This month we are celebrating 14 years of making a positive difference in the communities we serve across Dorset, Hampshire and London.
Providing great experiences helps to make our communities better places to live, learn, work, play and visit. And we do this by creating opportunities for all; whether it’s to enjoy activity and sports in local leisure centres, or to be enthralled and stimulated at cultural events in theatres, arenas, concert halls and event spaces.
BH Live is a registered charity and social enterprise, which means any surplus we make is reinvested back into the facilities and services we operate – making every single penny go further; providing a double dose of community feel-good factor.
We work in partnership with BCP Council, Portsmouth City Council and Croydon Council to operate some amazing places including Bournemouth International Centre and Pavilion Theatre, Fairfield Halls in Croydon, Littledown Centre in Bournemouth and Mountbatten Leisure Centre in Portsmouth to name but a few – see a full list of venues online.
With help from our fantastic team and lots of other amazing charities, funding bodies, health organisations and professional trade associations, resident partners, event organisers, show promoters, artistes and specialists, it is a privilege to be making such a positive impact.
To commemorate our anniversary, here are just 14 ways we are making a difference:
- As a large employer, we have more than 1,400 colleagues across Dorset, Hampshire and London. Skills and specialisms include coaches, teachers, healthcare professionals, musicians, technical crew, chefs, baristas, tech, HR, marketing and financial experts, programming, facility managers and so much more – the list of roles goes on and we are so lucky to have such a talented team to help us deliver great experiences for all – find out how to join our team online.
- Did you know, every week we are delivering swimming lessons to 6,700 babies, children, young people and adults in pools across Bournemouth and Portsmouth. Our teachers provide more than 500 hours of life-saving skills every week – that’s simply amazing!
- We are enabling more people on lower income, or from underrepresented groups, to get active and enjoy cultural events for less through concession schemes and promotions.
- Our team is helping thousands of individuals who are either living with a long-term health condition or are recovering from an injury, to feel better, stronger and enjoy greater independence with regular activity at specialist fitness classes or with 1:1 support.
- Over the past 12 months we’ve invested in several new inflatable attractions to inspire more young people to be active and have lots of fun at the same time.
- Last year we invested more than £2.2m to breathe new life into leisure centres, theatres and venues making them more enjoyable places to visit and more sustainable for future generations.
- Over the past 12 months we’ve hosted more than 500 cultural events bringing a diverse range of shows, talks, plays, pantos, concerts, dances, rock, pop, operas, ballets, comedy and top-class entertainment right on our doorstep.
- Improving accessibility, we promote relaxed and captioned theatre performances during pantomime season. SEND and relaxed activities are also broadening our reach and our teams are being recognised for the work they do in promoting greater accessibility for all.
- Because we bring people together for large-scale events, whether that’s a gig, concert, conference, networking, exhibition or hospitality-led dinner, we help to generate millions of pounds for the local economy through business and cultural tourism. This also supports thousands of people’s jobs and suppliers in other sectors such as food and drink producers, accommodation providers, shops and retailers, cafes, bars and restaurants and transport.
- We’ve recently invested more than £100K into energy efficiencies to be greener and leaner; working towards our goal of becoming net zero carbon by 2030 and carbon neutral by 2035.
- We are inspiring more than 250 young people to learn a new musical instrument at the only London-based Yamaha Music School at Fairfield Halls in Croydon. This is developing musicians and inspiring future performers.
- Throughout the year we host several free and low-cost community events and open days to make sport and culture more accessible to all – showcasing all the brilliant things for people to see and do to make them feel great – right on their doorstep!
- From yoga to football, and tennis to circuits classes we run hundreds of weekly activities and classes to appeal to all tastes and abilities; encouraging people to move more, stretch more, relax more and discover their full potential through regular activity.
- Our charitable reach extends far beyond our organisation, supporting other national and regional charities too through fundraising, sponsorships, business partnerships, and donations.
Jon Workman, BH Live’s CEO commented,
“I have the privilege of working closely with the BH Live team and our partners, and I see every day the incredible impact we have on thousands of people’s lives. The sheer scale and diversity of our work never ceases to amaze me, and I’m grateful to every member of the team who works tirelessly to make a difference in our communities. I’m also thankful to our partners, whose support enables us to reach even more people. And, of course, as BH Live is a registered charity and social enterprise, I’m immensely grateful to our customers, whose continued patronage allows us to provide exceptional leisure and event experiences, and in turn, help more people in our community to take part. Their loyalty also helps us secure, maintain and grow these fantastic facilities and venues for future generations to enjoy.”
Find out more about BH Live at bhlive.org.uk
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
For more information about BH Live please contact:
Daisy Saunders, PR & Communications Executive
E: press.office@bhlive.org.uk
T: (01202) 055629
About BH Live
BH Live is a leading operator of leisure and event venues; a registered charity and social enterprise that designs and builds engaging experiences to inspire people and enrich lives.
Our social objectives are to:
- Encourage more people to take part in physical activity – by providing leisure facilities to encourage active communities and improve health and wellbeing.
- Attract bigger entertainment audiences – with a diverse range of cultural and artistic events that appeal to a wide variety of tastes.
- Deliver economic benefit – by hosting major conferences, exhibitions and events that benefit the local, regional and international economy.
With more than five million visits a year we are changing lives and are at the heart of the UK’s growing social economy.
For more visit bhlive.org.uk.
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