BGL Team Newsletter - Q1 2024

BGL Team News

TOP STORIES / CEO UPDATE / LATEST NEWS / SUPPORT OFFICE

BGL AWARDS FOR 2023

27

There's nothing like celebrating our people. In February, we hosted the BGL Awards night at Aldwickbury Park GC in Hertfordshire. This annual event is our opportunity to highlight the fantastic work done by members of our teams across the entire business.

Continued on page 4.

ADVENTURE LEISURE ANNOUNCES ‘LUCKY’ 13TH MULLIGANS OPENING IN HEMEL HEMPSTEAD.

Adventure Leisure’s latest Mulligans venue is set to be spread across 15,000 sq. ft. packed with one 18-hole crazy golf course, pool tables, electro-darts oches, shuffleboard tables, and Adventure Leisure’s largest arcade gaming area to date. All activities will be supplemented by a food and beverage offering.

Continued on page 21.

CONTENTS PAGE

CEO UPDATE

From Colin Mayes

BGL Awards For 2023

ADVENTURE LEISURE

Mulligans Hemel Hempstead Opening

Valentine's Limited Edition Cocktails

'Bunking Bad' Course Update - Swansea

Dylan's 75 Hard Challenge

SUPPORT OFFICE

Our 5th Year Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week

An Update On The HRIS Project Introduction to Paul

NINJA LEISURE

Women's Wellness Sessions at Ninja

Warrior UK Milton Keynes

Gladiators & Blue Peter Visit Total Ninja

BGL UPDATE

Financial Update - Jim Conlan

BGL GOLF

The Switch From Plastic To Cardboard

Water Bottles

Burhill GC - Reservoir Project

Birchwood Park GC - Sustainability Drive

Thornbury GC - Welcoming Caroline

Williams, New General Manager

Thornbury GC - Bat Boxes

Birchwood Park GC - New Cancer

Warning For Men

Hoebridge GC - Employee Of The Year

Redbourn GC - Prostate Screening

Birchwood Park GC - Congratulations Tom

Shropshire GC - Telford Crisis Support

Wycombe Heights GC - Employee Of The Year

Ramsdale Park GC - Two-Year Apprentice

Ramsdale Park GC - New Kitchen

Ramsdale Park GC - Over 40K Raised in 2023

Ramsdale Park GC - GCAE

Aldwickbury Park GC - Special Shoutout

Shopshire GC - Hitched Award

Abbey Hill GC - EV Charging Points

Redbourn GC - Local MP Daisy Cooper

Visits

Thornbury GC - Sempai Mark Brooks

CEO UPDATE

Colin Mayes

Dear Colleagues,

First and foremost, I would like to thank you all for your hard work and efforts throughout 2023, it was a very tough year for almost all businesses in the UK. The economic landscape was very challenging throughout all of 2023 with inflation topping over 10%, mortgage rates at their highest for nearly 15 years and a very volatile energy market which cost the group an additional £1.6m compared to 2022. All these economic issues impacted our customers one way or another, leading to last year being very challenging for us all.

Despite these very strong headwinds, our business performed well. The golf division had another record year with memberships being very strong and the demand for golf generally very positive throughout all our golf clubs. The recent investment into our driving ranges and particularly the investment in 2023 at Thornbury and The Shropshire has proved to be very successful in bringing new customers to these businesses. We have also continued our investment programme with many clubs refurbishing areas, ensuring we keep our standards high and

making sure our customers see upgrade improvements happening at all our venues.

Last year was a tougher environment for the Adventure Leisure (AL) and Ninja Warrior (NW) businesses, as young families did feel the hard economic pressures bearing down on them probably more than any other market segment. It was unfortunate that AL and NW didn’t make their budgets for the first time, but the business still performed well and there have been some businesses that did manage to achieve their targets which was very encouraging.

We are now entering the last month of the first quarter of 2024, and I am delighted to report that the whole group managed to beat its budget for January which can be a very hard month for us all. Thankfully the weather was reasonably kind albeit very, very wet, and thankfully no snow, which often closes our golf business. February has also been positive and whilst we do not know the full financial picture at the time of writing, we are cautiously optimistic that we will be very close to our budget for the second month of the year. Therefore, putting us in a strong position to achieve our targets for the first quarter ending March 2024.

In this issue of the newsletter, we are celebrating one of the highlights of the BGL calendar year when we celebrate the successes with many of you at Aldwickbury Park Golf Club in Harpenden, Hertfordshire. It’s one of my favourite nights of the whole year as we invite each of our General Managers to bring along colleagues as guests to celebrate what we all did well. We always start by honouring our employees

of the year voted by each of their venues and it was my pleasure to present them with their certificates and write to them afterwards thanking them for their efforts. You will see from the pictures of the night that a great time was had by all who attended, including family directors and nearly every senior team member involved with our business.

BGL will grow again this year with new openings being scheduled at Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire and Guildford, Surrey and we are already in discussions with other landlords about further sites in our target areas. The business is also investing in its business systems this year to make sure we maintain progress with many of our back-of-house support activities and we have budgeted for several other internal improvement plans at many of our sites. 2024 will be another exciting year for the group and I am looking forward to keeping you all informed of the progress we make as we go through 2024.

Thank you all for your continued support and hard work.

Best wishes

Colin Mayes CEO

BGL AWARDS FOR 2023

There's nothing like celebrating our people. In February, we hosted the BGL Awards night at Aldwickbury Park GC in Hertfordshire. This annual event is our opportunity to highlight the fantastic work done by members of our teams across the entire business.

We were delighted to re-live the successes of our Golf, Adventure Leisure Ltd, and Ninja Leisure Ltd divisions with an evening of entertainment.

On the golf division side, individual employees of the year were crowned, congratulations to:

Sam Norman, Abbey Hill

Lisa Lloyd, Aldwickbury Park

Bradley Meager, Birchwood Park

Manuel Fernandes, Burhill Golf Club

Naomi Wye, Hoebridge

Josh Quigley, Ramsdale Park

Ian Hughes, Redbourn GC

Stuart Wharam, The Shropshire

Nathan Bateman, Thornbury

Mark Henley, Wycombe Heights

Burhill Golf Club was also recognised for its collective team performance, and a special shoutout goes to Nick Moran, Burhill Golf Club GM, for collecting the accolade of General Manager of the Year for BGL Golf.

Individual employees of the year were also crowned for Adventure Leisure and Ninja Leisure, huge congratulations and well done to:

Peter Myers, Mulligans Basildon

Elizabeth Hutchins, Mulligans Bournemouth

Maxine Greenwood, Mulligans Cheltenham

Paula Sartorius– Mulligans Milton Keynes

Sarah Brooks, Sidcup Family Golf

Connor McGrath, Mulligans Stevenage

Hannah Lloyd, Mulligans Worcester

Craig Ali, Bunkers Swansea

Leah Ashley-Laws, NWUK Milton Keynes

Will Jackson, NWUK Southampton

Tanya Khan, NWUK Sheffield

Kay Shakes, NWUK Swansea

Kyle Pacheco, Total Ninja Manchester

A big mention to Richard Byrne, GM, for winning the award for General Manager of the Year for Ninja Warrior UK & BUNKERS.

Special Shout out to Mark Henley for winning Employee of the year for three years in a row at Wycomber Heights.

Finally, a massive congratulations to Support Office employee of the year Robyn Russell-Hughes!

See the full list of winners below:

Golf Division Award Recipient

Health & Safety Standards 2023 Redbourn GC

HR Standards 2023 Ramsdale Park GC

Financial Standards 2023 Birchwood Park GC

Greenkeeping Team of the Year 2023 Burhill GC

Best Net Promoter Score 2023 Ramsdale Park GC

Sales team of the Year 2023 Abbey Hill GC

Food & Beverage Team of the Year 2023 Ramsdale Park GC

Retail Team of the Year 2023 Burhill GC

Operating Profit Performance 2023 Birchwood Park GC

Sustainability Champion 2023 Redbourn GC

BGL in Bloom 2023 Redbourn GC

General Manager of the Year 2023

General Manager of the Year 2023

AL - Richard Byrne, Swansea GD - Nick Moran, Burhill Golf Club

AL & NL Leisure Awards Recipient

Health and Safety Standards 2023 Mulligans Bournemouth

Food & Beverage Standards 2023 NWUK Swansea

HR Standards 2023

Mulligans Stevenage

Best Financial Standards 2023 Mulligans Stevenage

KPD Champion 2023 BUNKERS Swansea

Sales Growth Performance 2023 Mulligans Cheltenham

Best Net Promoter Score 2023 Mulligans Tonbridge

Customer Service Standard 2023 BUNKERS Swansea

Operating Profit Performance 2023 Mulligans Milton Keynes

Sustainability Champions x 2 Mulligans Stevenage

General Manager of the Year 2023

Richard ByrneBUNKERS & NWUK Swansea

BGL AWARDS FOR 2023

BURHILL GROUP LIMITED - FINANCIAL UPDATE

Group Revenue 2019 - 2023

BGL GOLF

Financial Update

BURHILL GROUP LIMITED - FINANCIAL UPDATE

The Burhill Group delivered a record-breaking year for sales in 2023. Total revenue increased by +11.4 % to £60.9m which was the third year of positive post-covid positive trading trends.

This result includes the best ever performance in the Golf Division, coupled with continuing growth in the 14 site Adventure Leisure golf business including 3 new locations, and the 5 site Ninja business with a full year’s trading from the 3 openings in 2022. The Leisure business now makes up 38% of sales, demonstrating the success of the Group’s diversification strategy.

Our philosophy of continuous investment in business facilities and team members to secure the highest possible standards for the benefit of members and customers continues to yield success.

The 2023 capital investment programme included new professional golf shop facilities at Burhill Golf Club, together with ongoing investment at our 10 UK golf locations in the Clubhouses, Golf Courses and equipment.

At Birchwood Park Golf and Country Club, we improved our Health and Fitness offering by upgrading of health and fitness equipment to the state of the art. Golf and Leisure investment in 2023 totalled £10m.

Our strategy to invest in Trackman driving ranges continued to add an extra dimension to the golf driving range experience by attracting new customers of all ages to enjoy the enhanced leisure experience of range golf, games and quality food and drink in an informal and relaxed environment.

Due to the negative effect of excessive cost inflation , including an additional £1.5m of electricity price hit, the Group’s 2023 audited Profit Before Tax will be significantly below 2022 but it is expected to grow back strongly when economic conditions improve.

Continuing investment and the positive revenue trends noted are expected to yield future growth for the benefit of the Group, its Employees and all other Stakeholders.

Planning for the long-term sustainability is also a key priority and sustainability strategies are being developed with the aim of Burhill Group being the first “net zero” UK leisure business.

BGL GOLF

BGL Golf

FROM PLASTIC TO CARDBOARD BOTTLESBGL

Across the golf division, we are taking a significant step in our pursuit towards sustainability, by switching out single-use plastic water bottles for the 100% recyclable ‘Water in a Box’ – in multiple flavours.

Water in a Box has been created to encourage people to change their habits when buying packaged spring water and to opt for cardboard instead. The carbon footprint of our packaging is significantly lower than that of a PET bottle, glass, or aluminium can, and the cap is also made from a biopolymer derived from sugarcane.

Annually, the group sells in excess of 50,000 bottles of water, so by switching from plastic to ‘Water in a Box’ we will be able to produce a massive shift in reducing the amount of single-use plastic sold and drunk at our venues.

BURHILL GC NEW 2ND RESERVOIR PROJECT

Burhill Golf Club is ramping up its sustainability efforts on the journey to net zero, with focus on BGL’s seven-step sustainability plan. One of the biggest projects within our strategic plan covers sustainable water management – in other words, sustainable irrigation of our courses.

Burhill currently has a 40,000 m3 reservoir and with the ability under license to draw water from the Environment Agency, we actually have a total license capacity to draw and store 72,000 m3 – sufficient for both courses throughout the summer months.

The benefit of this increased capacity is that the courses would not ‘burn off’ in periods of extreme heat. Approximately 45% of clubs still rely on mains water to irrigate their courses, and clearly, as time progresses, this practice will come to an end.

The club has submitted a planning application for a new 34,000 m3, second reservoir to be constructed adjacent to the current reservoir. We have diligently undertaken an enormous amount of work to support the application, covering all manner of reports, including Arboriculture, Ecology, Archaeology, Landscaping, Flood Risk etc.

One of the biggest areas of discussion is the creation of a biodiversity net gain. Put simply, building a reservoir makes a mess of the existing land on which it’s built. Our duty is to replace this lost flora and wildlife habitats and commit areas for tree planting and grassland planting for the next 25+ years around the Burhill Estate – which we have gladly agreed to.

Continued on the next page.

BURHILL GC NEW 2ND RESERVOIR PROJECT

BGL GOLF

BGL Golf

BIRCHWOOD PARK GCSUSTAINABILITY DRIVE

Birchwood Park G&CC in Kent continues to drive sustainability with the implementation of two brandnew initiatives. As well as calculating ways to reduce plastic consumption and usage, the club has also partnered with the local Woodland Trust to plant new woodland areas.

Birchwood Park has taken a huge step towards reducing plastic use in its Health and Fitness club with the installation of new swimwear spin drying machines in both sets of changing rooms. The new dryers will allow the club to totally eradicate the need for plastic kit bags to transport swimwear after use –forecasting a saving of 57,000 plastic bags per year. This process will also slash single-use plastic from the facility.

Out on the golf course, Birchwood Park has continued its embrace of sustainable initiatives by partnering with the local Woodland Trust, whose Morewoods Scheme sets out to boost productivity, resilience and the health of the environment.

Under the Morewoods Scheme, Birchwood Park has set about planting two new woodland areas on the 12th and 13th holes. In December 2023, the club

took delivery of 900 trees of 300 shrubs of different varieties.

Short-term benefits of the new woodland areas include improving the natural ecosystem, providing a rich wildlife habitat, and rejuvenating the air and water quality in the region. There are numerous benefits for the public, with a clear relationship between enhancing landscapes and mental health and well-being.

Creating new woodland areas is a step towards mitigating climate change, while simultaneously enhancing and preserving a golf course for the future. Allowing new trees to grow and form new woodland areas is a long-term process, and making good decisions now to see the impact in the future is just one example of the club’s long-term sustainability goals.

Above is an example of what the new spin dryers look like.

BGL GOLF

BGL Golf

CAROLINE WILLIAMS - NEW GENERAL MANAGER AT THORNBURY GC

I'm looking forward to kicking my work off and meeting my new colleagues and all the Thornbury members at the club soon.

I’m originally from Stratford-upon-Avon and I now live in a village just outside of Chepstow with my husband and daughter. I previously worked the other side of the bridge, at Chepstow Racecourse, and spent time working for Glamorgan County Cricket Club back when they hosted the Ashes in 2009.

When I’m not at work, I enjoy spending time with my family and looking after my horses. I enjoy sports and regularly get out for a run, and I’ve recently joined a local netball league which I love! My Dad has been a golfer for as long as I can remember and is a committee member back in Stratford, so he is also excited that I am embarking on my own golf chapter!

Please come and say hello if you see me around the club, and I look forward to spending time with you all shortly!

Best Wishes,

Caroline

BAT BOXES COME TO THORNBURY GC!

The greenkeeping team at our golf venue in Bristol, Thornbury Golf & Lodge, has recently installed several new bat boxes made from recycled plastic. The boxes are strategically placed in the garden of the on-site lodge building and surrounding the 10th tee of the Severn View Course.

Positioned four metres above ground level and away from artificial light sources, they provide ideal habitats for bats and will assist in creating improved biodiversity. Bats not only contribute to the diversity of species but also assist in controlling various insect populations by feeding on them. This natural pest management approach reduces the reliance on conventional pest control methods – further aiding sustainability efforts.

BGL GOLF

NEW CANCER WARNING FOR MEN – BIRCHWOOD PARK G&CC

We will be placing urinal mats in all our urinals across the club in February, these lifesaving mats are to put across the message “Blood in your pee? Contact your GP practice”.

Passing blood – even just once – is a common symptom for bladder, kidney, or prostate cancers, which are all among the ten most prevalent cancers in the country, and generally affect men more than women.

Other common symptoms of bladder, kidney or prostate cancer include peeing very often, sudden urges or a burning sensation when you pee, difficulty, a lump or swelling in your back, under your ribs, or in your neck, or pain in the side between the ribs and the hip.

The most important message is to contact your GP if you have any concerns.

Stephen Norton General Manager Birchwood Park G&CC

EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR –NAOMI + EMPLOYEE OF Q4MARINE HOEBRIDGE GC

Employee of the Year –Naomi Wye

As our Administrator, Naomi works across every department to ensure everything is running smoothly. She is always there to help and support others and has made a huge impact on many of our daily processes.

If you ever have a question about your membership, direct debit or event payment then Naomi will be on the end of the phone to help.

Employee of the Q4 2023 –Marine Tabatadze

Many of the tasty cakes that we all get to enjoy at Hoebridge are made by Marine. She is a hardworking and dedicated Chef who always ensures her section runs cleanly and smoothly. With a passion for baking, we are always guaranteed some sweet treats when Marine is in the kitchen.

Please join me in thanking both Naomi and Marine for all of their hard work and dedication.

Sarah Blunden General Manager Hoebridge GC

REDBOURN GC

BGL GOLF

BGL Golf

PROSTATE SCREENING

Prostate Screening Evening – Thursday 7th March

We are proud to be hosting a Prostate Cancer Screening evening here at the club on Thursday 7th March between 16:30-20:00.

Facts about Prostate Cancer

• 1:8 men will get prostate cancer

• It kills a man in the UK every 45 minutes

• Early detection results in a 90% survival rate or cure

• Late detection results in a 90% chance of death

The evening is appointment by booking only, and costs £25.

The tests are PSA tests which only require a blood sample to be taken from the forearm and the results are emailed back to you between 24 and 36 hours after the test.

While the tests are initially open to all males of the age of 40 or over, anyone who wishes to book an appointment who is younger may do so by emailing me and I can ask them to add your name to the list. I would only recommend doing this if below 40, if you have a family history of breast or prostate cancer. Appointments will be limited and focusing on higher-risk ages would be more beneficial to those taking the test.

A statistic from Burhill Golf Club, which recently ran a screening day. Out of 120 men, 13 of those were deemed amber risk, which meant they were recommended to follow up with further testing and monitoring, and seven red, which meant to immediately seek

an appointment with their GP.

Please consider booking an appointment as even if there is only one positive result, it could be a life saved.

Robin Cheng General Manager Redbourn GC

CONGRATULATIONS TO TOM FOR COMPLETING HIS LEVEL 3 PERSONAL TRAINING COURSE

- BIRCHWOOD PARK G&CC

Tom is now available to take on new PT Clients, so if you are looking for that extra support and guidance and want Personal Training please come and see Tom on the gym floor.

TELFORD CRISIS SUPPORT – THE SHROPSHIRE GC

Our clubs continue to inspire with remarkable local charity fundraising activations.

BGL GOLF

BGL Golf

On January 14th, the team at The Shropshire Golf Centre in Telford took part in a charitable Sleep Out. The Staff braved the cold winter weather and slept outside, all with the goal of raising as much money as possible for veterans via the SSAFA - The Armed Forces Charity.

In total, the team raised a phenomenal £1,350 for the SSAFA, through donations from more than 55 different supporters. An amazing effort for what is undoubtedly a fantastic cause.

The team also held collections in December, to provide toys for children and to gather food for a local food bank.

Congratulations to all involved at The Shropshire!

BGL GOLF

TWO-YEAR APPRENTICE –RAMSDALE PARK GC

BGL Golf

NEW KITCHEN – RAMSDALE PARK GC

This month we celebrated Connor passing his two-year Apprenticeship. Connor joined the company as a Kitchen Porter in 2022 and showed quite an interest in moving from scrubbing the plates – to filling them with delicious food! Head Chef Simon put Connor forward and Janice found him a great apprenticeship.

Connor is now working full-time as a Junior Chef and is looking to work his way up the ranks. Congratulations Connor – that hard work paid off!

Connor has created the pathway in which another Kitchen Assistant – Stevie – is now following, and he has started his apprenticeship this month.

After 32 years – it was time to upgrade and update the kitchen at Ramsdale Park. We have gone green and sustainable with an all-electric kitchen!

The sizable investment was well needed and has turned a very tight ageing workspace, into a bright, clean, and flowing kitchen. Going from prepping for events by balancing on beer barrels – to each chef having their own workstation –this kitchen is an absolute game changer and has made us all proud to walk in it!

New equipment means that the kitchen is running more efficiently than ever before and much kinder to the environment.

BGL GOLF

£40K RAISED IN 2023 –RAMSDALE PARK GC

BGL Golf

Ramsdale Raises over £40K in 2023 setting a new target for 2024

Ramsdale Park GC is proud to announce the results of its 2023 charity fundraising efforts, which have set a new benchmark in the club’s longstanding commitment to supporting the local community.

In a year filled with generosity and dedication, the club raised a grand total of £40,000 for its chosen charities, Maggie’s Cancer Care and Emmanuel House in Nottingham – split evenly. This remarkable figure included an impressive sum of more than £10,000 raised within the first three months of the year, and a charity voyage to Everest Base Camp for the Club Captain.

The 2023 Club Captain’s charities benefitting from the fundraising are Maggie’s Cancer Care, a local cancer and family support group, and Emmanuel House, a shelter for the homeless located in the Nottingham area.

The funds were raised through various events and activities, showcasing the club’s determination to make a difference. The annual charity golf day raised an impressive £12,000. Myself and numerous members participated in a ‘Sleepout’ in January, raising more than £4,500 to help build a 20-bed homeless shelter with Emmanuel House and continue to grow awareness about the challenges of homelessness.

Further fundraising events included a ‘Firewalk’, during which participants walked across hot coals to raise £6,000 fir Maggie’s Cancer Care. Club Captain, Sacin Kanaiya also embarked on an extraordinary journey, hiking to Everest Base Camp to raise further funds for the causes.

Additionally, regular fundraising strategies such as football cards, charity golf days, raffles, and various other events, proved to be successful in generating support.

GCAE - RAMSDALE PARK GC

Theresa and Colin attended the GCAE Conference in Malaga in February. Theresa delivered a 45-minute presentation on 'Customer Service, Empathy and Growing NPS Score' within the golf industry.

The conference is a major event for golf industry players of all levels and is a once-a-year opportunity to get up to speed with the latest trends and developments in the European and worldwide golf arena.

The Golf Course Association Europe is a trade association for golf course owners and operators across Europe.

“The nerves were at defcon four, seconds before I had to get on stage and deliver my presentation. Colin must have been feeling flush this month as I offered him £100 to do it for me and he turned me down! Although I had sweaty palms and had forgotten how to breathe – once on the stage I chilled out! I actually found it really easy when talking about a club I absolutely love and a subject I am passionate in.”

Theresa Plimmer General Manager Ramsdale Park GC

BGL GOLF

BGL Golf

SPECIAL SHOUTOUT TO THE F&B TEAM ON THE AWARDS NIGHT

– ALDWICKBURY PARK GC

Thank you to the F&B team at Aldwickbury Park for their amazing work on the night of the BGL awards. Everyone worked as a team to ensure the night ran smoothly, the food was delicious, and everyone had a great night!

BGL Golf

BGL GOLF

HITCHED MARQUEE AND TENT VENUE IN 2024 AWARD – THE SHROPSHIRE GC

The Shropshire have been named winners of the annual Hitched Wedding Awards 2024, and has been crowned as one of the best professional wedding venues in the UK.

Hitched.co.uk, a leading wedding planning platform and part of The Knot Worldwide Inc., has announced the winners of the third annual Hitched Wedding Awards. More than 23,000 wedding vendors registered on the site have all been in the running to win this acclaimed industry title.

The Shropshire is one of the Hitched Wedding Awards 2024 winners in the Wedding Venues category, making them one of the most recommended professionals by newlyweds on Hitched. co.uk.

These awards are based on reviews left by married couples in the past year. The Shropshire received a total of 29 reviews on its online storefront on Hitched.co.uk and a rating of 5.0 out of 5 determined by the couples who planned their weddings with them.

As of today, you can view the award on their Hitched listing, which recognises them as winners of the Hitched Wedding Awards 2024. This badge of honour will serve as a marker of quality to the thousands of couples who use Hitched to book their wedding vendors.

A spokesperson for Hitched said: "Winning a Hitched Wedding Award is not only a great accolade for any business, it also demonstrates the excellent service the vendor

offers to their couples. We’re proud at Hitched to celebrate vendors who go above and beyond, and are helping to make wedding days across the world be unforgettable and special to those who attend.”

This year, with the continued appetite for personalised, unique weddings, these awards were based on over 150,000 couple reviews on Hitched.

With over 23,000 wedding businesses listed in the Hitched directory, the quality of service and level of customer satisfaction delivered by the winners cannot be underestimated. This is why the Hitched Wedding Awards is based entirely on reviews from real couples, who enlisted these professionals to help plan their weddings.

”This award has become an industry reference and a guarantee for couples planning their wedding every year - nearlyweds recognise that a Hitched Wedding Award means that these vendors were truly valued by their previous clients,” the spokesperson added.

https://www.hitched.co.uk/wedding-venues/theshropshire-golf-centre_2451.htm

BGL GOLF

BGL Golf

ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING POINTS –ABBEY HILL GC

Our three new EV charge points (six spaces) at the bottom of the car park are now ready to use. Apologies for the delay, this was a local grid issue and out of our hands. They are provided by BP Pulse, so to use them simply download the BP Pulse App and register an account.

LOCAL MP DAISY COOPER VISIT – REDBOURN GC

Here’s a great example of sustainability engagement in action. The picture below is of Robin demonstrating to his local MP (Daisy Cooper) Redbourn’s sustainability initiatives. At the same time, he explained to her how flooding impacts the club and hopefully in time this will influence resources and management upstream.

What’s really impressive here is the fact Robin is managing to utilise his members and find those all-important local sustainability connections and champions.

BGL GOLF

BGL Golf

SEMPAI MARK BROOKS – THORNBURY GC

Last week, Mark Brooks of Thornbury GC had his 2nd Dan Blackbelt grading in Freestyle Kickboxing. He said: "I have been doing Kickboxing for nine years now and managed to graduate to 2nd Dan because of my ongoing commitment, dedication and discipline to training, sparring and helping the instructors in children's and adult’s classes.

"On the mats, I'm known as Sempai Mark to the students. In my grading, I had to undertake a three-and-a-half hour grading, which at the end included several pressure tests such as lots of full contact sparring and two-on-one sparring, and a Cauldron where I had to spar eight other students and Sensei’s while being battered left, right, and centre."

Adventure Leisure

'LUCKY' 13TH MULLIGANS SET TO OPEN IN HEMEL HEMPSTEAD

Adventure Leisure’s latest Mulligans venue is set to be spread across 15,000 sq. ft. packed with one 18-hole crazy golf course, pool tables, electro-darts oches, shuffleboard tables, and Adventure Leisure’s largest arcade gaming area to date. All activities will be supplemented by a food and beverage offering.

Colin Mayes, said: “I’m thrilled to be expanding one of our most successful brands to its ‘lucky’ 13th venue. It’s incredible to think that a brand which started as smaller outdoor adventure golf courses has evolved in such a short period of time and continues to provide great fun an entertainment to customers.”

Following on from their work on BUNKERS Romford, Adventure Leisure have partnered with leading design agency SHED to elevate the latest iteration of the iconic Mulligans brand.

Andrew Scholey, Operations and Development Director of Adventure Leisure, added: “Following the success of BUNKERS Romford, we are delighted to be continuing our work with SHED; continuing to elevate and grow the Mulligans brand, venue design and customer experience. Our latest Mulligans venue aims to provide a premium experience to all those who walk through our doors. Hemel Hempstead at Jarman Park is set to become our best Mulligans venue to date.”

Set to open this summer, the venue will be the perfect place for families and adults alike. The venue is set to offer a wide range of games to suit all occasions.

Lauren Price, Marketing Manager of Adventure Leisure, said: “Mulligans promises to be a fantastic addition to Hemel Hempstead’s entertainment landscape. We’re thrilled to be offering something new to the local community, as well as supporting the local industry with over 30 new job opportunities. I’m personally counting down the days until we can open our doors.”

Mulligans Hemel is set to become BGL’s 30th venue, and 20th competitive leisure venue from brands including Mulligans, BUNKERS, Ninja Warrior UK, Total Ninja and more.

Adventure Leisure

LIMITED EDITION

VALENTINE’S COCKTAILS

After the success of both the Halloween and Christmas limited edition cocktails across our Mulligans and BUNKERS venues, we decided to give February a bit of love! Our teams came together and created two contrasting cocktails to celebrate the month of love.

Taking a twist on some classics, ‘Sweet Kiss’ consists of vanilla vodka, Chambord and grenadine shaken with orange and cranberry juice. Whereas ‘Love Bite’ gives a little tang with Disaronno and freshly squeezed lime, topped with ginger ale. Both cocktails were served with a little pack of love hearts - the perfect treat for a Valentine’s date.

The coming together of our sites, and giving them a little competition, has sparked something in 2024 for Adventure Leisure, and preparations have already started for the next one… more limited edition cocktails coming soon!

‘BUNKING BAD’ COURSE UPDATE AT BUNKERS SWANSEA

To start the new year off with a bang, a long-awaited feature was added back to one of the courses at BUNKERS Swansea. The ‘Bunking Bad’ hole had many questions asked about how to make the ball go through the camper van, being the main feature of the hole, but until now it was not possible to do so.

That was until Jake Hughes at BUNKERS spent time and effort, both designing and hand-making a new ramp to add that extra little challenge, returning the hole to its former glory. The process was recorded as a time-lapse and posted to the Bunkers Swansea TikTok page which has gone down a storm, take a look at it on TikTok @bunkersuk.

Adventure/Ninja Leisure

DYLAN’S 75 HARD CHALLENGE

Assistant Manager Dylan Du'Verne at Ninja Warrior UK Southampton is currently taking part in the '75 HARD' challenge to fundraise for SANDS, a charity very close to his heart after the loss of his and his partner’s little girl Tahlia in April 2023.

The challenge consists of multiple elements each day; two 45minute workouts, drinking a gallon of water, having a cold shower, reading four pages of a book, a diet of their choice, no alcohol, and progress pictures, proving a real challenge to anyone who takes part.

To Support Dyan in his fundraiser for this worthy cause, please visit his GoFundMe page: www. gofundme.com/f/dylans-75-hard-challenge

For more information about SANDS, support on this topic and ways to get involved, please visit: www.sands. org.uk.

WOMEN’S WELLNESS SESSIONS AT NINJA WARRIOR UK MILTON KEYNES

On February 2nd, Ninja Warrior UK Milton Keynes hosted its first Women’s Wellness Event with local Personal Trainer and Wellness Coach Minniina

Abbott. The first women’s only event for women aged 14 and over that Ninja Leisure has hosted.

The event saw 75+ women attend. The event featured wellness talks, training guidance and personal challenges from personal trainer and host Minniina, as well as free bounce time and a cool-down space for a coffee and a chat.

Minniina Abbott, said: “I am so grateful that Wayne and Ninja Warrior UK Milton Keynes supported me with this idea! I wanted to create an event for women where they can take a moment out of their happy chaos (busy life!), have fun with their friends and perhaps try something new. I would love to show everyone how self-care can be fun and how important it is. We often forget ourselves and put everyone else first, but how can we keep being there for others if we don’t look after ourselves too?

"Self-care isn’t just about getting physically fit. Looking after your mental well-being and surrounding yourself with inspiring and supportive people are also a big part of it. I hope this event will create lots of joy and endorphins for everyone.”

Following on from the success of the event in February, Wayne and Minniina have expanded the event into a series with the next event on March 8th, which happens to be International Women’s Day!

For more information on the next event, you can visit www.ninjawarrioruk. co.uk/mk

Ninja Leisure

GLADIATORS & BLUE PETER VISIT TOTAL NINJA

January saw some impressive visitors join the crew at Total Ninja. Filming for a high-energy Blue Peter segment, Total Ninja Welcomed down Gladiators Atheena ‘Karanjeet Kaur Bains’ and Apollo ‘Alex Gray’ and Blue Peter Presenters Joel Mawhinney and Shini Muthukrishnan.

The Blue Peter Presenters enjoyed coaching and guidance from Ninja Warrior UK contestant and Total Ninja Dean Cheetham [@RetroDeano]. They took on the Gladiators in a race on the incredible fixed obstacle courses!

Support Office

OUR 5TH YEAR CELEBRATING NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK!

National Apprenticeship Week 2024 took place from 5-9 February, to celebrate the value, benefits, and opportunities that apprenticeships bring.

Theme: Skills for Life

The theme this year was “Skills for Life” and through the activities that we planned for the week, we aimed to encourage colleagues to consider how apprenticeships can help them to develop their skills and knowledge for a rewarding career.

A week of feedback, focus and fun

Monday: Sophia and Janice ran a focus group to gather feedback from past and current apprentices.

Tuesday: Hospitality Industry Training virtual roadshow

Wednesday: Myerscough College virtual roadshow and a second Hospitality Industry Training virtual roadshow.

Thursday: BGL Awards Night – A new ‘Apprenticeship Award’ for those who completed an apprenticeship in 2023.

Friday: LinkedIn posts to celebrate the week!

Coming soon

An ‘Apprenticeship Information’ folder packed with useful information about apprenticeships will be making its way to sites soon.

UPDATE ON THE HRIS PROJECT

In the last edition of BGL Team News, Colin’s CEO update included information on the HRIS (Human Resources Information System) Project with the system provider, Access. This project is progressing well and I wanted to share a high level activity timeline with you as follows:

March System training takes place for the Project Team.

April

System testing and data validation is completed by the Project Team.

May

System training takes place for GM’s and Administrator’s remotely. The new Learning Management System goes live with hospitality specific courses available.

June

The new HR Database and Payroll system goes live enabling colleagues to view their personal information and work rota, request their holiday and see payslips in a mobile friendly app.

September

The new recruitment module goes live providing job applicants with a candidate portal to apply for jobs and track their application.

For those of you who would like to take a look at what the system can do, Access have provided a short video for you to watch here

More information will be shared with colleagues in May on how you can log in to use your account. If you have any questions on this project, please contact the People Team via admin.people@bglcompany.co.uk

Support Office

AN INTRODUCTION TO PAUL MAY

Originally from rural Essex, Paul pursued his passion for computing by studying Computer Science at Kingston University. With a career spanning over 20 years, he has dedicated his expertise to the support and administration of IT systems.

Having worked in the sports and hospitality industry for two decades, Paul brings a wealth of experience to the field. He spent 14 years at the Rugby Football Union in Twickenham before joining a multi-site restaurant group based in London. He then became the IT Manager at Wentworth and has been there for the past three years.

Outside of work, Paul enjoys taking city breaks around the UK, as well as engaging in activities like walking and cycling.

Jack

Russell

Natalie

Lauren

Long Service