet as both have there pros and cons and it will have to be acceptable by all involved.

The most cost effective solution is a narrow road only that will only accommodate a bike but it is the shortest route to the site and will require players to walk a half a KM or so to get to the actual playing area. The advantages are that it has an excellent area for car parking that would need very little groundwork. The disadvantage is that the road would need to be widened to accommodate cars, this would cost a considerable amount as there are drains on either side that would need drainage pipes installed.

The other route is trough a field, there used to be a road going trough it but it is overgrown now, however the foundations of the road are still there so it would not need that much work to rebuild it. The advantages of this access is that it brings you directly to the site gaming area. The disadvantage of it is that there would need to be major ground works to build a car park and amenity's.

I will be looking to have a meeting with the land owner next week to discuss the access and what assistance they can offer if any. I am hoping that they might be willing to share the cost of the road works as it would be in their interests also to have access in the future.

If all goes to plan over the next few weeks I am hoping to get the ball rolling as fast a possible and try and get some real work done. If I get authorization by the land owner I will post Google maps of the site along with some pics to give y'all a feel for the site.

gungun

excellent stuff:)
hope all goes well with it
cant wait to see some pics:)

BeardySi

Sounds good so far! Here's hoping it all works out for you! Athlone could be a handy spot for me to find an occasional game!

On the issue of getting the site set up, one approach that was used by a couple of UK sites I've used is a player build day. Once the basics to get the place going are in place (safezone facilities, access etc - along with the necessary insurance etc to actually play there) they've asked prospective players to spend a say or so with a shovel and shears in return for a free day's play the following day. Site clearing, sandbag filling and the building of basics such as trenches, foxholes and light fortifications (log/oildrum cover etc) can be very time and labour intensive. A group of a dozen or so volunteers can achieve quite a bit in a single day.

gungun

brilliant idea! i would deffinatly go over to lend a hand
im sure some of the lads would to

lux-et-veritas

sounds perfect to me too, if its a go count me in..

Brabazone

Treadhead wrote: »

Sounds good so far! Here's hoping it all works out for you! Athlone could be a handy spot for me to find an occasional game!

On the issue of getting the site set up, one approach that was used by a couple of UK sites I've used is a player build day. Once the basics to get the place going are in place (safezone facilities, access etc - along with the necessary insurance etc to actually play there) they've asked prospective players to spend a say or so with a shovel and shears in return for a free day's play the following day. Site clearing, sandbag filling and the building of basics such as trenches, foxholes and light fortifications (log/oildrum cover etc) can be very time and labour intensive. A group of a dozen or so volunteers can achieve quite a bit in a single day.

Great idea, would certainly help in keeping the cost down as well as speeding up the opening date.

Site Update
Couldn't get to have a meeting in person with the land owner due to the weather but did have a chat with him on the phone.

The good news is that while we have not decided on which access route to use for the site he has offered to construct a road way into the site at no cost to me.

The bad news is that we still haven't agreed on the cost of letting the land but in fairness we have not spoken too much about it anyways. From what I understand he is only interested in making a small return on it, just enough to break even or above it. I think he is waiting for me to make an offer but I cant do that until I do some market research of which I know noting about. If any of you have experience in this area or are studying it in college please contact me, I could relay do with the help.

I was also supposed to have another meeting yesterday but again the weather was against me. It was in connection with finance for the project but we had to reschedule for next week. I will let you all know how that goes because if it goes well it will cover a considerable amount of the project.

Over the weekend I will be constructing a temporary web site for all that are interested. It will be generaly be for those that have most interest in the site but also as a public relations tool for the locals so they can get some positive insight to what we are doing and what such a venture can bring to the community. Anyways I will let yall know when its up and runing but I will be keep this open and will continue to update this thread with as much as I can from the other site

gungun

great stuff
again, hope all goes well with it:)

Brabazone

Have the temp web site up and running for the Airsoft site, you can click on this link and it should work http://flashpointairsoft.webs.com

As it is the site is not working commercial yet and will not for some time but I just need to get it going. When you visit it you will understand why.

Not sure if I can post this here Mods but if its a problem just delete the post.

Brabazone

Took a few photos of the site today for yall to look at.

As the photos are not the best because it was the evening when I took them and the lighting was bad, I will try to get down again tomorow and some better ones.

When I was down there today I met one of the locals, nice guy. Has a guest house close to the site and he is also a chef. I explained what I was doing and he found it very interesting. He said he was form the UK and he had seen a lot of advertisments for airsoft sites there but had never done it.

As he is a chef he said that he may open a coffee shop if I was interested that would server food and beverages to the players. He also has a guest room that he rents for anyone that is not that keen on capping for the weekend events.

There is some more photos on my web site if you are interested.

Brabazone

Took some photos of the inside of the site today, just thought y'all might want to see them, theres more on my web site if your interested.