Affiliated Club Membership Survey 2014 Insights (England) Version 1.0 April 2015 1
Introduction RYA Affiliated Club Membership Insight Pack Within the RYA Sport Development team we are passionate about boating and increasing the number of people who enjoy our sport. We aim to continue to build our knowledge, refine our delivery to clubs and centres and develop our marketing and communications plans in order to be most effective. Increasingly, we need to be conscientious about collecting and analysing data in order to share the very best information and insight we can with our networks. Thereby we plan to more effectively support our partners, volunteers and affiliates to better fulfil our purpose which is: To kindle, nurture and support a life-long passion for boating in all its forms by all groups of participants. In order to achieve our purpose we need the support of our networks, not only to partner with us and deliver our programmes, but also to provide us with relevant and pertinent information and data. In sharing the outputs of the data and information we gather, we hope to work more collaboratively with a wide range of boating providers. We aim to advise and support them to evolve the ways that the sport is delivered, in order to increase boating participation and thereby increase sailing club and RYA membership across the country. Accordingly our aspirational mission is that by 2017 we aim: To have a vibrant, sustainable network of clubs and other organisations in order to make boating more accessible and attractive to all. We have produced this insight pack to share the latest and very best information and evidence to support the trends we see and where relevant our interpretation of what it means with you. We hope that you will consider the information, discuss within your own organisation and refine your offer and delivery to build participation and membership locally. We aim to help you understand and then challenge adverse perceptions, breakdown barriers to participation, best appeal to your target market and once attracted, retain and develop boating participants to enjoy a lifetime within the sport. Where we have interpreted data, information and insights to provide subjective advice and feedback it has been substantiated by actual or anecdotal feedback. You may not agree with all the output or observations, but we hope it will provoke thought and lead to constructive discussions about how to grow your own membership and customer base. The information you provide, enables us to increase our understanding and awareness of what our customers desire. We would like to thank all clubs, volunteers and partners who provide us with data, feedback and information; helping us all to become more informed. 2
RYA Affiliated Club Membership Survey The next few pages provide an insight into the information gathered from the 2014 Club Membership Survey of RYA affiliated clubs in England. The data collection commenced in England on 4 th July 2014 and concluded on the 12 th December 2014, with a response rate of 82%. Clubs were contacted by e-mail and invited to complete the online survey. The total UK membership numbers include responses gathered by RYA Northern Ireland, RYA Scotland and RYA Cymru-Wales during 2013. Part of a structured plan...... Each year we aim to improve the response rate and in 2014 we designed a more user friendly system which should evolve and enable us to feedback the information far more promptly to you. This survey is one element within a more structured plan where we aim to contact clubs annually to request this information, in order that we can build up a picture of club membership trends over time. The 2015 Club Membership Census will commence in June. In addition, every four years, we will ask clubs to complete a more detailed facilities style survey, looking in more depth at issues affecting them such as length of leases or licences, environmental concerns, facilities and equipment. This helps us to align RYA and Sports Council resources to your needs. Independently of the two processes outlined above we will continue to audit each club every four years to ensure they are charged the correct affiliation fee, according to the income they derive from full membership payments. Our intent is that the latter two surveys will be staggered for each club (one every other year) in order that clubs and volunteers are not over-burdened by requests for information from us, worthwhile as this information may be. The rationale.... We believe that by taking this approach we can gather valuable information about affiliated clubs which will enable us to place our support and resources in areas that will help to ensure the future success of clubs in both the short and long term. Collecting this information on a regular basis, will enable us to identify trends and take appropriate action in good time. 3
RYA Affiliated Club Membership Survey 2014 Summary of Findings Figures from the 2014 RYA Club Membership Survey Of the 814 clubs in England, 82% responded to the 2014 RYA Club Membership survey, reporting 231,276 members. The estimated total number of club members in England derived from the respondents in 2014 and backfilled with average club membership for non-responders, was 280,983. Overall this suggests an increase of over 11,500 club members in England, since 2013. The average number of members per club in 2014 was 345, a slight increase on 2013 which was reported as 331. This figure includes National and Channel Island based clubs which (on average) tend to have a proportionally larger membership. The RYA region with the largest average membership is the South with 643, and the smallest are West Midlands and Yorkshire & Humberside with 185 and 189 respectively. 4
The average club membership is 345, when National clubs and those in the Channel Islands are included. However 69% of clubs have a membership of less than this average. 5
* National clubs: those affiliates which are a national association rather than the more typical club structure. E.g. Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) Removing National and Channel Island based clubs, which tend to have proportionally larger memberships, provides a more realistic regional average club membership figure. The 2014 data suggests that average clubs size has therefore increased by 6.7%. In England average club membership is 58% male and 42% female. National clubs and those in the North East have a slightly higher than average proportion of male members, with the South, South West and Yorkshire & Humberside having more equal representation of women as club members. 6
Throughout England around 14% of club memberships are made up of junior members. The East Midlands region has a higher than average proportion of junior club members at 19%, with National clubs having just 1% junior membership. Three regions reported a decrease in junior memberships, the East Midlands, the South East and the South West. The South East reported the largest decrease in junior membership, compared to the South which reported the greatest increase. Clubs in the Channel Islands and National clubs have the smallest proportion of Junior Members. 7
Family memberships were reported in 82% of clubs that responded to the survey. No comparison data is available as clubs were not asked to report on Family Memberships in 2013. 8
Club Membership Trends Overall, 64% of clubs perceived that their membership has remained static or has increased in the period 2012 to 2014, compared with 67% for the period 2011-2013. With 34% of clubs reporting a perception that membership has declined. Clubs in the North West and the East Midlands are most likely to report growing membership, whereas Yorkshire and Humberside and the South East are least likely. 9
Clubs were asked to rate, in order of importance, the top 5 factors they considered have most influenced the increase or decrease in club membership over the past two years. 10
The 2014 survey saw some significant differences from 2013 for the reasons for growing membership. The most significant reason for declining membership was cited as reduced time available rather than the current economic climate. Club Open Days and the RYA s Push The Boat Out programme has been identified as the number two source of membership growth, having not been identified previously. It appears that there is a latent demand for the sport but this needs connecting with local facilities via taster sessions, start sailing courses and provision of club boats to allow those new participants to make a transition into the sport at minimal initial cost. Interestingly, clubs perceiving an increase in membership cited increased youth & junior programmes as an important factor, while clubs reporting a decrease in membership felt that their inability to attract younger members (although not necessarily youth and junior members) was a key factor. With reduction in available time being cited as a significant issue for declining membership, this is seemingly an area for clubs to focus their efforts and discussions. Possible mitigations are: providing a more family friendly offer to engage the whole family in club activities, and giving some consideration to delivering traditional activity in a more time efficient fashion, or exploring provision of activity at a different time, on a different day or in a more creative manner. 11
In 2014, some new questions were added to the survey which will enable us and clubs to consider not only total membership trends over time but also how many members have joined in the last 12 months versus how many have lapsed. Surprisingly a large number of clubs had to estimate these figures (particularly lapsers) as presently many don t keep accurate records of anything other than total membership numbers. We believe understanding not only total membership numbers but the numbers of people who lapse, the average membership lifespan and the propensity of new members to lapse after their first and second years are critically important to understanding how effective a club is at attracting, and retaining new participants and members. The Channel Islands reported the largest (positive) difference between the number of people joining and leaving the clubs, with on average 12 more people joining than leaving in 2014. National clubs reported that membership is declining with on average 4 more people leaving than joined during 2014. Overall in England, more people joined than left clubs during the previous 12 months but the churn (the proportion of total membership leaving per annum) appears quite high (see pg13). 12
The West Midlands and Thames Valley & London regions showed the greatest positive change in membership levels from 2013 to 2014, with the South East and the South West showing the most negative change. The overall change across England was an increase of 2.21%. The number of people leaving clubs in the previous 12 months is on average across England 7.78%. The South, Channel Islands and National clubs showed below average churn rates. 13
The responses suggest that there is around 40% or 143,000 membership spaces of spare capacity within clubs across England. National clubs have proportionally more capacity which may be due to the fact that the majority of these are not constrained by limits imposed by facilities, boat parking space, moorings etc. The South East and Thames Valley & London regions show the greatest latent capacity. An encouraging 78% of clubs have aspirations to increase their membership over the next two years. 14
Insights from Other Sources There are a number of other sources of information to which we refer. Comparing this data with our internal information (and that of our affiliates) enables us to better understand the context in which boating activities take place. This knowledge is correlated with information given to us by sailing providers, as well as our own certification and membership data to increase our confidence in apparent trends. This analysis helps us to understand how best to support our clubs and providers, to effectively deploy our resources and it underpins our strategy. The following pages give a flavour of some of this information which you may wish to review and consider, or discuss with your local RYA Development Team when planning your club development or activities. The Regional Development Officers are familiar with this information and the content of which informs their work and the content of the RYA Club Workshop programme. To view the full survey reports click on the links below. Watersports Participation Survey (exec summary) 2014 Sport England Satisfaction Survey 2011 Sport and Recreation Alliance Club Survey 2013 15
Current Participation Levels in Boating Participation rates in boating appear to correlate with the performance of the UK economy and the weather, neither of which have been ideal in recent years. During the recent recession (and subsequently) we have seen either flat or fluctuating regular participation (which is perhaps to some extent a limitation of the capabilities of surveying). However most key measures have started to generally recover and increase over the last 12 18 months. You can view the executive summary of the Watersports Participation Survey. 16
The most recent data implies that overall participation in the activities which the RYA represents is growing. Industry data reflects increasing optimism and employment implying both increasing output and demand within the industry. However, both the Watersports Participation Survey and the Sport England Active People Survey imply a longer term trend towards more occasional (less frequent) participation in sailing which we are working hard with our clubs to reverse. Casual Boating Frequent Boating 17
Duration of Boating Activity Alongside this shift towards less frequent participation, the duration of each participation session has tended to increase, according to the Watersports Participation Survey. There are many potential reasons for this, amongst them economic conditions, less available time and of course the weather. However, some consideration should continue to be given to the delivery of some activities in a more condensed, flexible or informal format, in order to reduce the time commitment for those most constrained by time. 18
Factors Affecting Satisfaction in Sailing The most recent data from Sport England about satisfaction in Sailing is from 2011 and this has had a significant impact on our strategy and the support we have offered to clubs since then. The full survey can be viewed Sport England Satisfaction Survey We recognise that the quality of sports facilities and sailing clubs impacts significantly on our ability to attract and retain newcomers. Hence since April 2009, 8.3M of Sport England capital money has been invested, almost exclusively, to improve sailing club facilities and the provision of equipment. The redevelopment of club houses, creation of additional slipways, provision of new training dinghies, windsurfers and safety boats, accompanied by the provision of additional on the water opportunities, has made it more appealing and easier for newcomers to get involved in the sport. In addition to this injection of public money, sailing clubs and some of the sailing trusts have invested their own funds, as well as club members giving up their own time to improve the quality of facilities and the capacity within sailing clubs in England. This will enable the sport to provide more and better opportunities for new and existing participants. RYA Sport Development now intend to focus more closely on attracting new customers and signposting them towards sailing providers, whilst simultaneously working alongside key providers to develop what they offer to most effectively attract, recruit and retain new participants. 19
Perceptions of Sailing A research project was commissioned in 2013 by Team Watersports; a collaborative project involving ourselves, British Rowing and the British Canoe Union and funded by Sport England. This highlighted the general public s perceptions of the three sports. Whilst we know that many of the preconceptions may not necessarily be accurate, it gives us a really useful insight into the mind-set of our potential consumer and some really useful clues as to what perceptions to reinforce or to challenge with our interactions. It also helps us to be more considered when choosing the language, the photos and video we may use when talking about and promoting our sport or our clubs, on web-sites or any other marketing collateral. 20
Important Factors and Barriers to Participation in Sailing Cost We often get challenged over perceptions of cost. The Sport & Recreation Alliance Club Survey 2013 offers a range of comparisons between sports in this and other aspects. For sailing the average participating club membership fee is 132 for adults and 36 for juniors. However equipment cost (see table below) is cited as an important potential barrier to participating in boating. Ongoing consideration should be given to developing club hire fleets and pay and play opportunities for newcomers to the sport. Important Factors in Participation When planning activity programmes, providers should be mindful of some of the factors given above, and where possible endeavour to address some of the more relevant elements. View the Watersports Participation Survey (executive summary) for more detail. 21
Reasons for Dropping Out The Sport England Satisfaction Survey 2011 highlights the most prominent reasons for dropping out of sport. Given that these are the most common reasons for dropping out of sport, we want to encourage providers to consider adapting what they offer, and how they offer it, to mitigate against these factors. We know that some clubs are seeing great results by: Offering activities in a condensed or more flexible format Expanding what they offer for families, ladies or retired people Increasing the number of club boats available to hire Changing the times and format of club racing to better suit their membership Encouraging older members to remain active and involved through volunteering 22
Summary The key challenge for all of us is to continue to introduce lots of potential new participants and to kindle their enthusiasm for the sport via the provision of training, support and a high quality environment. Alongside this we need to be mindful of the evolving requirements of our current members to mitigate against the possibility of drop out. Hence, the continued need to develop and evolve not only how we deliver but also how we present and market our activities to both current and potential members, without losing the things which makes the sport so enjoyable. We need to continue to develop our shop windows to reflect the way that potential new participants will research and decide whether or not they wish to get involved in our sport or join our organisations. Club website landing pages need to tackle the adverse perceptions or concerns of potential participants and highlight the facilities or provisions which are available for new members to use. Typically the improved provision of club hire fleets, pay and play facilities or training provision within clubs have remained a well kept secret to club/facility web-pages or social media presence we need to acknowledge that these are our primary sources of potential new members. Finally we need to continue to focus on telling a better story to potential and occasional participants about what a great impact the sport can have on individuals of all ages and their families. It is also important to continue to provide the very best experience for our current core participants. We breakdown our core tactics to influence participation in boating as follows: 1. Introduce new people to the sport and develop a regular habit for sailing; 2. Prevent drop off of current participants and prevent the trend towards less frequent participation; 3. Make our existing occasional/less frequent participants more frequent; 4. Extend the sailing season in order that our infrequent/seasonal participants begin to participate more frequently and develop a more regular habit. Clubs may find it useful to consider what they offer in the context of the above as this will lead to sustained and ultimately increased membership and participation. 23
What Next? We would encourage you consider carefully the information presented, thinking about club membership levels and trends, churn, leavers and joiners and the degree to which your membership is frequently actively participating in the sport. If possible make time within your relevant committee or management teams to discuss the information and appraise which elements or observations are most relevant to your club, and how you can use this information to inform club direction and development. Please promptly complete the RYA Club Membership Census 2015. Once again this year s survey will be online to make it easier for clubs to submit the information, and for us to collate and feedback the outputs more promptly. Clubs will be invited to respond from June 2015. The deadline for responses is the 14 th August 2015; we would really appreciate your response before then. Plan to attend your local RYA Affiliate Conferences and RYA Club Workshops throughout the Autumn and Winter 2015/16, as well as the club briefing at the RYA Suzuki Dinghy Show. These events will offer your club an opportunity to look at some of the data gathered via the 2015 Club Membership Census and throughout the year in more detail. Workshops are also a great opportunity to meet and discuss best practice with individuals from other clubs, who may be facing or have overcome similar challenges. These are facilitated by our Development Team who are dedicated to supporting your club. We hope you find this document useful. Thank you once again for your continued support and information. RYA Sport Development 0844 556 9539 clubdev@rya.org.uk 24