Sustainable Futures – Coordinator Role
Job Description:
1) Market Research from an extensive database of more than 1200 names on a waiting list for participation in circus workshops offered by BCCS
2) Negotiating and selling sponsorship packages with new and existing clients
3) Establishing an effective mechanism for enrolling large numbers of members into classes and taking money for subscriptions
4) Development of the capacity to deliver an expanded programme of circus workshops for general public
5) Researching and developing new products for the corporate and commercial marketplace – Birthday parties, Hen Parties etc
5) Devise and deliver a marketing strategy to maximize sales of new and existing products – workshops corporate packages etc
6) Establish most competitive prices for new and existing products
Person Specification
Applicants must have:
1. A strong understanding of participatory circus in general and youth circus in particular
2. Experience of negotiating and securing private sponsorship
3. Confident and outward going – must be confortable cold calling strangers
4. Excellent written, verbal communications and presentation skills
5. Extensive experience of using a range of databases, in particular Maximiser Database
6. Experience of setting up and operating online payment systems and membership databases
7. Evidence of successfully running a marketing campaign.
8. Experience of developing and implementing marketing and communications strategies for programme/ organisation profile raising and awareness.
9. Must be able to work under own initiative with more than 1,000 potential members to be contacted, questioned and potentially engaged in delivery of this programme
10. Flexibility to work unsocial hours when required.
11. Establishing a business model for corporate workshop which will deliver significant surplus to be invested back into community engagement programmes
12. Creating sponsorship models to support investment by businesses to enable BCCS to offer bursaries and to deliver community engagement projects
13. Devising and delivering an extensive marketing and sales strategy to ensure maximum uptake of all classes and services offered through this initiative.
OTHER INFORMATION
1. Work Hours
This position is Temporary, 37 hours per week to run from June 2016 to December 2016.
2. Rate of pay
£11,625 for June to December 2016
3. Place of Work
This position will be based at the company’s office at 23 Gordon Street, Belfast, BT1 2LG.
4. Funders
This post will be funded for 6 months from ACNI Sustainability Programme.
5. Expenses
Reimbursed by prior agreement (where reasonably incurred and properly documented). Approved mileage for work-related travel will be reimbursed monthly subject to an approved claim form.
6. Annual Leave
This position is entitled to 25 annual leave days and 11 statutory leave days pro-rata. No overtime is paid. Employees who work in excess of their contracted hours will be entitled to Time off in Lieu (TOIL) in agreement with their Line Manager.
7. HOW TO APPLY
a) This is an email ONLY application process. Hard copies will not be accepted.
b) All applications must include an up-to-date CV and a two page application/statement outlining why the candidate is suitable for the Sustainable Futures Role and how they will approach this role.
c) The Application Form should be completed and returned to:
d) It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that applications are completed as fully and concisely as possible based on the Job Description, Criteria and Person Specification supplied.
e) It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure receipt of the completed form by by 4pm on 13/6/2016
f) Late applications will not be considered.
g) Interviews will take place the week commencing 27/6/2016.
h) The interview will be partly practical; a brief will be supplied in advance.
8. Safeguarding Policy
In line with the company’s Safeguarding Policy this position is subject to AccessNI check.
Full adherence with this process will be requested in the event of a successful application. AccessNI are the checking body in Northern Ireland for disclosure applicants.
For background information on the company please visit our website at www.belfastcircus.org
Details of Sustainability Proposal
for
Belfast Community Circus School
Background to Sustainability Project
Now in its 30th year of operations, the Belfast Community Circus School has grown into one of the largest participatory arts organisations in Northern Ireland delivering regular weekly circus workshops for 450 children and young people each week. With an international reputation for provision of quality youth and social circus experiences, BCCS has a waiting list of nearly 1200 young people wanting to take part in classes. BCCS also has a pool of more than 25 of the most experienced and highest trained circus trainers to deliver a range of circus learning experiences for beginners and advanced participants alike.
In 2013, Belfast Community Circus School received a Capacity Building Grant of £8,000 from Arts Council Northern Ireland in order to address a number of issues critical to strengthening the organisation and delivering additional classes for young people and corporate clients.
One of the major issues the report looked at was how it might be possible to deliver circus for the young people on waiting lists for classes without the prospect of public subsidy being available for additional provision. The report also identified a number of commercial products for the leisure and corporate markets which were offered by other circus companies in the UK and which could be provided by BCCS.
Outline of Sustainability Project
BCCS will undertake a series of actions to lay the foundations for the delivery of a significant volume of self financing circus classes for a wide range of participant groups (Itty Bitty; Youth Circus; and Adult Circus) in addition to what is currently delivered by BCCS. The primary means will be information gathering to assess the extent of demand across Belfast and to determine the prices and places people will be prepared to pay and travel to take part in high quality circus experiences.
The project will also develop, market and deliver a range of new products involving circus learning for the corporate and commercial marketplace and sponsorship packages for the corporate sector. Both of these elements aim to raise surplus unrestricted revenue, which will be used to support work undertaken by BCCS to engage with disadvantaged communities and young people.
This Sustainability project will identify and cost a number of temporary hired premises in which to deliver a year round programme of fee paying participatory classes and to establish a new sustainable model for expanding services to test and meet demand around Greater Belfast without cost to the public purse.
The project will deliver effective marketing for the newly developed range of corporate and commercial products, which will generate surplus revenue to support work with disadvantaged young people. The project will build relationships with the corporate sector to secure investment in a range of sponsorship packages supporting work with disadvantaged young people and communities.
This project will engage the services of an individual employee on a short term contract basis to conduct research; compile promotional materials; carry out marketing; and to introduce a streamline sales and bookings system.
Elements of Sustainability Project
The project will involve
● Identifying price points for commercially viable circus classes to address the strong demand for Youth Circus and Itty Bitty Circus (This will build on the work undertaken in the Capacity Building Report)
● Identifying affordable and accessible locations to deliver youth and corporate classes outside of the Circus School in Gordon Street (which is already at capacity).
● Researching and developing new products for the corporate and commercial marketplace (to include teambuilding, Birthday packages and Hen packages)
● Identifying the most appropriate company model for delivering new products and classes
● Establishing a business model for corporate workshop which will deliver significant surplus to be invested back into community engagement programmes
● Creating sponsorship models to support investment by businesses to enable BCCS to offer bursaries and to deliver community engagement projects
● Devising and delivering an extensive marketing and sales strategy to ensure maximum uptake of all classes and services offered through this initiative.
● Establishing an efficient mechanism for enrolling significant numbers of new people into classes and taking money for classes
● Additional administration for the project will come from the Director, Outreach Officer and Administrator from BCCS paid for out of donations to the organisation.
Outcomes of Sustainability Project
This would lead to
● Expanded delivery of an extensive ongoing programme of circus classes at no long term cost to the public purse.
● Development and delivery of a range of products suitable for the corporate marketplace
● Securing a range of sponsorships to support the work of BCCS with disadvantaged young people and communities
● The delivery of additional outreach classes through investing profits from corporate sales and partnerships
● Increasing participation in, and access to, the arts
● Enabling significantly larger numbers of young people taking part in circus arts activity at no long term cost to the public purse.
● Generation of higher levels of earned income leading to lower percentage of funding as a proportion of turnover
● Increased paid employment for artists and trainers
Outputs of Sustainability Project
● Delivery of 144 sessions of weekly classes for more than 300 participants each year
● Development of 3 new corporate and commercial products
● Marketing materials for classes, corporate and commercial products
● Provision of services to 8 companies in first 12 months and 20 companies in the next 12 months
● Total income raised through charges totalling £41,360 in first full 12 months of operations and £51,560 for the second 12 month trading period.
● Sponsorship worth £7,000 generated in the first 12 months and a further £12,000 in the following 12 month period
● Employment for artists and trainers totaling £60,160 over 2 years
● Sponsorship of £19,000 plus a surplus of £2,640 invested over 2 years into outreach projects for disadvantaged young people and communities
Timetable for Delivery of Sustainability Project
June 2016: Proposal receives green light and funding from Arts Council of Northern Ireland
June 2016
BCCS Director finalises recruitment package for 1 new temporary staff member
Recruitment process approved by ACNI
June 2016
Interviews and appointment for the short term temporary appointment
Work commences on venue research, pricing, developing corporate products, developing sponsorship packages, marketing and sales
October 2015
Research is complete and a report is presented to BCCS Board with recommendations from the Director regarding venues, prices and products to adopt and promote.
November 2016
Marketing materials created and marketing/ PR campaign commences for launch of new classes and new commercial and corporate products
Sponsorship packages created and target companies identified to seek sponsorship
November/ December 2016
Recruitment and sign up for new classes takes place
Sponsorship packages offered to companies
January 2017
New classes commence delivery in 1st new location
January 2017 onwards
Sponsorship packages delivered and continue to be offered to new businesses
Delivery of new commercial and corporate products such as Teambuilding Workshops; Birthday Packages etc
Ongoing assessment and review of success of new classes; popularity of new venues; effectiveness of corporate products; and attractiveness of sponsorship packages.
February 2017
Delivery of a report to BCCS Board and ACNI Officer detailing:
● number of people participating in additional provision over the course of the year
● additional revenue generated through this activity
● cost of maintaining this provision into the future
● recommendations about which elements of the project to retain, which elements to increase and which elements to reduce or cut due to long term sustainability
● projections for the next 12 & 24 months of classes, corporate packages & sponsorship
● financial forecast for the project to continue as an autonomous unfunded strand of work for the period 2018-2020