Whyalla Recreation Centre - Community Impact Report 2018-19 by YMCA South Australia

COMMUNITY IMPACT REPORT

2018/19

Community Impact Report 2018/19

CONTENTS

Leadership Report

Centre Engagement

Leap Takers at Whyalla

Member Stories

Our People

Community Engagement

Facility Snapshot

The Year Ahead

www.whyalla.ymca.org.au

Community Impact Report 2018/19 Community Impact Report 2017/18

The Whyalla TheRecreation Whyalla Centre (WRC) is Recreation proudly owned Centre (WRC) by the City of is proudly Whyalla and owned by the managed by CityYMCA of Whyalla South Australia. and managed

by the YMCA of South Australia.

LEADERSHIP REPORT LEADERSHIP REPORT The City of Whyalla and YMCA South Australia have been working together in partnership for eight to provide and recreational As a years leading charitysporting that builds opportunities support recreation of community health, communitiesinthrough and wellbeing, connectedness and enjoyment of physical activity, we are committed to life. This Community Impact Report outlines working to enrich the of those in our the work undertaken andlives impact achieved community for a stronger and healthier across all levels of the Whyalla community future. this partnership. through The Recreation Centre has contributed WithWhyalla the support of Council, YMCA South to achievingprovides Council’sopportunities strategic objectives of Australia for the improving theto safety, health and wellbeing of our community get active through a range community instilling community pride.atThe of servicesand and programs targeted all benefit to the Whyalla community as a result of demographics within the city of Whyalla. our partnership has been significant.

This report aims to highlight the impact we have had on the community through

Key achievements over the last year include partnering with the YMCA Community Strengthening welcomecollaborations the ‘Leap our programsteam andtoeffective Takers’ group into the Centre time, and and partnerships with localfullcommunity implementation of 24/7 gym access in groups. response to member feedback and to remain competitive with other facilities in Whyalla. After facing These projectsWhyalla’s reflect the economic strong stakeholder downturn, we cometoout the other of relationships andhave relevance all segments sideWhyalla celebrating our successes and the community.

remaining focused and committed to

Despite increased competition, our vision of maximising ourmembership communityand swimming lesson numbers continue connections, engagement and to grow. The Centre enjoyed a sustained participation by the Whyalla participation community. growth rate of 7 per cent in the 2018-19 Together, we want to contribute towards financial year. Direct visits totaled 110,979 in this healthier happier lifestyles in the city period andand this growth resulted in improvement of Whyalla. of our financial performance. We continue to develop and grow our impact on the community through the introduction of new programs and growth in existing ones. Commitment to and connection with the community provides the basis of our strong partnership with the City of Whyalla. Our collaborative approach to build strong people, families and communities continues to benefit the wider community. We are dedicated to working with and for people as we strive to have a positive impact with more people, more often, more deeply.

KNitschke KIMBERLEY NITSCHKE KIMBERLEY NITSCHKE Centre Manager Centre Manager Whyalla Recreation Centre Whyalla Recreation Centre

Community Impact Report 2018/19

CENTRE ENGAGEMENT

110,979 19,842 casual swim

visitors engaged in physical activity at our centre.

1,396

21,896

birthday parties

health and fitness

2,174 Play CafĂŠ

1,098 visit passes

14,964 swimming lessons

3,314 Playclub

42,523 members

3,772 stadium casual & programs

www.whyalla.ymca.org.au

Community Impact Report 2018/19

29% 27% Membership Types 16%

13% 2%

All Access

Active Adults

Concession

Active Youth

Mates Rates

Other

13%

Peak Membership

921

Peak Swimming Lessons Participants

289

Personal Training Attendances

129

LOVED BY THE COMMUNITY Net Promoter Score Detractors (1-6 score) Passives (7-8 score) Promoters (9-10 score)

25 105 243

YMCA Benchmark Score

50 Good Industry Score

25-50 Excellent Industry Score

50+

Community Impact Report 2018/19

LEAP TAKERS AT WHYALLA “The YMCA places a high priority on inclusion and the Whyalla Leap Takers have been welcomed as part of the recreation centre community.”

YMCA South Australia runs the Leap Takers program for people living with disability and the Whyalla group moved from an outdated church hall to the Whyalla Recreation Centre this year. Renovation works at the Centre were undertaken to convert an old change room into a new room with disability-friendly kitchen facilities and open plan working/casual space for clients and staff. Working closely with the YMCA Community Strengthening Team, the Leap Takers moved into the new space and had an immediate positive impact as a permanent fixture in the Centre. Leap Taker clients now use many areas of the Centre including the gym, pools and stadium. Exposure to and inclusion in the wider Centre community has benefited their socialisation and independent living skills. This not only endorses inclusion for all and promotes a key YMCA program under our roof, but also educates members and visitors about living with disability. Whyalla Recreation Centre Manager Kimberley Nitschke said, “The YMCA places a high priority on inclusion and the Whyalla Leap Takers have been welcomed as part of the recreation centre community. We support access across all the community and have made improvements to the centre in partnership with Council, to enable access for the needs of people living with a disability.”

 YMCA SA CEO Haydn

Robins (Far L), Whyalla Leap Takers Coordinator Alison Homes (Far R), Leap Takers support workers Fiona, Catherine, Michelle and David.

www.whyalla.ymca.org.au

Community Impact Report 2018/19

MEMBER STORIES Maz Peterssen Maz is a colourful, vibrant and friendly lady who joined the Centre in October 2018. After the sudden death of her husband, Maz went into hibernation, but after a period of time, she decided that she had to do something to focus her mind on the positives of life and become re-energized – so she joined the YMCA. Maz started coming to the gym five days a week and attended our ‘Strength for Life’ and ‘Active Hearts’ classes, where she made new friends and saw the results of her hard work very quickly. Shane Taylor Shane’s journey at the Centre started eight years ago when he decided to become a member after leaving Edward John Eyre High School, where he was a regular gym user. He is well known around the Centre as a warm hearted, gentle giant and, this year, gave to the community by donating his Member of the Month voucher to the Centre’s Leap Takers disability group. Shane told staff that he wanted to give back as he saw the group every day as he passed by their room. Shane is a regular face at the Whyalla Recreation Centre and has taken an active interest in the progress and development of the Centre over his long association. “Originally I was pretty directionless, aspiring for training more to bodybuilding with an emphasis on strength. I continued (that) for about four years, until I decided I needed a change and that is when I sparked my interest in powerlifting. Since then I have been relishing in the daily challenges of the sport. I am a proud member of the Centre and, even with other gyms opening, I feel the environment and people make the place stand head and shoulders over the rest. I’ve seen the gym improve a lot over the past eight years and I am looking forward to seeing future improvements.”

Maz completely changed her lifestyle by becoming active and following a healthy eating plan, resulting in the loss of 15 kilograms in just a few months. “After my husband passed away my life changed dramatically. I became the proverbial couch potato, not wanting to do anything at all. I weighed an enormous amount and realised that daily tasks had become a struggle – I couldn’t even tie my shoes or lift the kettle. I decided something had to be done, so I joined the gym and some social groups. My sole aim was to make life manageable again and the last few months have seen a complete turnaround. I feel much better in all aspects of my life because I took that first step and joined the gym. I’m so grateful for the trainers - I couldn’t have done it without their support and assistance”.

Brian Hayes At 86 years old, Brian is our oldest member and is proud to walk through the gym sporting his walking stick. He joined the YMCA 10 years ago, originally attending our Strength for Life and Aqua classes. As the years have gone on Brian has become less mobile and now has to forego the classes. While he no longer drives, it has not stopped him coming to the gym. He now makes use of the community transport service DPI to bring him to and from the Centre. Brian follows a healthy eating plan and an easy to follow cardio and light weights program. He credits his visits to the gym with him remaining mobile despite his age. “I loved the classes and was not very happy when it became too hard for me to participate. But I didn’t want to know anything about sitting in a corner and feeling sorry for myself. I have reaped the benefits of staying active and healthy over the years and that’s why I decided to still attend the gym for exercise and also for the social side. Now, I am straddling along with my walking stick, having a little rest in front of the Group Fitness room, then off to the Boxing room, followed by another little rest, then off to the gym area where I do my program. It is taking me longer now to finish my workout, but it is worth it”.

Community Impact Report 2018/19

OUR PEOPLE United staff team One hundred per cent of WRC’s staff team live in the Whyalla community and are committed to making a positive impact on every person who walks through the Centre doors. Given the type and time of work involved, we have a large casual work force made up of predominantly young members of the community, starting their working life with the YMCA. Managing such a diverse staff team and creating a strong, united and team orientated culture is a challenge. WRC is exceptionally lucky to have two strong leaders that have excelled in this environment.

 WRC Centre Manager Kimberley

Nitschke, Operations Director Kristen Beaty, Frontline Coordinator David Agius, Health & Fitness Coordinator Dillian Verdoorn with Olympic Gold Medallists Kyle Chalmers OAM and Madison Wilson OAM at a visit to the WRC for their Strive Swim Clinic.

Operations Coordinator, Kristen Beaty is dedicated to WRC and works tirelessly in both her dedicated role and also as a leader of others, assisting their development and supporting staff throughout the Centre. In addition to her day-to-day role, Kristen initiated and runs our ‘Family Fun Days’ which has allowed the centre and staff to engage with the community even further. WRC Frontline Coordinator, David Agius also leads by example and is a role model to his team. He thinks outside the box and has vastly improved the offerings in the kiosk to incorporate new smoothies, vegan food options and new styles of coffee. David sets a great example to younger staff members and is the ultimate team player.

Star volunteer Rae Watson has been volunteering as an Aqua Aerobics instructor since YMCA South Australia started management of Whyalla Recreation Centre in 2010 and recently won the 2018-19 YMCA South Australia Volunteer of the Year award. Rae has been involved in Aqua Aerobics in Whyalla since the 1990s and volunteers to take classes and assist staff consistently, two to three times per week. A retired teacher, Rae has been an instructor for over 20 years and has a passion for helping others that she now passes on to her participants by promoting mobility and movement to our aging population.

 2019 YMCA South Australia Volunteer of the Year winner, Rae Watson, with YMCA Board Member Robert Prime

The popularity of her classes and the positive relationship she has with participants, has resulted in the formation of long-lasting friendships and fun within the group and across the Centre. Rae acts as the spokesperson for the group and enjoys socialising with the participants at their morning teas after class. Rae is making a lasting impact on the aging community in Whyalla given that for some participants, attending her class is one of the few occasions they have to get out of the house and be stimulated mentally and physically. Having worked in the Centre for many years, Rae has been a key in cementing the Aqua Aerobics component of our Group Fitness Program and ensuring the classes run smoothly in conjunction with all other programs at the Centre.

www.whyalla.ymca.org.au

Community Impact Report 2018/19

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT We see these events as an opportunity for extra connection and socialisation with the community and to promote healthy active living, positivity and generosity.

Green Gecko’s Betsy, a Port Augusta resident, is an avid swimmer who drives to Whyalla twice a week for her 6am swim in our 25 metre pool. Her love of swimming has inspired her to help others and she travels to Cambodia every year to teach swimming to kids in her program called the ‘Green Gecko’s’. Betsy has been doing this for over 10 years and has watched many of these kids grow up and return every year for more swimming fun. In an effort to assist the promotion of the YMCA as a global charity, WRC donates kickboards and goggles to the program, with Betsy passing them on to the kids to use in their lessons. Fundraising Events Our Family Fun days continue to grow and are becoming bigger and better. They are held approximately every three months for a local cause, whether it be a family suffering illness or tragedy, community groups or other worthy causes. We incorporate all parts of the Centre in these events. These include the pool inflatable, extra group fitness classes, a range of kids activities

in the stadium and community favourites such as the sausage sizzle and water slide. We see these events as an opportunity for extra connection and socialisation with the community and to promote healthy active living, positivity and generosity. WRC and Community Groups Regular engagement with the local community is a huge priority for the YMCA in Whyalla and we have developed relationships with a number of different community groups to promote our programs and services. We work with local high schools such as Eyre High School and Samaritan College to assist students with their health and physical education studies, by means of offering supervised gym time and taking the kids through a variety of Group Fitness classes. We are also a favourite of students completing their Certificate III in Fitness through school to complete work experience hours. Having indoor aquatic facilities allows us to work with community groups year round to utilise our aquatic spaces. We have relationships with disability groups such as Novita and Autism SA together with other local groups such as Whyalla Aged Care, Physio Whyalla and Uniting SA.

Community Impact Report 2018/19

WHYALLA RECREATION CENTRE

FACILITY SNAPSHOT 921

PEAK MEMBERS

110,979 CENTRE ATTENDANCE

20,659

GROUP FITNESS VISITS

30%

MEMBER GROWTH ON PREVIOUS YEAR

48%

MALE MEMBERS

WRC continues to make a positive and significant impact on the Whyalla community. In 2018/19 we had over 110,000 visits to the Centre, with over 42,000 member visits. Our services focus on a variety of community demographics, ensuring that we offer something for everyone. We support the local aging population through means of socialisation, independent living and active aging by offering group fitness classes such as Strength for Life, Active Hearts and Aqua Aerobics. The children of Whyalla are looked after with our free member’s child minding service ‘KidsClub’, free memberships for children of members aged under 10, Play Café and YMCA Learn to Swim program. Other assets include our water slide, pool inflatable and stadium sports which are a favourite for youngsters. The aquatic chair lift and new pool steps assist people with disabilities or mobility issues to use the aquatic facilities with ease and disabled change room facilities are also available. Those who love to keep fit can access the gym 24/7 and participate in stadium sports, group fitness classes and utilise the health club facilities.

Everyone can recover from their exercise by swimming in the pools or having a Spa or Sauna. The WRC team takes time to listen to member and visitor feedback to ensure our facility provide services of the highest quality. We take this feedback into consideration when making decisions for improvements or changes to the Centre. This year we have introduced many improvements based on customer feedback including new aquatic pool steps, implementation of our Spin Studio and updates to our menu options to incorporate healthier options. We have also worked with the City of Whyalla on several capital projects to increase the safety and appeal of the Centre. Highlights include the removal of the wall between the 25 metre pool and the spa, new aquatic entry doors, new sauna unit, replaced the pool lane ropes and upgraded the chemical dosing units for all three pools. As the leader of recreational services in Whyalla, we continue to develop our programs and relationships throughout our community. We are committed and determined to provide a safe and friendly facility and a platform aimed at guiding members and patrons towards success for many years to come.

MEMBERS LOCATION

52%

FEMALE MEMBERS

Density <1.25%

>5.0%

www.whyalla.ymca.org.au

Community Impact Report 2018/19

COMMUNITY IMPACT

THE YEAR AHEAD YMCA South Australia is working to become the first ‘organisation’ with full quality accreditation across the country. This will provide WRC with a profile boost through promotion of a guaranteed standard of service and knowledge.

We are confident of growing our already major contribution to the Whyalla community through the means of healthy living, social inclusion and community empowerment. Methodologies contained in YMCA South Australia’s Vision21, City of Whyalla’s Strategic Plan and the WRC Business and Marketing plan build the foundations for our plans for the future. The environment of growth provides challenges. Community expectations strongly focus on improved infrastructure and equipment and a continuous level of quality service. This, coupled with changing market conditions and an aging facility, require us to respond with increased capital investment, innovative product development and flexible delivery of services and programs. In conjunction with the City of Whyalla, these are the main goals that the WRC team will focus on in the year ahead. Specifically, projects planned for the 2019-20 financial year are: • I nvestment in the new fit-out of the Functional Training room – an addition designed to remain competitive with other gyms and provide a variety of training options to support members and overall attendance growth. • I nstalling MyZone – an innovative wearable heart rate based system which turns gyms into socially connected hubs. MyZone amplifies the group exercise experience and provides valuable data for participants, with real time effort intensity displayed to create the ultimate competitive experience.

• D evelopment and growth of our programs, particularly focusing on YMCA Learn to Swim and Leap Takers programs by means of creating stronger relationships with schools and other children’s and community groups. • I mplementation of Reciprocal Rights – this increases the value of a YMCA membership by means of a member’s ability to use other YMCA managed facilities. It promotes engagement with the local community by those who live in metropolitan or other regional areas. It provides an opportunity to boost the local economy and promote WRC as a popular local community asset. • A chieving Fitness Australia accreditation. YMCA South Australia is working to become the first ‘organisation’ to have all of its gyms fully quality accredited by Fitness Australia. • S ignificant investment in upgrading of all strength equipment and spin bikes in the Centre, to ensure equipment is modern and up to date with competitors. • I nvestigation of local and federal grant funding options for upgrades of toilet and change rooms within the facility. Beyond the next 12 months, we have long term goals to update and refresh the aesthetics of the facility to give it a modern feel. Other areas of opportunity include landscaping of the area outside the 25 metre pool and refurbishment of the area directly outside the Centre’s main entrance.

• C apital projects including repairs to the spa pool and refurbishment of the UV system to all three pools aimed at increasing water clarity and quality moving forward. • U pgrade of the Group Fitness room including new flooring and stage for instructors – hence improving the member experience. • I nvestment in electronic signage for the kiosk area to update and modernise the appeal to the community.

WHYALLA RECREATION CENTRE 5 Racecourse Rd, Whyalla Norrie SA 5608 P: 08 8645 5488 E: whyalla@ymca.org.au /WhyallaRecreationCentre