Carole Banwell joined Bath City FC as the club’ s full-time general manager in March 2017. Her role includes creating new revenue streams for the club and building relationships across the city. |
“ Gates are already up 34 % on two seasons ago and the buzz around Twerton Park right now is infectious” |
The Big Bath City BID was a huge success exceeding the target of £ 300k. Tell us more about it.
After over two years of hard work, fundraising and negotiation we completed the refinancing in May 2017, which meant that the people of Bath and wider community acquired a majority stake in Bath City Football Club. It provided a firm financial footing, citywide engagement, a new business plan designed to assure financial sustainability – as well as a burst of creative energy that has invigorated the club.
What are the biggest changes you’ ve made?
We’ ve done deals which have brought Cross Fit Bath gym, Action for Children nursery and webuyanycar. com to Twerton Park, creating new, guaranteed monthly revenue streams – and bringing new faces to Twerton. These arrangements have achieved a 70 % minimum occupancy rate in our Randall’ s, Charlie’ s, TR Hayes and John Reynolds( Western) Limited lounges and bars, and naturally these continue to be available for private functions and training and conference as well.
Fan engagement has generated a powerful and engaging marketing campaign that includes free tickets for school children, attendance at school fetes with our inflatable beat-the-goalie, a consistent‘ Kick Off Your Own Tradition’ branding campaign that has been seen on buses, roadsides and in shop windows, and an innovative # StarsinStripes social media campaign enticing local celebrities such as Olympic gold medal winners Amy Williams and Jason Gardener – not to mention TBE’ s very own Anita Jaynes and Sian Swift!- to take to Facebook, twitter and Instagram proudly wearing their Bath City shirts. None of this was happening two years ago before the community takeover, when just 379 turned up for one of our opening matches of the season.
Bath has always been known as the city of rugby, how are you changing this perception?
The success of the marketing of the profileraising activities mentioned above has persuaded more people to give the footy a try and they are invariably surprised at the quality of the football, and charmed by the family feel of the atmosphere when they get here. Gates are already up 34 % on two
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seasons ago and the buzz around Twerton Park right now is infectious!
How are you engaging with the local community?
As a community-owned club engagement with that community is key for us. We try and ensure that at every home game there is some kind of community or charity presence and profile-raising activity. For instance the
The Business Exchange’ s Sian Swift and Anita Jaynes
Stroke Association came along to a match recently and took fans’ blood pressures. The report the Association generated from the day’ s testing indicated that they had been able to refer a small number of those fans for urgent medical attention, and it’ s great for us to think that this simple visit may have helped to save lives. In addition we’ ve given( since December 2017) approaching £ 5000 of free room and / or equipment hire to local charity / community and other 3SG groups; we’ ve joined in the recent Dream Big Twerton coaching project, reaching out to very disadvantaged families in the area, and the Community Play Bus attends the club car park once a week in term time providing free play activities to local toddlers.
With the new season just starting what are your hopes for the club this year?
We’ re looking forward to continuing to build on our first season’ s work, both commercially off the pitch – and from a footballing perspective on it. Enhancing the matchday
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experience with the food and beverage choice – something which started with our Bath Ales partnership this time last year – remains a priority, as does further increasing the room occupancies. On the pitch, promotion to the National League is a real prospect as manager Jerry Gill successfully implements the modern, attractive, free-flowing style of football that Twerton Park regulars are starting to become familiar with.
What’ s next for Bath City FC and Twerton Park?
We are working with Greenacre Capital to redevelop part of the site to provide new sports facilities, improved commercial space and a community hub. The scheme could also include the regeneration of the parade of shops on the High Street in Twerton, as well as reduced income housing, an element of Purpose Built Student Accommodation – and even a 3G artificial pitch. The redevelopment is crucial in securing the future of Bath City FC. Despite the community buy-out the Club still has debts to clear and is running at a loss, so we must create sustainable income streams if we are to remain at Twerton Park long-term. Not only will the project make Twerton Park a 7-day-a-week destination, but will, we believe create a real and muchneeded improvement for Twerton, helping it to reconnect with the rest of the city.
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