Annual report

2013 / 2014

10 yearsCelebrating

in Highley

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Performance in the year ended 31 March 2014

Welcome to our healthier way of lifeThe ongoing success of the Severn Centre in 2013/14 must stem from the fact that everything we do is from the community’s point of view. Whether it’s an investment in the Centre (like the new look library or face lift for the pool) or the provision of services (like children’s activities in school holidays or when schools are closed) the focus is always on how current members of the Centre will benefi t. We also focus on how more people in the community might fi nd their lives enhanced by what we offer here in this South Shropshire village, such as fi rst aid training and Meals On Wheels.

While the economy continued to struggle, and families across the country - never mind across our village - continued to work so hard to support their families, our mission was to bring people together so everyone, equitably, could access sport and leisure, maintain health and fi tness, benefi t from community leisure services (clubs, cafe, social gatherings and more) and essential community provision (police, vets, library, childcare) that support and enrich people’s daily lives. Our commitment to providing outstanding service and support was key to our success (usage was up to over 80,000 visits across the year) and the tremendous customer satisfaction we enjoy.

The Severn Centre is a community focused, ‘not-for-profi t’ organisation. That means the money we make from memberships and bookings of our facilities is ploughed back into the Centre and the services we offer. We set out to create a place people want to visit - be it to borrow a book or book a tennis court or swimming lesson, to meet their mates for football or to improve their fi tness levels, to drop their children off for childcare, or to meet their friends at the WI. We are really proud to be able to continue our commitment to opening 70 hours each week and to keep to a pricing structure that allows local people leisure membership with unlimited use for less than £1 a day. We offer concessions for those members who have disabilities, are aged under 17 or over 60, on means-tested benefi ts, or in full-time education. For this period, we were delighted to see usage rising by 8,869 to 80,365.

This would not have been possible without the commitment of everyone who works here and who works with us - the police, Sure Start Children’s Centre, our librarians, group leaders, volunteers and, of course, the Board, supported by one of the UK’s leading leisure trusts, Halo Leisure. The Severn Centre has again demonstrated what a multi-agency partnership can achieve and as we mark our 10th anniversary in 2014 we are already thinking about what the next ten years might hold - and how we can help this community grow and thrive and enjoy a healthy, happy and social way of life.

Best wishes from all the team

Val HillVal Hill, ChairSevern Centre Trust Ltd

Some of the Severn Centre’s seasonal highlights.../ In the Spring of 2013 We held our fi rst ever Highley Sprint Triathlon which was a massive success and attracted 145 entrants from England and Wales (and one from Spain)...and which will now be an annual event for the Severn Centre. Our new look library continued to be popular, visits rose duly from 17,465 to over 20,000 for the current year.

// In the Summer of 2013Our annual summer fete was a fabulous day - hugely well attended and giving us a platform to showcase all the Severn Centre has to offer while villagers and visitors celebrated community life. We also ran our school holiday activity programme. Dozens of families benefi ted from this service, while their youngsters benefi ted from fi tness and fun and friendships, the stuff of growing up and growing confi dence.

/// In the Winter of 2013We teamed up with the Parish Council for the Christmas Lights Switch on. There were Christmas carols, a Primary School musical showcase and lots of festive stalls. It gave local people a perfect platform to promote their businesses and organisations.

//// In the Spring of 2014We decided to prioritise pampering by launching, in February, our fi rst Ladies’ Day. We welcomed to the Centre a whole host of local companies offering products and services (discounted on the day) in the name of feeling good. Massage therapists, jewellery makers, hairdressers and more welcomed women from across the area who paid entry of £2 and were greeted with a glass of bubbly and then simply left to enjoy. This was our most successful yet, with over 100 women coming along. Then in March, we supported National Stop Smoking Day by reminding everyone of the free stop smoking support programme offered here at the Severn Centre. And on the 23rd of the same month, Severn Centre members joined tens of thousands of other runners (cyclists, skippers, swimmers, walkers and more) up and down Britain who on one day, in one go, moved together to complete the offi cial Sport Relief Mile to raise money for this national charity. We also, of course, got to work on our £3000 facelift of the outdoor pool, in anticipation of summer days...

A is for Activity - and there arescores to get involved in

Badminton - one of several racket sportsBar and cafeBeauty treatments and eventsBooks - hundreds of them at our libraryBowls club Bus pass renewal

C is for Clubs (we have a growing number), and for cafe and coffeeand for chatting with friends

Childcare via Highley Minors Child Careand the area’s Sure Start CentreConference and meeting rooms for hireCricket clubDance schoolExercise studios

F is for friends

Fitness classesFootball clubsFunction room for hireGardening club Gym sessionsHoliday activities for children in half terms, Easter and Summer breaks

I is for new interests

J is for joy

K is for Kids, and the brilliantactivities they enjoy

Library and mobile library servicesMeals on Wheels

N is for News and our websiteat severncentre.co.uk

Outdoor poolPolice station servicesQ is for quitting, and the support we offer to smokers who want to kick the habitRunning (on our treadmills at the gym)Severn Strollers walking clubSlimming clubSwimming lessonsStorytime in the librarySocial eventsTeen fi tness sessions for 13 - 15 year oldsTae Kwon DoTrainingTriathlon - Highley’s annual sports eventTennis

U is for under fi ves - and all theactivities they can enjoy

Vet’s practiceWI meetingsWiggles and Giggles toddler funWriting clubsX is for Xtra...and so much moreYouth Activities

Z is for healthy sleep. One ofthe many benefi ts of exercise

The A-Z of Severn Centre Services

is for healthy sleep. One ofthe many benefi ts of exercise

The 1, 2, 3 of what we do...

Our community partnersWe are so delighted to have the Highley Parish Council and Shropshire Council as Partners of the Severn Centre. Their practical support for the work we do in this community and their additional funding for our library refurbishment and some of the wonderful children’s activities during school holidays, has a positive impact on hundreds of families in our community.

3 We offer essential servicesand essential supportAs you know our fabulous library - open seven days a week (during the opening hours of the Centre) not only offers books (including talking books), but public access computers, a work table for students and a reading area. We are also delighted that the Severn Centre continues to be the home of the local vets, community police station, Highley Minors Childcare and Sure Start Children’s Services Centre. We are also the home for the community’s Meals on Wheels service and our Miners Cafe delivers library books to those on the scheme. But we are always looking for needs and fi nding ways to meet them. We did our little bit to keep the local community safe by delivering fi rst aid training to parents and organisations in the area.

2 We bring people together(for work and play) We know the power of services that bring people together - promoting friendship and community support; they effectively help prevent isolation and ill health. The Centre’s Friends and Users Group worked throughout the year to develop social and leisure opportunities and continued to introduce new activities in line with people’s requests and interests. We also were delighted to host a whole range of events and activities that allowed people to celebrate their community and introduce new residents or friends to what the Severn Centre has to offer. Having our conference room, meeting hall and break out rooms on site also means local businesses and organisations can benefi t from competitively priced packages to support their work and events.

1 We make your healthand fi tness countResearch continues to highlight the powerful place keeping fi t has in shaping our ongoing physical and mental health. Which is why our gym, exercise suite, group exercise classes, courts and pitches and outdoor pool are the lifeblood of this Centre, and our dedicated team are ready to meet with and support members and visitors as they work out, relax and have fun. Our gym is fully air-conditioned, has audio/visual entertainment and is kitted out with cycles and weights, treadmills and rowing machines. Our outdoor pool (open from May to September in line with highest usage time) benefi ted from a facelift at the end of this fi nancial year and continues to provide fi tness, fun, swimming lessons and relaxation. Our exercise suite was used by hundreds of people each month for group classes and our courts and pitches have been booked for everything from basketball to badminton, short mat bowls to indoor cricket, 5-a-side football to table tennis. Our offers (eg just £1 a court for sports like badminton and bowls on everyday from 9am – 4pm) helped promote accessibility and got more people, more active, more often.

If you’ve never tried swimming

in the rain - give it a go there

is nothing quite like it!

Open Every Summer

Find the timetable at www.severncentre.co.uk or contact Reception on 01746 860000

Fun for all the family:

• Public and Adult Only

swimming sessions

• Aqua Zumba

• Group exercise classes

• Parent and Toddler sessions

• Available for private hire –

ideal for birthdays and group

get togethers

Cool when it’s hot and fun when it’s not!

Take the plunge at The Severn Centre’s Outdoor Heated Swimming Pool

May - September

Financial Accounts 2013/2014Financial Performance in the year ended 31 March 2014

2013-14 Severn Centre £

Grants 14.65% 46,546

Donations 4.05% 12,880

Management Services fees 17.31% 55,000

Membership subscriptions 11.96% 37,983

Swimming pool 6.50% 20,645

All other centre activity 20.17% 64,079

Food & beverages 8.22% 26,108

Lease income 10.79% 34,267

Recovered service charges 6.35% 20,183

All other income 0.01% 24

Total income 100.00% £317,715

2013-14 Severn Centre £

Staff costs 35.73% 136,011

Gas, electric & water 13.55% 51,576

Repairs & grounds maintenance 3.49% 13,303

Other property costs 5.77% 21,981

Swimming pool 8.10% 30,848

Food & beverages 4.29% 16,347

Administration costs 5.11% 19,447

Halo management fee 5.91% 22,500

Charity administration costs 0.98% 3,728

Depreciation charges 17.06% 64,929

Total expenditure 100.0% £380,670

2013-14 Severn Centre Total Income £317,715

2013-14 Severn Centre Total Expenses £380,670

Grants 14.6%

Donations 4.0%

Management Services fees 17.3%

Membership subscriptions 12.0%

Swimming pool 6.5%

All other centre activity 20.2%

Food & beverages 8.2%

Lease income 10.8%

Recovered service charges 6.4%

All other income 0.0%

Staff costs 35.7%

Gas, electric & water 13.5%

Repairs & grounds maintenance 3.5%

Other property costs 5.8%

Swimming pool 8.1%

Food & beverages 4.3%

Administration costs 5.1%

Halo managment fee 5.9%

Charity administration costs 1.0%

Depreciation charges 17.1%

Income Expenses

The Severn Centre, Bridgnorth Road, Highley, Shropshire, WV16 6JG

Please scan this code on your smart phone app, and visit our website.

01746 860 000 info@severncentre.co.ukwww.severncentre.co.uk

If you have any enquiries, comments or feedback we’d love to hear from you.

An eye to the future...

Our commitment to a healthy futureThis year has been incredibly successful, but we need to build on this by continuing to improve what we offer the public, and by partnering other organisations with shared goals and who are equally committed to the community’s health and wellbeing.

We have developed an ambitious business plan in co-operation with key stakeholders - Shropshire Council and Highley Parish Council. The Board has also set up a Future Opportunities committee to research and effi ciently develop new projects.

Our commitment to better healthWe are excited to be developing plans to work more closely with the public health sector, supporting initiatives like smoking cessation and weight management and offering health and fi tness support to those referred by their GP as they tackle health issues or recover from illness or injury.

Our commitment to social inclusion and outreachThe library will increasingly support job seekers with easy access to IT, research and information. We are also delighted to see Meals on Wheels service combining with a mobile library service. We’ll be seeking out ways to work more closely with the elderly and vulnerable in the community by liaising with local care homes, churches, community and religious groups.

Our commitment to great serviceIn the coming year we’ll be updating gym equipment at the Centre and introducing personal training for those visitors who want support in leading a more physically active life. The advice and guidance of our fi tness professionals will support local residents to achieve their personal goals, be it to manage their weight, run a marathon or get back on their feet (and on the treadmill) after illness or injury.

Our commitment to promoting physical activityWe hope to see more great sporting events (like the Highley Sprint Triathlon) at the Centre and will be working with Sports National Governing Bodies to support initiatives aimed at getting people to be more active more often.

Our commitment to the environmentWe are now looking into generating solar electricity from a ‘solar photovoltaic array’. At a similar sports building run by Halo Leisure (who support our Board here at the Severn Centre) this has enabled them to successfully reduce their consumption of grid electricity.

Our commitment to volunteersAs a result of a growing interest in volunteering - one of the many wonderful legacies of London 2012 and Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014 - the Severn Centre will roll out a programme of volunteer opportunities for those who want to get involved in sport, learn about coaching, or just help their community in this unique way.

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