CEO UPDATE / LATEST NEWS / EMPLOYEE WELLBEING / & MUCH MORE
AWARDS DINNER & PRESENTATION
On Thursday 6th February we held our annual Awards Dinner and Presentation to celebrate the successes of our colleagues across the group. A big well done to all the winners! Thank you to the team at Aldwickbury Park Golf Club for hosting everyone with such delicious food.
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A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO SIMON THOMPSON
Dear Colleagues,
It is my second update to the business since joining and it has almost been six months since taking on the CEO role. It’s fair to say it feels like time has flown by! I have continued to travel around the business...
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CEO UPDATE - PG. 3
From Simon Thompson
GET TO KNOW YOUR COLLEAGUES - PG. 6
Congratulations Mr & Mrs Quigley
Get To Know Rosie Pollock
RECRUITMENT SPOTLIGHT - PG. 7
Assistant General Manager - Birchwood Park GCC
TECH TOP TIPS - PG. 9
Top Tips from our IT experts, Paul May, and Sam Bromley
CELEBRATING SUCCESSES - PG. 11/12
Awards Dinner & PresentationAldwickbury Park GC
Charity Money Raised
Thoughtful Festive FundraisingRedbourn GC
Health and Safety Considerations
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS - PG. 4/5/6
Recruitment System Update
Inaugural Launch of 'Step Up To GM'
Apprenticeships & #NAW2025
Mulligans Guildford
Internal Promotions
ENVIRONMENTAL - PG. 7
Green Gas is Coming!
Joe Wyatt Litter Picking
EMPLOYEE
WELLBEING - PG. 8/9
Words from one of our Mental Health First Aiders
CAREER LADDER - PG. 10
Martin Connor - Journey So Far
ED&I - PG. 13
Neurodiversity Celebration Week
RECOGNITIONS - PG. 13/14
2024 Award Winners
Employee of the Quarter/Year
CEO UPDATE
Simon Thompson
Dear Colleagues,
It is my second update to the business since joining and it has almost been six months since taking on the CEO role. It’s fair to say it feels like time has flown by! I have continued to travel around the business - so thank you very much to the colleagues at Shropshire, Bournemouth, Southampton, Norwich, Newcastle and Manchester for your time and warm welcome.
A big highlight at the start of the year is our annual awards dinner and it was great to see everyone having such a brilliant time. It’s important that we take this time to recognise the success - both individual and as a team - for the achievements each year. It was great to see the competitive nature of our colleagues play out in such a fun and supportive way.
Well done everyone for the hard work last year and for making the evening such a success. I would like to say thank you again to everyone at Aldwickbury Park for hosting such a great evening. There are some great photos of the event in this edition.
The place was packed, and this is only going to increase following the great news that we have been able to start work fitting out the latest Mulligans in Guildford.
I know Stephen and the team have been working hard to ensure that the experience Mulligans provides continues to evolve each time we expand. It is great to see this new development start to come to life and there will be some new technology to entertain the families and groups of friends that visit. Guildford has nothing like this currently and it is well placed to be an outstanding venue for us.
Trading wise, there is a challenging market at the moment with the UK market consumer data not where we would like it. The UK leisure market continues to come under pressure. However, our customers clearly value their leisure time and are willing to spend their time and money on fantastic leisure experiences with their friends and family. They are very conscious about every pound they spend and making sure it delivers value for money.
As a group we are well placed to succeed and grow in these conditions. Our golf courses - despite the usual weather challenges at this time of yearhave been busy. Our members have enjoyed the clubs, clearly seeing the value for money we provide. Our challenge as we move through the year is to continue to attract more visitors (we have some of the best golf facilities in the UK to attract a wide audience) and to ensure we deliver a fantastic experience during their visit in our retail and food and beverage facilities.
Guy and the team are working on exciting plans. As the days
get longer and sunnier (fingers crossed) and the golf season gets properly underway, I look forward to seeing the results.
The Adventure Leisure and Ninja Leisure divisions have had some really busy periods - half term and valentines were particularly strong. In an increasingly competitive market, our challenge is to make sure potential customers know what a great experience we offer and ensure that they come back again and again after having a brilliant experience with their friends and family. There have been some really good examples of us being creative to grow the business and offer great value for money, but we can’t stop there and we will need to continue to work hard to improve each week.
It is also great to see the details in this issue of those who are developing their careers with us and the resources and support in place to help that development. The people in the business are really what makes the differenceparticularly when the competition is tough.
Talking of careers, I just wanted to say thank you to Heather Pickerill who is retiring after 30 years with BGL. Heather has been a fantastic support during the transition between CEOs, but I am sure she is also looking forward to retiring. I know she has seen a lot of change during those 30 years - it will be exciting to see how that change continues in the future!
Best wishes
Simon Thompson CEO
PEOPLE TEAM UPDATERECRUITMENT SYSTEM
The Applicant Tracking System (ATS), in Access, has been built and tested by the cross-functional Project Team. At the same time, the new careers page for the BGL website has also been built, which is where all vacancies across the group will be advertised. This will enable candidates to search and apply for jobs, sign up for job alerts and submit speculative applications.
The new careers page and ATS are due to go live to the business on Wednesday, 23rd April.
A sneak peek of the new careers page is below.
LAUNCH OF 'STEP UP TO GM' PROGRAMME
We are proud to announce the launch of our inaugural ‘Step up to GM’ Programme. Congratulations to Conner McGrath (Stevenage), Martin Connor (Worcester), and Nicole Karanicola (Swansea) for their success in getting onto this one-year career development programme.
The launch day took place on 6th March at Burhill Golf Club where they were paired up with their programme mentors and heard from Lewis Marlow, GM at Cheltenham, who has progressed from team member to GM.
A webinar was hosted for line managers on 11th February to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week. It was a great success, with new enrolments from Ramsdale Park, Abbey Hill, and two from Wycombe Heights!
If you missed the live event, a recording of it is available in Access Learning and can be found in the library section called ‘BGL Other’.
Changes to Apprenticeships
1. The minimum length is going to be reduced from 12 to 8 months. This is great news for individuals that come to the apprenticeship with significant prior learning.
2. Are you over 19 years of age but don’t have evidence of having passed English and maths? No problem. It is now at BGL’s discretion whether you’ll need to complete a level 2 English and maths qualification (equivalent to GCSE) to be able to do an apprenticeship. (Learners aged 16-18 will still be required to achieve English and maths qualifications)
To find out more about apprenticeship opportunities, please speak to your line manager.
MULLIGANS GUILDFORD
It is with great pleasure that we can confirm that we have started work on the our Adventure Leisure venue in Guildford!
Mulligans Guildford will feature two, exciting 9-hole crazy golf courses and a whole host of games and activities, taking over a two-floor, 17,000 sq.ft site on North Street. Guests and our BGL local teams alike will be able to take on electro darts, American pool and electro-shuffleboard. The venue will also house some sports-related arcade games featuring classic games including air hockey, curved air hockey, skeeball and basketball.
Mulligans Guildford will also boast a brand-new familyfriendly sports bar area, featuring 100” TV screens with some booth seating, making sure sports fans don’t miss a minute of the action. Once open, the team will be on hand to serve a variety of hot food including pizzas, sharing plates, nachos and more. Meanwhile, the bar will be fully stocked with a selection of great coffee as well as soft and alcoholic drinks. The cherry on top of the experience will be a dedicated ice cream and milkshake bar, offering delicious sweet treats.
The new venue will create more than 30 jobs for local people, with recruitment for select roles already under way. Target opening date will be early July with full details to follow closer to the time.
Stephen Brown COO for AL & NL
INTERNAL PROMOTIONS
Exciting news as we have some internal promotions to celebrate!
Mulligans Hemel Hempstead has had three internal promotions recently which shows great succession planning.
Elisia Weston-Jones – Promoted from Duty Manager to Assistant General Manager in February 2025.
February 2025.
Emily Crowie – Promoted from Adventure Golf Assistant to Supervisor in February 2025.
Megan Thompson was promoted to General Manager of Sidcup Family Golf in February. Megan was previously on the Manager-inTraining Programme in the Golf Division. A great example of career progression across divisions.
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Alana Davies – Promoted from Adventure Golf Assistant to Supervisor in
MULLIGANS STEVENAGE
Bobbi Atkinson and Jack Foulkes were recently promoted to Duty Managers. They have both been in previous supervisory roles at Stevenage and have worked extremely hard on their own development, taking every opportunity to progress and widen their skillsets over the past year to be ready for when the time came to progress.
Noah Bradshaw was also recently promoted to the role of Team Leader. Having been in the business for two years, he has grown into a natural leader and is well respected by the team. He is on a great learning journey as he now steps into the management team.
From left to right - Bobbi, Noah, Jack
Get To Know Your Colleagues
JOSH QUIGLEY
RAMSDALE PARK GC
Ramsdale Park's very own Thunder from Down Under ties the knot.
Ramsdale Park's Driving Range Manager, Josh Quigley, chose to get married at Ramsdale Park in November. Josh is a very special member of the team, and it was a delight to share his special day. Wishing him and Sammy every happiness!
ROSIE POLLOCK MULLIGANS NORWICH
How long have you been with the business?
I have worked at Mulligans in Norwich for two years.
What is your favourite part of working for Adventure Leisure?
I enjoy getting to talk to different people and being able to helps others when needed.
What do you do outside of work (hobbies)?
I like to take my dog for walks, colouring and spending time with my family.
What is your favourite book/movie/series?
One of my favourite films is Muppets Christmas Carol and I watch it every year with my mum.
What is your favourite genre of music/artist?
I like all types of music but one of my favourite artists is Pink
If you could go on holiday anywhere in the world, where would it be?
If I could go anywhere in the world on holiday, it would be on a safari holiday.
What is one thing you could not live without?
The one thing I couldn't live without is a blanket because I'm always cold!
“SWING INTO SUSTAINABILITY - GREEN GAS IS COMING!”
In March 2025 we're making the switch to 100% green gas, cutting our emissions by 90%! It will cost £49k more per annum, but by saving 10% on energy use, we can make every penny—and every kilowatt—count. Turn it down, switch it off, and let’s power up our savings!
LITTER PICK AND FOOTPATH OPENING IN PYRFORD VILLAGE
Congratulations to Our Head of Property & Development, Joe Wyatt, who along with his family and an additional 40 volunteers, participated in a litter pick and footpath opening ceremony in Pyrford Village on Sunday, 16th February. Together, they dedicated their time and effort to contribute to the beautification and enhancement of the local community.
Recruitment Spotlight
We are currently offering an exciting opportunity for an Assistant General Manager to join our club.
ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER - BIRCHWOOD PARK GCC
This position serves as an ideal platform for an Assistant General Manager seeking to broaden their expertise, push their boundaries, and thrive in a dynamic and varied setting. This role entails contributing to the club's future direction, identifying potential opportunities, analysing market trends, and collaborating with the General Manager to enhance its offerings.
If you believe this role aligns with your aspirations, we encourage you to apply.
Joe with his family and volunteers
Employee Wellbeing
A WORD FROM ONE OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AIDERS
Theresa Plimmer – General Manager at Ramsdale Park GC
1. What small, positive actions can someone take daily, to prioritise their mental wellbeing to avoid stress or burnout?
Find your ‘me time’. Day to day stuff can get so repetitive and can feel like a slog that weighs you down. There is no ‘right answer’ to what will help YOU. Think about what takes your mind to a peaceful place. For me, it is getting a good eight hours sleep and waking up early to walk the beast.
One of the trickiest situations to avoid is other people’s negativity. It can be easy to have a moan – we all need it from time to time. But, if you constantly surround yourself with negative people, it will rub off on you. Add the light, add the sunshine. Don’t follow the easy route of doom and gloom and share something positive – hopefully that will rub off on them, rather than bringing you down.
Lee Pratt - Personal Trainer at Hoebridge GC
Fitness Tips - Beginner Fitness Plan
Week 1-2:
Day 1: Cardio & Core
• Warm-up: 5 minutes of light jogging or row machine
• Exercise 1: Jumping jacks - 2 sets of 10 reps
• Exercise 2: Plank - Hold for 20 seconds
Watching him love life and chase squirrels while I march through the wilderness sets me up for the day. I don’t think about anything but being there at that time. Find your YOU.
2. What healthy ways would you recommend as a mental health first aider to ‘recharge’ and ‘self-care’ (can include a physical or creative activity)
Much like the first answer, ensure you are carving out time where you are not thinking about anyone or anything and let yourself indulge in whatever brings you peace.
As a mental health first aider, you can listen to some pretty heavy stuff from people. Separating it from YOU is vital. Try not to take it on board as your own problem. Connect with others – share positive experiences with others and build a sense of belonging
3. What’s one nice thing that someone can do to improve the wellbeing of a peer?
This doesn’t have to be an extravagant gesture or expensive gift. Be mindful of the people around you. Be kind. Someone looking a bit glum or just not themselves?
Offer an ear without being pushy – make them a cup of tea, smile at them, show you are there and acknowledge them. Sometimes things are going on in people’s lives that you don’t know about, so be kind.
• Exercise 3: Bicycle crunches - 2 sets of 10 reps each side
• Cool down: 5 minutes of stretching
Day 2: Strength Training
• Warm-up: 5 minutes of light jogging or cross trainer
• Exercise 2: Push-ups (knees down if needed) - 2 sets of 10 reps
• Exercise 3: Dumbbell rows (using water bottles if no dumbbells) - 2 sets of 10 reps each side
• Cool down: 5 minutes of stretching
Day 3: Flexibility & Rest Day
Stretching routine for 20 to 30 minutes / 20 to 30 seconds each:
1. Neck Stretch: Tilt head to each side
2. Shoulder stretch: Arm across chest, pull gently
3. Triceps Stretch: Arm overhead, push elbow down
4. Chest Stretch: Clasp hands behind, lift
5. Side Stretch: Lean to each side
6. Hamstring Stretch: Sit, reach for toes
7. Quadriceps Stretch: Pull heel to butt
8. Hip flexor Stretch: Kneel, push hips forward
9. Calf Stretch: Press heel into ground
10. Child’s pose: Sit back, stretch arms forward
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Employee Wellbeing
Day 4: Cardio & Lower Body
• Warm-up: 5 minutes of light jogging or row machine
• Exercise 1: High knees - 2 sets of 10 reps
• Exercise 2: Lunges - 2 sets of 10 reps each leg
• Exercise 3: Calf raises - 2 sets of 10 reps
• Cool down: 5 minutes of stretching
Day 5: Strength Training
• Warm-up: 5 minutes of light jogging or cross trainer
• Exercise 1: Glute bridges - 2 sets of 10 reps
• Exercise 2: Dumbbell shoulder press (using water bottles if no dumbbells) - 2 sets of 10 reps
• Exercise 3: Tricep dips (using a chair) - 2 sets of 10 reps
• Cool down: 5 minutes of stretching
Day 6: Flexibility & Rest Day
Stretching routine for 20-30 minutes: Same as DAY 3
Day 7: Rest Day
Take a complete rest to allow your muscles to recover.
Cool down stretches:
Hamstring stretch: Stand on one leg straight, reach for the toe
Quadriceps stretch: Stand, pull heel to butt
Chest stretch: Clasp hands behind, lift
Shoulder stretch: Arm across chest, pull gently
Cat-Cow stretch: Arch and dip back on hands and knees
The gym at Hoebridge GC
Tech Top Tips
TOP TIPS FROM OUR IT EXPERTS PAUL MAY AND SAM BROMLEY
Tip 1
Keep all software up to date
Tip 2
Use a strong and unique password for every site
Tip 3
Never save password credentials in a browser
Tip 4
Always backup important data, cloud is good!
Tip 5
Use 2FA (two factor authentication) if offered!
Career Ladder
JOURNEY SO FAR - MARTIN CONNOR, ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER
Site: Mulligans Worcester
Start date with the company: September 2019
Position when joined: Sales Manager
Current position: Assistant General Manager
Journey:
My first contact with BGL was to respond to an advert on Facebook for a part-time sales position. Having attended an interview, I was offered a role as Sales Manager (possibly one of the quickest promotions in my life!). I enjoyed the role, especially being able to perform a Duty Manager role on many occasions to understand the whole business. Little did I know how quickly that role would have to adapt, with the arrival of coronavirus, and post lockdown there was a rapid learning curve to understand the new world and the new business environment.
In 2022 I was excited to learn that Adventure Leisure was expanding into Worcester, a short trip down the M5 for me. Having been involved in the launch of the business by supporting the new team with sales, when the AGM left, I applied.
I was delighted to be accepted as the new AGM in Worcester. Since then, apart from the exceedingly steep learning curve, and being privileged to be mentored by Rich Wood, I have completed an apprenticeship, and with Rich’s additional responsibilities as Multi-site Manager, I have been given significant additional responsibilities at Mulligans Worcester.
This month I was honoured to be selected for the brand new ‘Step Up to GM’ programme. I suspect I am still only at the beginning of my journey at Adventure Leisure!
If you could go back and give advice to your younger self starting at BGL, what would it be?
I think the advice I would give to my younger self (although still fairly long in the tooth) would be to never stop learning! I would also urge my younger self to find an amazing mentor and use their advice and skills to learn, grow, change and improve.
The younger me, maybe thought they knew everything. I now know that not only do I not know everything, but I can learn from everyone, and every day I can become a little better informed, as long as I am open to learning.
Thanks,
Martin
Mulligans Worcester
Celebrating Success
AWARDS DINNER & PRESENTATION AT ALDWICKBURY PARK GC
Employee of the Year Award Winners
On Thursday, 6th February we held our annual Awards Dinner and Presentation to celebrate the successes of our colleagues across the group. A big well done to all the winners!
Thank you to the team at Aldwickbury Park Golf Club for hosting everyone with such delicious food.
Awards night celebrations
Aldwickbury Park kitchen on awards night
Celebrating Success
CHARITY MONEY RAISED IN 2024
The charity funds raised by the Golf Division in 2024 was a massive £186,797.30.
The three clubs that raised the most were:
Ramsdale Park = £31,500
• £15,000 for Emmanuel House – Nottingham Homeless
• £15,000 for Base 51 – Young People’s Mental Health
• £1,500 for Hospital Blood Cancer Ward at Nottingham City Hospital
Wycombe Heights = £38,064.30
• £12,000 for Mind
• £10,392 for Headway
• £1762.30 to Hearing Dogs
• £12,000 to YES (Youth Enquiry Service)
• £310 for Cancer Research (Leah Marathon Distance Walk)
• £1600 to Breast Cancer Now (Jack 10k run)
Burhill = £61,000
• £61,000 doanted to White Lodge - Burhill Captain's Charity, The charity is blown away.
THOUGHTFUL FESTIVE FUNDRAISING - REDBOURN
Ian, a member of the Maintenance Team at Redbourn GC, raised over £500 for charity in a sustainable and festive manner.
A couple of trees had to be felled after a tree survey was conducted, and rather than them going to waste, Ian decided to use some of the timber to create a festive reindeer and snowmen to decorate the outside of the club. He was
approached by some of the club's members asking if they were for sale.
After a short discussion with Robin (GM), it was agreed that if Ian was prepared to make them in his own time, they could donate any monies raised to a charity of Ian’s choosing. This was a great success, well done Ian!
Please see below some photos of the reindeer and snowmen in question.
HEALTH & SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS AT BGL
The lithium-powered machinery within the business is growing. Burhill GC and Hoebridge GC are taking careful consideration of the safety measures being applied for storage and charging locations within their compounds.
World Food Safety Day –7th June 2025, must already be in the diary?
Hoebridge GC kitchen focus –Connor, Gavin, and his brigade made the largest improvement in their food safety audits last year.
Applying a real focus and determination on raising the standards and the team being on the same journey. It’s no surprise that on 25th February the EHO visited Hoebridge GC and they were given a 5* rating!
Historical Quote - Don’t take shortcuts when it comes to food safety. People’s health is worth the extra effort.
Ramsdale Park
Equality, Diversity, & Inclusion
NEURODIVERSITY CELEBRATION WEEK
The People Team launched the first lifelong learning topic for 2025 – Neurodiversity Celebration Week. Each day of the celebration week, managers received an email which contained information, support, facts, and resources around the seven most common types of neurodifferences:
• On Monday morning, an introduction to Neurodiversity
• On Tuesday, we explored ADHD
• On Wednesday, Tourette’s Syndrome
• On Thursday, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dyspraxia, Dysgraphia
• On Friday, Autism
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE NEURODIVERSE?
Mary Reynolds, Administrator at Sidcup Family Golf, shared her experience with the People Team on living with ADHD. If you would like to read her story, reach out to your line manager who received her story during Neurodiversity celebration week.
2024 Award Winners
Heather Pickerill - Support Office - 30 Years Service
