Pictured above: (l-r) Kevin Harris, David Hemsley and Ivan Wilcox

Businesses and entrepreneurs across Leicestershire have today been urged to "get involved" and help support a new £1.2 million speedway stadium in the city.

Cooper Parry, based in the Business Quarter, Leicester, is calling on business leaders from across the city and county to realise the potential opportunities available at the new Beaumont Park Stadium venue - home to speedway team Leicester Lions.

It is leading the hunt to supporting investment while also highlighting how SME's can get involved through the various sponsorship, advertising and commercial deals that exist and help take the venue to the next level.

Kevin Harris, partner at Cooper Parry Leicester, said: "Under the current economic circumstances, the management have done exceptionally well to get this project this far. We are now looking at phase two, taking it to the next level, which will further develop and strengthen the venture.

"The importance of the project to the Leicestershire community and the local economy is significant. For this reason, it is vital that the business community gets behind it and supports it and we are looking for every company to get involved at some level.

"Our aim is to bring in both entrepreneurial investors and local business owners who are attracted by the potential returns and the various sponsorship opportunities this project presents.

"Our vision is to ideally attract some well-known businessmen who have a liking for speedway or motorsports in general. We know there are a few of them around in Leicestershire and it would be great to get these people on board.

"Speedway is one of the sports that regularly attracts significant coverage and airtime on Sky Sports so it will be an excellent way for local businesses to increase their exposure to a national audience, while helping the long-term future of this community-based facility.

"We are putting the correct financial structures in place to make it a viable business into the future and it is crucial we have the support of the Leicestershire business community."

Cooper Parry has been working with David Hemsley, the managing director of Leicester Speedway, on general commercial, financial advice and fundraising.

The Beaumont Park site will be used to host the first Leicester Lions speedway match on April 2 although long-term plans include using the site for different sports providing a boost to the local economy. The American Football club Leicester Falcons and Rugby league club Leicester Storm have already held preliminary talks about making Beaumont Park their new home

Mr Hemsley said: "We feel the time is right to pursue additional investors who share our vision for the long-term success of the complex. By bringing some business figures on board and the whole Leicestershire business community we can start planning and building for the future of the site.

"This site is a real community venue and with plans to bring different sports to use the complex it will be provide a significant economic boost to the area going forward.

"There is a real opportunity and growth potential for this complex and with the right support it will be successful. Having a single investor or a strong group of investors with close ties to the regional community will be a real boost to the future of this facility."

The Leicester Lions management launched a share scheme to raise £100,000 last year which has been successful.

The last Leicester speedway meeting took place in October, 1983. In recent years, a campaign to revive the sport in the city has gathered momentum and, two years ago, the city council, gave permission for a stadium, as part of a £4.5million sports complex in Beaumont Leys.