UK: OakNorth Bank has provided a £10 million loan to Longshot Limited to support its latest project Mad Swans – a collection of repurposed countryside golf clubs combining leisure, sport, hospitality, and wellness.
The financing will allow for further development of the group’s two flagship sites – Mad Swans in the Mendips and Mad Swans in the South Downs.
Each site features a redesigned 12-hole golf course alongside a range of activities including padel, pickleball, driving ranges, eco-cabins, and dining.
Mad Swan is operated by Longshot – a hospitality company that develops, owns, and operates leisure facilities including restaurants, children’s educational entertainment centres, health and fitness clubs and media clubs. Longshot was founded in 1994 by Joel Cadbury and business partner Oliver Vigors.
The deal marks the third time OakNorth has supported Cadbury, having previously backed his ventures Bel & The Dragon(a collection of country inns) and Beaverbrook (luxury hotel brand).
Cadbury said: “OakNorth has been a true partner to us for several years – supportive, strategic, and commercially minded at every stage. From Bel & The Dragon to Beaverbrook and now Mad Swans, they’ve backed our vision and moved at the pace entrepreneurs need. For hospitality entrepreneurs that want to move at speed with a banking partner that will genuinely be there come rain or shine, there’s no other bank we’d recommend other than OakNorth. We’re thrilled to have their continued support as we bring something genuinely new to the UK’s leisure landscape.”
Deepesh Thakrar, managing director of debt finance at OakNorth, added: “Joel and Ollie are serial innovators in the leisure and hospitality space, and world class entrepreneurs. Their latest venture in Mad Swans challenges the status quo of golf and wellness, bringing together lifestyle, sport, and hospitality in a way that’s relevant and inspiring. The team’s vision, track record, and execution speak for themselves, and we’re delighted to deepen our partnership as they scale.”
Highlights:
- OakNorth Bank has provided a £10 million loan to Longshot Limited.
- The funding will support further development of Mad Swans, a leisure concept combining sport, hospitality, and wellness.
- Mad Swans is operated by Longshot, founded in 1994 by Joel Cadbury and Oliver Vigors.
- The financing will be used across the group’s two sites: Mad Swans in the Mendips and Mad Swans in the South Downs.
- The transaction marks the third time OakNorth has financed ventures linked to Joel Cadbury.
