Outcome of the Venue Consultation

OUTCOME FROM CONSULTATION TO UNDERSTAND WHAT NAVENBY RESIDENTS WANT FROM THE VENUE

Need for a Consultation.  Last Summer, Navenby Parish Council commissioned a public consultation to understand what would encourage the residents of Navenby and surrounding villages to make greater use of The Venue, which had been struggling financially post-Covid.  Corporate users such as the NHS were increasingly using virtual platforms for their meetings and there were fewer big bookings such as wedding receptions, so we needed to adapt our business model to make up for this significant loss of income.

Extensive and Positive Engagement.  Surveys were distributed and three public meetings were held in The Venue, at which the Council was able to explain the challenges we were facing in generating income, and local residents were able to suggest what they felt would improve the situation.  The Council was encouraged by the hundreds of constructive responses to the surveys and the positive engagement from the many people who attended the public meetings.

What the Community Suggested.  The most popular proposals were: a community gym; a varied programme of events; a licensed bar to support those events; improved outdoor facilities; and enhanced children’s facilities.  There was much debate about whether a café would encourage people to stay in The Venue after attending activities there, or whether it would create unwelcome competition for businesses on the High Street.

What the Parish Council Won’t Take Forward at Present.  The idea of the community gym was rejected because the Council could not identify a business model that would offer greater income than the known revenue-earning potential of whichever of The Venue’s three large rooms was sacrificed for this purpose.  The café proposal was dropped partly for the same reason and partly because of the concern about creating competition. 

What the Parish Council Has Taken Forward.  The Council has supported the proposal to enhance outdoor and children’s facilities.  We have installed picnic benches adjacent to The Venue’s patio and provide support to the highly successful Friday evening Youth Café, and we would welcome ideas from residents for similar initiatives.  However, the area in which the Council has invested significant resources is the creation of an events programme. 

Creating an Events Programme.  To judge local interest in supporting events at The Venue, Parish Councillors, supported by more than 30 volunteers on the night, planned and delivered last November’s fireworks display.  Ticket sales were slow to start with and we were worried that we would not attract the 400 people needed to cover the cost of the fireworks.  However, as the event drew closer ticket sales accelerated and with the addition of those people who bought tickets on the gate the event was attended by more than 1500 people.  This success gave the Council the confidence to create two paid, part-time Events Manager posts for a one-year trial, which started at the beginning of February.  Their shared role is to plan and deliver a varied events programme that satisfies as many as possible of the suggestions made during the consultation.  So far, they have delivered a live music night, a community meal curry night, and an afternoon tea with live violin music.  The current programme of events is shown below, but this is likely to expand as the Events Managers settle into their role.

Key Elements for Success.  While the Events Managers can do all of the planning work for an event, its success depends on two key elements.  The first is enough people attending the event to at least cover its costs and ideally create a profit.  Events are competitively priced (the curry night cost £9 per ticket for a 3-course meal), so please publicise them to friends and family and encourage them to attend.  The second element is having enough volunteers to help deliver an event on the day, which is critical for larger events such as the fireworks display.  Volunteer roles include, but are not limited to, helping with the bar or kitchen, checking and selling tickets on the gate, running a raffle, setting out and clearing furniture, and acting as a guide for guests.  From personal experience I can assure you that supporting events is fun, but there is also a huge sense of satisfaction when you see a broad cross-section of Navenby residents enjoying an event together.

Mike Burt

Chairman of Navenby Parish Council

Interested in being a Venue events volunteer?

Call Hannah McFaul on 07432 549530

Events Programme at The Venue

(Tickets available through The Venue’s website)