Quarterly Performance Report to Board of Trustees
Year 3 (2016/17) Quarter 2 (July – September 2016)
CONTENTS
1. Executive Summary Page 2
2. Partnership Indicators Page 4
3. Targets Against Delivery Plan Page 19
4. Financial Performance Page 28
5. Human Resources Page 32
6. Marketing Page 33
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Executive Summary
This quarterly report outlines the performance of the Trust for the period July to September 2016. The audience for this report will be the Trust Board members, officers and the political leadership of BGCBC.
This report is an evaluation of Quarter 2, July - September 2016 performance and some noticeable successes are shown below:
• For the second quarter of the 2016/17 financial year the Trust reported a year to date surplus of £51.9k as at the 30 th September 2016.
• Board members have been involved in Finance and Marketing sub-groups, which meet on a monthly basis to support and challenge performance across the Trust;
• Abertillery Sports Centre played host to the re-launch of the latest fitness classes from Les Mills. Ninety six customers took part in a dynamic two hour workout of the most up-to-date and exciting Les Mills fitness class releases. At the quarterly re-launch in January 2017, local businesses will be invited along in an attempt to secure corporate interest in the Trust’s fitness offer.
• Growth of Lifecard and swimming lessons.
• Parc Bryn Bach has been unveiled as a Green Flag Award winner for 2016, by Keep Wales Tidy. The Green Flag Award is the international mark of a quality park or green space. The award means a great deal to Aneurin Leisure as it not only recognises the quality of our excellent facilities, but also our commitment to delivering great quality green spaces for our visitors.
• Parc Bryn Bach and Bedwellty Park have been nominated in the Fields in Trust UK's Best Park award by our visitors.
• The newly refurbished library at Ebbw Vale Library continues to attract new users, with encouraging performance in all areas. Alun Davies AM, officially opened Ebbw Vale Library on the 23 rd September 2016. During the day a series of promotional events and activities were delivered, including storytelling sessions from the popular children’s author Dan Anthony. 350 people attended throughout the day, including Welsh Government officials, Trustees, councillors, BGCBC representatives, local school pupils and community groups.
• Welsh Government has acknowledged Blaenau Gwent as delivering a strong digital offer and as a result there is planned visit by the Minister for Skills and Technology to Blaina Library in November 2016, to meet volunteers and IT users.
• The overall attainment target across the Gwent ACL Partnership is 92%, which has been achieved for the academic year 2015/16. The 2015/16 successful completion data shows an improvement of 25% on the 2014/15 data for Aneurin Leisure. There are areas of outstanding success, the Independent Living Skills
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courses for learners who have mild to moderate learning difficulties has achieved 100% attainment in seven of its eleven class. Similarly, eleven of the sixteen Digital Literacy classes achieved 100% attainment.
• During September to celebrate the 100 th Anniversary of the great Welsh Author Roald Dahl, a special educational and family event was delivered at Bedwellty House and Park. A weekend experience was sold out where children and their families were welcomed by Mr Wonka and taken on a journey through our historical villa where they undertook an array of exciting and Dahlian activities and a Willy Wonka inspired afternoon tea followed by making whizz-popping pots, dream jars, edible tea cups & stories told magically by our Library services.
Challenges for Quarter 2
• Decrease in participation in arts activities in the second quarter of this financial year compared to the same period last year. July shows the largest decrease which may be accounted for by the lack of an Annual Arts Festival in 2016, due to being unsuccessful in gaining grant income for this activity. A subsequent application will be submitted in October for a range of Arts participatory activities and if successful, activities will take place commencing February 2017. We will be notified of the application outcome in January 2017.
• Over the quarter there has been a 30% reduction in issues for the Schools Library Service, which has been expected, with fewer schools participating in the scheme.
• Increase marketing of Free Swimming initiative for under 16’s and over 60’s.
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2. Partnership Indicators
Arts and Culture
Graph 1 - Attendance at Cultural Venues
Attendance at Cultural Venues 2015 2016 8713 7746 7419
6595
3108 3277
July August September
Overall attendance has increased in quarter 2 2016/17 as opposed to the same period last year. This can be attributed to:
• Conference Business and regular meetings, which continue to improve at the Metropole.
• Regular events which are now scheduled into the Bar at The Metropole, which has had a positive impact on the numbers of users to this venue.
• Use of the Met for a week-long Photography and Dance project, which was funded by Creu Cymru.
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Graph 2 - Average Capacity at Performances
2015 Average Capacity at Events 2016 84
71 65 56 57
0
July August September
Average capacity shows an increase in July, and a slight decrease in September compared with the same period the previous year. However, the 65% target has been achieved in both cases.
During August 2016 there were no performances scheduled in the Theatres to allow essential maintenance to be undertaken.
Successful performances to note regarding ticket sales include the Blues and Rock event that is now held at The Met, but organised by the Community Group, Ffrindiau Tyleri in July and the World Champion Brass Band – the Cory Band, who also performed at The Met in September. Both of these performances were sell-outs.
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Graph 3 - Participation in Arts Activities
2015 Participation in Arts Activities 2016
1973
1066
789
528
327 318
July August September
Participation numbers are down in the second quarter of this financial year compared to the same period last year.
July shows the largest decrease which may be accounted for by the lack of an Annual Arts Festival in 2016, due to us being unsuccessful in gaining grant income for this activity. A subsequent application will be submitted in October for a range of Arts participatory activities and if successful, activities will take place commencing February 2017. We will be notified of the application outcome in January 2017.
September has also had a slow start with regular classes, but measures are being taken to ensure participation is increased in these regular events. Publicity material has been produced and Social Media is being used to promote the above.
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Library Services
Graph 4 - Library Issues per Thousand Resident Population
Library issues per thousand resident
population 350 311 311 311 300 250 201 200 173 175 2015 156 162 150 2016 118 100 Welsh Average 50 0 July Aug Sept
Library issues for quarter 2 illustrate a mixed report. Performance in July is particularly low in comparison to the same period last year, due to the transition of the re-location back to Ebbw Vale Library from the temporary base in the Learning Action Centre. For the last two weeks of July, there was no library provision in Ebbw Vale, due to closure, in preparation for the opening in August. Over the quarter there has also been a 30% reduction in issues for the Schools Library Service, which has been expected, with fewer schools participating in the scheme.
The re-opening of Ebbw Vale Library in August has resulted in an overall increase in issues for the latter two months of the quarter and this is anticipated to improve overall performance in this area for quarter 3. During August and September, Ebbw Vale Library issued 8,130 items compared to 1,900 for the same quarter last year. In contrast, to this, the other branches are challenged with the continued limited investment in the book fund. There is a direct correlation linking low spend on stock with declining issues, as the budget limits choice of available titles for customers. However, the service has been commended by Welsh Government for making a significant difference to people’s lives, despite having limited resources. The trend continues to prove that users are accessing libraries for a wider range of services, other than just book borrowing. Targeted stock and membership campaigns help combat this by attracting new users to the service, e.g. Tredegar Library promoted ‘banned books’ throughout September and the Six Book Reading Challenge delivered in all libraries, continues to appeal to adult, reluctant readers. All libraries improved performance of the Summer Reading Challenge with an increase of 30% in participants. Roald Dahl promotions of the ‘Big Friendly Read’ were held in all libraries, with two launch events in Tredegar and Abertillery, with 139 children and parents attending. Library Staff also participated in joint promotional children’s events at Bedwellty House to encourage library membership.
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Graph 5 - Percentage of Time Allocated for Use of Public Access ICT Facilities Taken up by Users
Percentage of time allocated for use of public access ICT facilities taken up by users
60% 48% 50% 42% 43% 40% 39% 39% 40% 36% 36% 36% 2015 30% 2016
20% Welsh Average
10% 0% July Aug Sept
As the overall IT usage figure for Wales has declined over the last year, Blaenau Gwent reflects this trend, as an increasing number of users are taking advantage of Wi-Fi access in libraries. The service is currently investigating options on how to accurately record public Wi-Fi usage via authentication software, this is the situation with many other library authorities across Wales. Despite this, our networked usage is above the Welsh average for quarter 2. With the re-opening of Ebbw Vale Library, various new digital initiatives have been introduced including two new work clubs, ‘Get Blaenau Gwent on-line’ sessions, ipad support and digital health literacy sessions. The service has formed a new partnership with the Digital Inclusion Unit of Welsh Government, providing volunteer support at Ebbw Vale Library. The new design of Ebbw Vale Library encourages digital mobile usage with an increasing number of users taking advantage of the relaxed, comfortable environment.
Blaenau Gwent Libraries continue to address digital inclusion through our network of 64 public access machines. The service provides an essential role in supporting the digitally excluded, whether they are excluded from lack of access or from lack of skills. Library staff are taking on the role of supporting customers to gain access to essential Government and other agency services, e.g. Universal JobMatch. In addition to day-to-day ‘drop-in’ help and advice, the service delivers beginner IT sessions in all libraries, focusing on the very first steps to get someone on-line. Welsh Government has acknowledged Blaenau Gwent as delivering a strong digital offer and as a result there is planned visit by the Minister for Skills and Technology to Blaina Library in November 2016, to meet volunteers and IT users.
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Graph 6 - Number of Visits to Libraries per Thousand Resident Population (Footfall)
Number of visits to Libraries per thousand resident population (footfall)
500 440 439 450 400 350 348 348 348 292 281 284 294 300 2015 250 2016
Footfall 200 150 Welsh Average 100 50 0 July Aug Sept
Axis Title
The re-opening of Ebbw Vale Library in August has significantly improved performance in relation to footfall. The service is achieving well above the Welsh average, for the first time in many years. The newly refurbished library at Ebbw Vale Library continues to attract new users, with encouraging performance in all areas. Alun Davies AM, officially opened Ebbw Vale Library on the 23 rd September 2016. During the day a series of promotional events and activities were delivered, including storytelling sessions from the popular children’s author Dan Anthony. 350 people attended throughout the day, including Welsh Government officials, Trustees, councillors, BGCBC representatives, local school pupils and community groups. There was been an overwhelming positive response to the refurbishment, which has raised the profile of the service and has changed the perception of the value of a modern library within the community.
The service also held a number successful promotional events over the quarter that contributed to the increase in footfall. Seven Macmillan coffee mornings were held across all libraries during September, with the Minister for Lifelong Learning, Alun Davies attending the Ebbw Vale session. Brynmawr library participated in the Summer Community Festival with a series of children’s activities and an open day to celebrate their birthday of the re-location. Tredegar library held a ‘Save a Life’ session in September with an introduction to CPR and due to the success of this event, it will be rolled-out to all libraries. A number of new groups have been established in Blaina library, including a Welsh Conversational group, Comic Capers and the ‘Power’ group focusing on local history research. The Macmillan service has increased the number of sessions, by delivering regular monthly drop-ins in all libraries. An increasing number of partners are accessing libraries to engage with the community and deliver sessions for library uses, e.g. Communities First delivered a free 6 week healthy living course at Tredegar Library. Over quarter 2, 568 events and sessions were held across the service.
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Life Card Sales Membership
Graph 7 - Total Membership Base
Quarter 2 2016/17 identifies growth of the Lifecard in comparison to quarter 2 2015/16. The continuation in improving the Life members’ experience via the Life Journey, the introduction of Les Mills group exercise classes as well as developing a new customer focused culture across all three sports centres is key in achieving this.
Graph 8 - Total Number of Direct Debit Sales
Graph 8 above illustrates growth of Life Card and swimming lesson direct debit sales during quarter 2 2016/17 compared to the same period in 2015/16. This is due to the ongoing work of adopting a more customer focussed and commercial approach to meeting customer needs together with increased marketing and promotion.
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Graph 9 – Total Sports Centre Visits per 1000 Population
The graph above identifies overall growth in terms of attendance at sports centres during quarter 2 2016/17 when compared with the same period the previous year. There was, however, a downturn of 9% in July, which was replicated nationally in the leisure industry, due it is thought to the performance of Wales the Euro 2016, combined with the good weather, which historically reduces usage within the Sports Centre. The increase in usage of 10% in August and 11% in September can be attributed to a significant uptake in 1-2-1 swimming lessons aligned to an overall increase in attendance in swimming, gyms and management bookings (bookings made on a weekly basis, i.e. football, outdoor pitches, etc.).
Free Swim Initiative (FSI)
Graphs 10 and 11 overleaf show some of the initial impact for both paid and free swims, as well as looking at the Junior Learn to Swim programme, school swimming and the training element of swim school staff.
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Graph 10 - Under 16 Paid Swims
Quarter 2 indicates a significant increase in usage when compared with the same period the previous year. It is suggested that the allocation of individual officer responsibility for aquatics within each of the sport centres has resulted in ownership of the targets. This combined with an increase in 1-2-1 swimming lessons and an improved aquatics programme has led to a 70% increase in attendance during the period when compared to quarter 2 in 2015/16, as represented in the graph above.
Graph 11 – Under 16 Free Swims
During quarter 2 there was a reduction in usage in July and August when compared with the same period in last year. This is a reflection of the reduced free swim timetable for school holidays in 2016/17, which continues to meet the Welsh Government Free Swimming criteria in line with neighbouring authorities.
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Opportunities for Free Swimming continue to be provided in the three sports centres and are marketed appropriately. Sports Centre staff continue to work with the Marketing Team to exploit all opportunities to increase participation and link with colleagues in the Inspire Team to encourage engagement with under 16’s promoting opportunities for participation (graph 11).
Actions include:- - Increasing social media output; - Closer integration amongst all officers in the sport and fitness section in order that priorities are shared and opportunities for partnership working to achieve shared objectives are met; - Concentrated marketing programme around school holiday periods; - Aquatic leads within Sports Centres and Aquatic Duty Officer to demonstrate how they are tackling the reduction in attendance; - Swim clubs engaged with to promote amongst members; - Those attending the swim school provided with information prior to school holiday periods.
Over 60’S Core Programme
Graph 12 - Over 60 Free and Paid Swim
1200 1001 1000 940 827 829 841 800 731
600 2015
2016 400
200
0 July August September
There was a marginal increase in attendance (2%) for Over 60’s free and paid swim during the quarter, as highlighted in the graph above. Free Swimming is provided for those Over 60 throughout the year, with the exception of school holidays. In an attempt to encourage participation during the summer holidays a season ticket was introduced, at a reduced one-off payment, which was well received amongst the target audience.
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Sports Centre Sports Hall Occupancy
Within the three sports centres there is a combined income target of £83,189 for quarter 2. A total of £57,042 (55%) was achieved during quarter 2. An overall figure of 51% occupancy represents uptake of the sports halls during the times available for community use Monday-Friday as reflected within the graph 13 below. Weekend use is categorised differently because of the different hours available but is broadly the same in usage terms as weekday uptake.
Graph 13 – Sports Hall Occupancy
Occupancy Levels for Sports Halls in Abertillery, Ebbw Vale & Tredegar Sports centers July - September 2016 100%
90% e g 80% ta n e rc 70% Monday e P 60% Tuesday cy an Wednesday p 50% u c Thursday O 40% Friday 30%
20%
10%
0% 16 17 18 19 20 21 Hours of occupancy
Within individual sports centres designated officers are leading on achieving dryside income targets. Generally, there is a move towards increasing the amount of events delivered. Access to occupancy data has also been shared with colleagues in Sports Development in an attempt to maximise usage/income potential moving forward. This data reflects an average of quarter 2 usage in the sports hall across the three sports centres.
Sports Centre Outdoor Pitches
A combined amount of £25,979 (75%) was achieved against a target of £32,506 on outdoor pitches during the period. The graph overleaf shows the average occupancy during the period.
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Graph 14 - Outdoor Occupancy
Whilst the overall occupancy rate achieved for outdoor pitches was 38%, historically the main users, football and rugby clubs, discontinue their training during the summer period. Alternative organisations will be targeted in future for periods identified for low usage. Once again, Pay & Play was provided throughout the summer period which allows children to utilise the outdoor facilities for only a £1. The offer was introduced to tackle issues with ‘down time’ on the outdoor facilities and address the issue of children having nowhere to play football. The scheme worked extremely well and local youngsters took full advantage of the fact that they could easily afford to use facilities when they were available.
Cardiff City and Newport County FC held a number of training camps on the 3G pitch during the summer period. The camps were open to all local children who wanted to be involved and attracted over 20 local children to each camp. Organisers from both CCFC and NCFC have advised that they would like to secure additional sessions in the future. Also, both clubs were so impressed with facilities they are looking at running football academies at the facility.
Life Swim School
Graph 15 overleaf clearly identifies growth in swim school attendance in each sports centre during quarter 2 when compared with the previous month. The combined increase in participation from the same period the previous year equates to an improvement of 10.2%. Individually each sports centre increased by 4.6% in
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Abertillery Sports Centre, by 14% in Tredegar Sports Centre and by 8.6% in Ebbw Vale Sport Centre.
Graph 15 – Life Swim School
Life Swim School 1400 1312 1154 1208 1208 1200 1114 1000 934 800
600
400
200 0 July 2015July 2016 Aug 2015Aug 2016 Sept Sept 2015 2016
Catering
Sports Centres
Since the closure of the cafeteria at Abertillery Sports Centre at the end of June there has been an ongoing review of the vending options available. Staff are being challenged to take every opportunity to supplement vending income, by physically selling produce both within the facility and on the outdoor pitch.
A consultation exercise was undertaken at Ebbw Vale Sports Centre during the summer and as a result, a number of initiatives have been instigated, namely:
- revised menu - re-branding - standardisation of service delivery (staff training) - a dedicated soft play area for use by young children within the café - purchase of new coffee, smoothie and frappe machines in an attempt to cater for a wider audience - daily specials
Tredegar Sports Centre is diversifying their product lines within the vending machines which has achieved improved financial performance. The centre has also begun servicing the football and rugby matches that take place on the school fields, proving lucrative from a catering income perspective.
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Bedwellty House and Park
The catering unit in this facility includes the Orchid House Tea Room, which is open daily providing beverages, snacks and light meals and the Carriage House, which is the main function room used for weddings and other events with catering. There is also a selection of rooms which may be used for private dining options, afternoon teas, christening parties etc. The facility also has a licensed bar.
The income target for Year to Date (YTD) up to quarter 2 is set at £183,848. The actual income for quarter 2 is £229,790, showing a favourable variance of £45,942. Some of this income has been taken in advance of functions and weddings, which will occur later in the year.
The catering unit within Bedwellty House is working towards a 50% gross profit margin. Profitability is showing a favourable figure of £53,398 against a target of £52,714.
Parc Bryn Bach
The Visitor Centre at Parc Bryn Bach hosts a Coffee Shop which offers a selection of beverages, sandwiches, cakes and light meals/snacks.
This area was refurbished at the start of the financial year enabling the facility to change its offer and menu from a more traditional 'cafe' style offer to the upmarket coffee-shop style offer as detailed above. This work was completed in August 2016.
However, as a result of the ongoing work, Parc Bryn Bach catering did not meet its target during the first half of this financial year, showing an adverse variance of £24,867 against a target of £144,448. However, since the refurbishment has been completed and the new menu is on offer, the income targets are being met.
Consequently, as a result of the above the profitability target of £40,817 has not been met, with the profit currently at £22.932. However, the % gross profit margin is being achieved.
The Met, Abertillery
This facility has a bar facility only with any outside catering being brought in from Beaufort Theatre. This unit is meeting its income and profitability targets for quarter 2.
Beaufort Theatre /Outside Catering Unit
As well as a bar to service the performances and other events at Beaufort Theatre, a successful outside catering unit is operated from this facility, which prepares and serves buffets to businesses within Blaenau Gwent.
At the end of quarter 2, although the catering income was slightly lower than target (an adverse of £1,325) the profitability of this unit was favourable by £4,854 on its target.
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This is as a result of the gross profit margins being over-achieved, due to diligence of the staff in being able to negotiate offers for buffet options of food and pre-buy, as the menus are pre-set. There is little or no waste associated with this model of catering.
Adult and Community Learning
During quarter 2 Adult and Community Learning received its attainment and successful completion results for the academic year 2015/16. The Essential Skills curriculum offered by Adult Community Learning is benchmarked against targets which are agreed across the Coleg Gwent Adult Community Learning Franchise Partnership (Gwent ACL Partnership). Courses such as GCSE English and Maths are benchmarked against National comparators set by Welsh Government.
The overall attainment target across the Gwent ACL Partnership is 92%, which has been achieved for the academic year 2015/16.
2015/16 Attainment Successful Completion Gwent ACL Partnership Franchise Average 92.6% 87% Franchise Target 92% 80% Aneurin Leisure Franchise 92% 81%
The 2015/16 successful completion data shows an improvement of 25% on the 2014/15 data for Aneurin Leisure. There are areas of outstanding success, the Independent Living Skills courses for learners who have mild to moderate learning difficulties has achieved 100% attainment in seven of its eleven class. Similarly, eleven of the sixteen Digital Literacy classes achieved 100% attainment.
The courses which were delivered from the Welsh Government grant are GCSE English, GCSE Maths and ICT European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL). The GCSE English and Maths achieved 29% and 45% pass rate grade A-C respectively, against a national comparator of 26.9% for English and 29.5% for Maths. The pass rate for A-E was 89.5% and 96.6% respectively, against a national comparator of 82.7%. The European Computer Driving Licence course was piloted in 2015/16 over two years. Initial results show that all learners have partially attained, the full attainment will be reflected in 2016/17 results.
The Welsh for Adults curriculum is delivered through a Franchise Agreement with Coleg Gwent, all learning is informal and learners are not required to achieve qualifications as the curriculum is designed to improve Welsh language skills. The success of the curriculum is measured on how many learners complete their chosen course. The benchmark set by Coleg Gwent is for 84% to complete their courses. In 2015/16 Blaenau Gwent Adult Community Learning achieved a completion rate of 89%, the highest of all five franchise partners.
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Adult Community Learning employs a variety of techniques to capture the views of its learners – telephone surveys, questionnaires, group meeting measuring how the perceive the quality of the learning and the customer service, if they feel that the course is good value. The benchmark for this is for:
• 97% to agree or strongly agree that they are satisfied with the quality of their course
On the end of course questionnaire. The achievement for 2015/16 is:
• 98.7% agreed or strongly agreed that they were satisfied with the quality of their course.
Additionally, the end of course questionnaire indicated that 100% of learners would recommend Adult Community Learning to others plus all learners stated that they feel safe and free from harassment when attending the Learning Action Centres.
3. Targets Against Delivery Plan
Table 2 - To increase footfall through Bedwellty House
July Aug Sept Total % YTD Annual % 2016 2016 2016 Q2 Achieved Actual Target Achieved Q2 YTD
Footfall 11,162* 18,342* 10,562* 40,006* 20% 69,477 200,000 35%
* These figures relate to visitors to the house only, whereas the annual target is based on the House and Park combined. The annual usage target was part of the original Bedwellty House & Park Management Plan. The 200,000 target is split with 60,000 visitors coming to the house and 140,000 visitors to the park and grounds (as per Business Plan).
Bedwellty House and Park currently has active people counter devices on three entrances to the house and it is promising to see that during quarters one and two the internal visitor figure has been achieved and will exceed the internal target set. There are no active counters on the park entrances, therefore, we are not able to monitor or measure the volume of visitors coming to the park but not entering Bedwellty House. The Trust is purchasing counters for the gates at Bedwellty House, which will have a positive impact on measuring footfall figures in the future.
General footfall through the house has seen a positive shift during quarter 2, which is encouraging. Despite not measuring footfall of visitors to the grounds a number of mass participation outdoor events have had a positive impact on visitors to the house. A series of free outdoor events were offered throughout the summer which brought hundreds of visitors to the park, many of which were first time visitors, e.g. Brass Band and music programme, Road to Rio community engagement day, etc.
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Armed Forces Day once again was well attended by stall providers and visitors to support a much respected charity. This event was again in partnership with Tredegar Town Council and wider volunteer groups and raised over £1,000 for the charity. Visitors were entertained by the Welsh Guards marching band, flight simulators as well as being part of a touching service in respect of our service men and women.
Work has been undertaken with the grounds team to support a local girl’s football team to develop the grassed events arena as a training and match pitch for their U8- U12 age groups. Training commenced in August and their first two matches were hosted in September. The football matches have brought visitors from South East Wales girl’s league to the Park.
Table 3 - To increase wedding and function income
July Aug Sept Total % YTD Annual % 2016 2016 2016 Q2 Achieved Actual Target Achieved Q2 YTD No. of weddings 10 7 7 24 70% 58 34 64% weddings No. of 13 10 11 34 60% 65 57 114% functions functions
The number of weddings held at Bedwellty House in the second quarter is above target. Despite some weddings being of a smaller nature or evening functions only they have been on target with achieving the bar income and have provided great opportunities for further marketing and promotion of weddings. The wedding business is continuing to grow with Bedwellty House fast becoming recognised as a popular venue of choice.
The general function business in the house has increased significantly during the first two quarters and has achieved its target for the year.
General Afternoon Tea bookings and Sunday lunch business continues to grow and show improvement, with a 50% increase on Sunday lunches in comparison to the same period in 2015. Retention is particularly positive with repeat visitors for Sunday lunches.
Table 4 - Growth of Education Programme by 50%
July Aug Sept Total % YTD Annual % 2016 2016 2016 Q2 Achieved Actual Target Achieved Q2 YTD No. of Educational 310 797 157 1,264 126% 1,800 1,000 180% visits, courses, etc.
The Education programme has been particularly pleasing again for quarter 2 showing a positive shift and considerable growth in comparison to the same period in 2015. Six new school groups visited during quarter 2 for planned activities during
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With the school visits, school holiday workshop programme and Roald Dahl special event weekend, the education target has exceeded the annual target in terms of footfall. However, costings of education programmes will be reviewed early in 2017. Discounted, introductory pricings have been offered this season to encourage visits and build a reputation of the Bedwellty Education experience. Feedback indicates that this is the case and the education school visits and workshops are associated with good value, high quality experiences.
Overall, quarter 2 for Bedwellty House and Park has been very positive. All targets for this area of the business have been achieved, which is promising and encouraging for future plans and aspirations for Bedwellty House and Park.
Table 5 - Increase visitor numbers to Parc Bryn Bach
July Aug Sept Total % YTD Annual % 2016 2016 2016 Q2 Achieved Actual Target Achieved Q2 YTD Visitor numbers 50,521 51,718 24,792 127,031 25% 249,679 505,000 49%
The quarterly target for gate numbers at Parc Bryn Bach has been achieved during this period. The refurbishment and change of offer in the Visitor Centre and the continued development of customer service has contributed to a better visitor experience.
The continued good work by the Grounds Maintenance Team in keeping the park looking pristine has greatly contributed to the Green Flag Award status which was achieved this year indicating that Parc Bryn Bach is a quality site.
Events taken place during this quarter have increased substantially as a result of the appointment of Duty Manager (Events), these events included;
• Welsh Swimming Open Water Championships • Welsh Triathlon Inter Regional Championships • Ty Hafan Rainbow Run • East Wales Road Championships • Junior Tour of Wales • Evans Cycles MTB & Road Challenge • PBB Model Boat Club open day • Park Run • Welsh Aquathlon Series
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During the summer months the park offered on-site adventure activities which could be accessed by visitors. These activities were well utilised and contributed to the growing offer, working towards creating an activity tourism destination.
Table 6 - Increase in Adventure Activity Visits
July Aug Sept Total % YTD Annual % 2016 2016 2016 Q2 Achieved Actual Target Achieved Q2 YTD Adventure Activity 240 486 384 1,110* 23% 2,305 4,823* 48% Visits
∗ Please note the above figures represent the number of visits on adventure activity sessions.
The figures from this quarter indicate that the Adventure Activity programme has narrowly missed the target, however, this period does not include any school usage.
The Adventure Activities segment of business has been identified as the Unique Selling Point (USP) for Parc Bryn Bach, and will therefore, have a greater focus for marketing activities. There is confidence that the Trust not only has the correct product, but also the expertise to deliver in all aspects of this area. This has already been demonstrated through the target being achieved for the first quarter of 2016/17.
It has been recognised that there is a need to focus sales and marketing attention into the promotion of courses at PBB. A Sales Advisor has been allocated to PBB to solely focus their attention on selling corporate and school packages, which have been identified as lucrative markets and have the potential to bridge the current shortfall in Adventure Activity income. Local businesses are being targeted and current clients of Aneurin Leisure are also being approached in regards to corporate packages. The Sales Manager will also attend school cluster meetings in a bid to drive school outdoor educational programmes and residential courses.
It has become increasingly noticeable that PBB has limited presence in the online Adventure Activity market which is contributing to the short fall in course bookings. A new website will be implemented in November 2016 to better optimise the PBB website generating an improved presence in the Adventure Activity market.
The Duty Manager responsible for Adventure Activities continues to develop this area with new courses being introduced this year, including Single Pitch Award and Hill & Mountain Skills. These courses have been well attended and user figures have matched other providers of these awards.
This year Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) was developed at PBB which proved to be very popular with over 30 introductory courses being delivered with an additional 5 Pembroke Tours. An SUP club is being developed on site in a bid to attract more customers and maintain interest which should also act as a catalyst to attract major SUP event to PBB.
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Table 7 - Increase caravanning users
July Aug Sept Total % YTD Annual % 2016 2016 2016 Q2 Achieved Actual Target Achieved Q2 YTD No. of Caravan 315 462 146 923 46% 1,271 2,000 63.5% park users
This area of business has met its target during quarter 2 for 2016/17, due to the increased events at the park, increased offer and the cleanliness of the site.
This area could be further improved which would increase usage with:
• Better access road leading to the site • Self-contained shower and toilet block • Electric hook up and water to all pitches • Develop camping area – improve drainage, hard standing for vehicles, lighting • Introduction of glamping pods
Until funding becomes available the caravan and camping areas are being maintained so that they are clean and of a tidy appearance. However, in order to compete with caravan club sites in the surrounding area, investment will be required to upgrade the above.
Measures are being taken to further promote camping with an increase in marketing and promotion via social media, website and national publications.
Table 8 – Measures for Inclusion
July - Annual YTD % Sept Target Actual Achieved YTD To engage 300 people in disability sport opportunities 65 300 245 82%
To engage with 120 new participants aged 13-19 from Communities First areas 26 new 120 252 210% (492 new participants in total) To establish an Us Girls hub in each Communities First cluster (4 in total) to 52 new 120 173 144% engage with 120 females aged 13-19 (224 new participants in total)
Disability Sport – currently on track to meet annual target of 300 people engaged in disability sport opportunities.
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StreetGames - this target has already been exceeded for 2016/17. Efforts are being now be focused into maintaining participation levels so future quarters may not see such an increase in participation
Us Girls - whilst the target has been met, only two Us Girls Hubs have been established in Abertillery and Brynmawr. The focus will be to maintain current provision and establish new hubs in Ebbw Vale and Tredegar.
Fitness Development
The number of Les Mills qualified self-employed instructors has increased during the period, which has resulted in an improved fitness class offer within the three sports centres.
A re-launch of the latest Les Mills fitness classes was held in Abertillery Sports Centre in September, delivered by one of Les Mills’ top fitness instructors as a part of the franchise between the company and Aneurin Leisure. Ninety six customers took part in a dynamic two hour workout of the most up-to-date and exciting Les Mills fitness class releases. At the quarterly re-launch in January 2017, local businesses will be invited along in an attempt to secure corporate interest in the Trust’s fitness offer.
Arrangements have been completed to trial a new personal trainer fitness offer. As a part of their remit the trainers will encourage clients to purchase memberships to have unlimited access to facilities in order to achieve their fitness goals. The trainers will also deliver classes and help promote our products and facilities.
Attendance in fitness classes increased during the period, no doubt as a result of the introduction of online bookings and officers continue to liaise closely with external partners e.g. Community First groups, etc., which has resulted in an increase in membership uptake amongst their clients.
Sport Centre Events
A number of events and tournaments were held within the three sports centres during the period, outside of the regular management bookings, to maximise income potential.
Sports Development
One More Programme
The diagram below shows a comparison in physical activity levels in young people from years 7 to 11 in all secondary schools in Blaenau Gwent from July 2015 to July 2016. There has been a decrease in sedentary young people from 27% to 20%, a decrease in active once or twice from 33% to 27% due to a significant increase in
Q2 Report July - September 2016 v1.0 03.01.17 hooked on sport (those taking part three or more times a week) from 40% to 53%. This positive shift is a result of providing activities to meet young people’s needs as identified by the One More survey. Numerous new sessions have been provided and include the provision of a Freestyle Gymnastics session at Brynmawr Foundation School.
Thriving Clubs
Abertillery Bowls Club joined the Thriving Clubs scheme in 2014 and has received support from Inspire Officers. Their main focus was to develop their junior section and provide bowls in a family friendly environment. Their chairman has received mentoring as part of the thriving clubs programme which allowed a club development plan to be produced that included the recruitment of players, development of coaches and funding applications. They have accessed £1,500 from Community Chest to purchase new equipment for juniors and allow more young people to access the sport. During the 2016 summer season the club engaged with 350 young bowlers. The club has recently taken over the running of the bowling green and clubhouse via an asset transfer from Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council.
Holiday Provision
In addition to the summer holiday provision at the sports centres a number of Street Games sessions were held in Communities First areas across Blaenau Gwent. Due to the introduction of the Inspire Sports Instructors the delivery of these sessions were able to continue during this period. This was not possible previously due to the reliance on volunteers. The sessions were also included within the Sports Centre timetables, attracting young people to the facilities who were then signposted to other sessions/sporting camps that were available. There were 11 Street Games venues operational during the summer holidays, which included sessions in Abertillery and Tredegar Sports Centres. In addition, a partnership with the Youth
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Service enabled the delivery of sports sessions through their detached provision. A total of 219 individual participants were engaged with during 5 weeks in the holiday period, 96 of those were aged 13-19.
Volunteer Route into Employment
To complement the success of the disability swimming programme a robust volunteer programme has been developed, enabling the Disability Sport Officer to provide more opportunities for children with a disability to learn to swim. The aims of the lessons are to improve confidence in the water as well as stroke technique in line with the Swim Wales Wave programme. There are currently 15 volunteers aged between 15 and 22 volunteering up to five hours per week. The volunteers support disability swimming lessons and work on a one-to-one basis with individuals. Five volunteers recently undertook a Level One swimming teaching assistant qualification and will now be employed on a weekly basis within all three sports centres.
Wheelie Wednesday’s at Tredegar Sports
In conjunction with Disability Sport Wales, Tredegar Sports Centre has achieved a milestone of 100 children attending the weekly Wheelie Wednesday disability awareness sessions. These events are designed to give children aged 7 to 12 years the opportunity to be introduced to a number of wheelchair sports that may be accessed by disabled and non-disabled athletes. It also provides opportunities for Young Leaders to gain valuable experience in these unique events. For many it was their first chance to try this type of activity and gain a greater understanding of wheelchair craft. Wheelchair Tennis, Basketball, Wheelchair racing and Dodgeball are some of the sports available to try.
A strong awareness of inclusion is the theme of these sessions and all the children that attend are reporting a greater understanding of some issues regarding the obstacles faced by wheelchair users on a daily basis.
Community Chest
The September panel saw 26 Community Chest applications, a record number for Blaenau Gwent. In total £30,214 was spent with £12,060 going towards projects aimed at Tackling Inequalities. This grant enables sport and physical activity groups to increase participation and the quality of coaching provided. Jesters Girls Rugby for example, was awarded with £3,000 to support the development of coaches and establish under 15’s and under 18’s sections.
G.P. Exercise Referral Scheme
The National Exercise Referral Scheme (NERS) targets for quarter 2 2016/17 are set by Public Health Wales (PHW) and are shown in Table 9. Table 10 gives an additional breakdown of the nature of the referrals.
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Table 9 – Public Health Wales Targets Against Actuals
Referrals Target 1 st Target Take 16 Week 12 month Consultations Up Completions Completion PHW 180 126 100 50 34 Target Actual 178 133 133 79 65
• A target of 180 referrals for each quarter of 2016/17 was set by PHW, this figure fell slightly. This is due to staff taking annual leave and, therefore, being unable to collect referrals from surgeries.
• A target of 126 was set by NERS for the 1 st consultation and this was exceeded for quarter 2.
• The 16 week completion target was set as 50, with 79 completing the 16 week programme during this quarter.
• The 12 month completion target was set at 34 for quarter 1, with 65 completing 12 months of the scheme, almost doubling this target.
Retention of clients in the programme can be attributed to some of the stories behind the performance highlighted below.
Table 10 - Breakdown of the nature of the referrals
Programme Referra ls 1st 16 12 Quit Consultation Completion Months
Generic L3 67 68 30 33 8
Cardiac Rehab 3 3 3 2 1
COPD 16 12 6 0 0 (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) Falls 15 6 3 0 0
Obesity/Weight 52 24 18 8 8 Management
Mental Health 23 19 2 2 3
Cancer 2 1 0 1 1
Total 178 133 62 40 21
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The figures in Table 10 above do not run in sequential order, the referrals overlap, so for example 1 referral could be made in April 2016 quarter 1 and then seen in July 2016 quarter 2 for their 1 st consultation.
An increase in weight management referrals have coincided with an Exercise Referral Instructor being based within the Ebbw Vale Hospital. This has seen an improved referral pathway for patients from the weight management unit within YAB (Ysbyty Aneurin Bevan Hospital) engaging with an Exercise Referral Instructor and being directed into the community NERS programme.
NERS (National Exercise Referral Scheme) Olympic Games
Due to the success of the pilot Live Long Ping Pong initiative, there was demand to engage more people aged 50+ to participate in adapted sports activities. The NERS team utilised the Rio Olympics to provide a multi-skills event at Abertillery Sports Centre aimed at over 50’s which included Boccia, bean bag boule, short tennis, walking netball, walking football and table tennis. The Ebbw Fach Valley has been a very challenging area to engage older adults to participate in exercise and therefore, links were made with GAVO (Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations) to provide transport for church community groups, removing transport barriers. In total 30 people attended the event, the oldest of which was 87 and the youngest was 56.
4. Financial Performance
For the second quarter of the 2016/17 financial year the Trust reported a year to date surplus of £51.9k as at the 30 th September 2016.
Abertillery Sports Centre, Parc Bryn Bach and Ebbw Vale Sports Centre have significantly underachieved against their budget and managers are actively looking at options to reverse the current trend.
It is encouraging to note that Bedwellty House have reversed their negative trend from the last quarter and are now back on track.
A new servery has been installed in Parc Bryn Bach which will improve the catering offer at the park and in time, help the park come closer to achieving its catering target.
The Trust has set demanding surplus targets for 5 key business areas and this has placed pressure on managers to exceed the budgets set for the previous financial year. Managers are rising to the challenge but the pace of change varies from one part of the business to another and performance against income targets is monitored weekly so that areas which are slipping behind their targets can benefit from additional support from their colleagues in the Sales & Marketing teams.
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Table 11 – Trust Year to Date (YTD) Summary
Core Trust Summary for YTD Period 6 Budget Actual Variance Fav / (Adv) £ £ £
Income for the Period 2,139,644 2,160,861 21,217 Expenditure for the Period (3,735,511) (3,805,323) (69,812) Operating Deficit YTD (1,595,867) (1,644,462) (48,595) Management Fee for the Period 1,696,320 1,696,318 (2) Surplus / (Deficit) for the Period 100,453 51,856 (48,597)
The summarised quarter 2 year to date 2016/17 financial position across each of the 4 business service areas is presented in table 12 overleaf:
Table 12 - YTD Summary Table per Business Unit
Actual Actual Surplus/ Expenditure Income (Deficit) £’000 £’000 £’000
Training & Libraries 549 333 (216)
Culture, Parks & Events 1,002 654 (349)
Sports & Fitness 1,535 1,173 (362)
Central Support Services 719 1,698 979
Total 3,805 3,857 52
The Management Fee income and the SLA charge (both received quarterly from the Authority) are accounted for within Central Support Services.
Table 13 overleaf reflects the individual financial year to date positions compared to the budget at the individual service/establishment level:
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Table 13 – Net Position April 2016 – September 2016
Budget Actual Favourable/ Outturn Outturn (Adverse)
£’000 £’000 £’000
Central Support Services 945 979 34
Sports Centres & Sports Dev. (301) (362) (61)
Parc Bryn Bach (57) (132) (75)
Community Education 23 34 11
Bedwellty House and Park (108) (110) 2
Libraries (258) (250) 7
Theatres & Arts Development (145) (106) 38
Heritage Sites 0 0 0
Total 100 52 (49)
The net position table above reflects the level of subsidy (based on April-September) that is currently required within each service area/establishment.
The long term objective of the Trust is to move towards self-sufficiency, whereby there will be limited requirement for the Management Fee income. However, achieving this goal will take time, support and direct investment from the Authority. It is important to note that within some areas of the business, such as Libraries, it will not be possible for this service to reach a self-funding position as the ability to generate income is limited.
As a result of the £232k reduction in the 2016/17 Management Fee income, together with other cost pressures in areas listed below, the Trust faces a challenge in achieving a sufficiently large surplus by the end of the financial year which can be used to both create a reserve and act as a source of funds to re-invest back into the business to support income growth in future years as well as take out operating/finance leases in the name of the Trust.
Other points for consideration are:
• Catering and associated events income for the 3 months is £523.7k vs a budget of £538k. The Sales and Marketing teams are working with managers to look at opportunities to increase the revenue in these areas.
• The YTD expenditure on utilities is £8.3k lower than per the budget. This is partially attributable to the revised heat charge tariff from the Authority for 2016/17, which is lower than the 2015/16 tariff;
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• Cleaning costs – the schedule of charges for 2016/17 has not yet been shared by the Authority with the Trust and therefore, the accrual of costs is currently based on the 2015/16 rate;
• Agency staff – at the end of quarter 2 there is currently an underspend on agency costs of £14.9k;
• Premises Maintenance – costs to date are £5.5k higher than per the budget;
• Statutory testing – costs to date are £6.2k higher than per the budget. The Trust has asked the Authority to confirm that all recharges for this expenditure type are passed to the Trust on a regular basis;
• Lifecard income is currently £15k adverse against the quarter 2 budgeted position;
• Sports Hall income is currently £14.4k adverse against the quarter 2 budget position. The closure of the Sports Hall within Ebbw Vale Sports Centre has been a significant contributor to this adverse variance;
• The Trust continues to work with the Authority to ensure that any recharging to the Trust is done in a timely manner. This is particularly applicable to recharges that are passed through to us from the Technical Services team as these costs need to be accounted for in the correct period so that we can effectively monitor this expenditure.
The Trust has submitted an ambitious change programme to the Authority for review and financial support. If approved, this investment will help enable the business to become more commercially driven with a strong and determined focus on those revenue generating areas where income can be optimised.
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5. Human Resources
Absence Levels and Turnover
The indicator to track staff absence is “Actual lost hours against contractual hours”. A target of 5% per employee has been set.
Table 14 - % of contracted hours lost
% of Contracted hours lost Area Jul-16 Aug-16 Sep-16 Q2
Arts, Parks and Events 2.1% 4.0% 0.1% 2.10%
Skills & Learning 0.0% 1.8% 0.0% 1.80%
Sports & Fitness 6.0% 6.5% 6.2% 6.20%
Central Support 6.6% 0.7% 4.5% 3.90%
All Departments 3.8% 3.9% 3.1% 3.60%
KPI Target (per month) 5% 5% 5% 5.00%
Fav./( Adv. ) against Target 1.2% 1.1% 1.9% 1.40%
In quarter 1, 2.3% absence was lost against a target of 5% . All departments have achieved lower than target for the quarter.
In quarter 2, 3.6% absence was lost against a target of 5%. Sports & Fitness have exceeded the target every month for the quarter.
Analysis of the data indicates that there were 39 occasions of absence during the quarter: Post-operative recovery Returned during the QTR 5 Post-operative recovery Still Long Term Sick 2 Stress or Anxiety work related Still Long Term Sick 2 Stress or Anxiety personal related Returned during the QTR 2 Anxiety following bereavement Returned during the QTR 4 Chest Infection/Flu like symptoms Returned during the QTR 7 Broken Bones Returned during the QTR 2 Kidney problems Returned during the QTR 2 Migraine Returned during the QTR 3 Others Returned during the QTR 9 Others (Knee infection) Still Long Term Sick 1
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There were seven employees long term sick during quarter 2, three rolled over from quarter 1, of which two have returned to work and four became long term sick during the period. Quarter 3 commences with five long term sick.
6. Marketing
Throughout this period the Marketing team has been involved in a number of activities to support participation, community engagement, membership sales and income generation across Aneurin Leisure.
This has included the development and production of a new 68 page bilingual Aneurin Leisure Live brochure, detailing events within the arts venues, Parc Bryn Bach and Bedwellty House & Park throughout the Autumn/Winter 2016 season. The brochure was distributed to 3,023 people on the arts mailing list as well as to all Aneurin Leisure venues and a selection of shops/businesses across Blaenau Gwent.
This period has also featured a recruitment drive for sales staff, to be based at Bedwellty House and Parc Bryn Bach in order to increase sales and income generation at each venue.
Bedwellty House & Park
During this period the Marketing Team worked with the Education Officer at Bedwellty House to develop and produce a new Education Programme brochure, promoting the variety of education based activities and themed seasonal visits for schools available at Bedwellty House. The brochure has been distributed to all schools in Blaenau Gwent as well as all neighbouring authorities, generating an overwhelming response within the first 10 days, which has filled almost all of the designated education sessions for the autumn season.
Sports Centres
Throughout this period the Marketing Team continued to promote the seasonal summer life membership campaign which was launched in the previous quarter, as well as utilising digital and print media to publicise the children’s summer activity programme. The ‘fall into life’ membership campaign was also launched for the autumn period while also making preparation for the Christmas campaigns.
Parc Bryn Bach
In order to promote and raise the profile of the Outdoor Education programme at Parc Bryn Bach, the Marketing Team distributed the Outdoor Education brochure (via post and email) to all schools within Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire and Torfaen as well as all colleges and universities in Wales and universities in the English border regions (including Bristol, Gloucester, Bath, Worcester, Birmingham and Cheshire).
Throughout this period, the Marketing Team has continued to utilise facebook pay per click advertising to promote a variety of Adventure Activity courses at the park. Most notable campaigns have included the SUP (Stand Up Paddleboarding)
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Pembrokeshire Coastal Tours which reached 39,700 people and the Children’s Summer Activity programme which reached 21,000 people at a total cost of £33.
Libraries
During quarter 2 the Marketing Team worked to prepare for the unofficial opening of Ebbw Vale Library following its major refurbishment work. This included installation of an Aneurin Leisure Information Point, publicity with new contact details and opening times and press coverage. Features on the opening of the library appeared in multiple press publications including the Gwent Gazette, South Wales Argus, Wales Online, The Dynamic and various national library websites.
Social Media
Between July and September our main social media accounts (Aneurin Leisure, Bedwellty House, Parc Bryn Bach and BG Life) gained an additional 1,359 facebook fans and 465 twitter followers. Throughout September the combined total monthly reach for these facebook accounts was 134,937 people.
During September two new facebook pages were launched for The Met Abertillery and BG Libraries as well as a new Instagram account for Aneurin Leisure, broadening the social media reach for the Trust and diversifying the digital platforms used.
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