Team Newsletter April 2022 by Burhill Golf & Leisure

Burhill Team News April 2022

Colin Mayes Chief Executive Dear Colleagues, Four months down and eight to go, where has the time gone?! I am happy to report that our overall trading in all divisions of the group are still ahead of our budget plan, albeit we are starting to see signs that our customers are beginning to tighten their own purse strings somewhat. This is no surprise as we are all dealing with increased costs in nearly every area of our daily lives. Sadly it is something that we are going to have to deal with for the short term whilst we have so much instability in the world, especially the war in Ukraine which has affected us in so many ways. What is for sure is that BGL are dealing with all the issues we are being faced with and I am anticipating our April results to be very much in line with our expectations being slightly ahead of our budget and importantly ahead of our performance pre Pandemic in 2019, which is really good news. Thankfully the golf business is still thriving having been one of the few beneficiaries of the Pandemic. Our memberships have never been fuller and I know that all of our General Managers and their sales teams are working very hard to ensure that we retain more members than ever before as we begin the season of renewing our golfers memberships. In April the Golf Division benefitted from the extremely warm Easter spell when temperatures in the south of England reached over 20ºC in some parts.

The Masters Golf event was also exciting with Rory McIlroy making a last-minute charge on the Sunday but still beaten by USA’s Scottie Scheffler who had a very consistent four rounds. History has shown that to win the Master’s consistency is the key, you need to play well for 4 days not just one!!! I am also delighted to say that our wedding business is picking up with a number of businesses heading for a record year. Overall, our Food & Beverage departments at nearly all of our clubs are still finding reduced demand challenging and we are not alone in seeing that winning back customers to eat and drink with us is no easy task. It is for that reason that each and every one of us must focus on ensuring that when people do decide to eat and drink with us, we must all be on our “A Game”, a friendly “hello” and “what can I get for you today?” from a hopefully familiar smiling face really does go a long way in helping to retain members and visitors staying and spending their money with us. On the project front we have just finished our new investment into the Trackman Driving Range at Wycombe Heights along with building a new purpose-built food and bar service area for it, which has seen sales dramatically improve since the driving range re-opened. We have also extended the driving range facilities at our Burhill Golf Club and refurbished the teaching bays, thereby yet again improving member facilities and conditions for our employees to work in. In May we will start on a major refurbishment project of the old cottages, that were used to store golf bags, into a purposebuilt golf bag and trolley store for our members to enjoy. We are also embarking on a number of smaller, but still important, developments at many of our other sites including our golf courses, energy supplies, kitchens, F&B and outside seating areas. All of this investment is aimed at delivering improved standards for our members and customers.

CEO Update Adventure Leisure has also had a very positive April trading period across all areas of the business. Mr Mulligans, Sidcup Family Golf, Bunkers and Ninja Warrior UK are all doing well and collectively are ahead of our budget plan for the four months of trading so far. With this positive progress we are investing in new sites i.e. our new Mr Mulligans at Worcester and Ninja Warrior UK in Swansea, both of which should be open and trading before the summer holidays begin in July. We have also signed up a new site in Norwich for Mr Mulligans and are working very hard at securing another one in Bristol, which I hope to be able to confirm in our next newsletter. These new business openings bring opportunities for everyone who are looking to develop their skills and careers. We need well trained and competent people in all our businesses and whenever we have the chance we always like to promote from within, but to do that we need people who are willing to move and seek new adventures. Part of being prepared to take up new opportunities is to ensure that you keep up your own learning and development through your personal development programme within the BGL Academy. So, if you are keen to get ahead and study hard, show us what you are capable of! I am also keen to start to see some transfers of our people between our core golf business and Adventure Leisure/Ninja Leisure, so those of you out there that have ambition to develop your career, please think about this and make sure you open up discussions with your own General Manager about the possibilities of what might be available for the future. Be prepared to take constructive feedback and go that extra mile if you are serious about your future. In all cases it takes hard work, application and the willingness to show that you are prepared to go above and beyond to make a difference. The great thing is that we are providing opportunities for our people to grow and develop, something we will always strive to do.

We are also working hard on site finding for our Ninja Warrior UK business, and again, I hope that next month I will be able to bring you news of yet another new opening planned to follow on from Swansea opening this Summer. One of the areas many of you do not get involved with is IT support, we are always looking at ways to improve our system capability and, in some areas, we are very much aware that improvements are required. Bridget, our Group IT Manager, has a huge “To Do List” and we are currently recruiting an assistant to help her with her workload and to ensure our business keeps up with the never ending requirements necessary to keep relevant and to maintain the hard won loyalty of our members and guests as well as legal requirements. In the last two months we have had a specialist environment firm look at two of our largest businesses to recommend ways in which we might be able to reduce our CO2 levels producing a positive impact on the environment. Our Sustainability & Environmental working party will meet with the lead consultant and thoroughly review the findings to find ways in which we can roll out a combination of either new equipment and/or new working methods that will keep reducing our carbon footprint of the business this year and into the future. We are also working on writing a new column in this newsletter about environmental issues and our plans in this regard. This is one area where it is everyone’s responsibility to start making a difference and I urge you all to do just that both at work and at home. Recently I had to write to all our General Managers about the importance of ensuring that all our people are made aware of the company stance regarding theft, fraudulent and illegal activities by members of staff. Regretfully I have to express my great disappointment and frustration at a recent incident that has seen a promising and talented individual dismissed from the business for theft. It is therefore timely that as we begin the busy main season for our golf business and hopefully a very busy summer for both Adventure Leisure and Ninja Leisure, that I remind everyone across the business that BGL will not hesitate to prosecute staff members who either steal or take part in fraudulent activities that will damage our business.

CEO Update Sadly, over my many years in the hospitality industry, I have seen too many promising careers ended overnight by employees forgetting whose money/stock/resources they are dealing with. Let me be clear this involves every one of us, in the past I have dismissed and prosecuted at almost every level including bar staff, retail assistants, HOD’s, General Managers and even senior leaders of businesses who have crossed the line and become dishonest. None of the senior team take any pleasure in dismissing employees and taking them through the courts which effectively ruins their future and often significantly impacts their own families at the same time. Frankly we have no choice except to take firm and decisive action where we find employees acting against the interests of the company and everybody that it employs. The message is simple it is just not worth it… people who steal will invariably get caught. Thankfully such situations are very rare and it is the senior management teams responsibility to keep it that way. So be vigilant and ensure where you have suspicions that you act upon them immediately and keep your Operations Director and Jim Conlan, CFO informed at all times. It is a sad fact of life that people do seem to get confused at times and this often increases during tough economic times. It is therefore essential that everybody keeps a close eye on the wellbeing of the company and if you see or suspect bad practice or even illegal activity please bring it to a senior managers attention, so it can be investigated. Over the years we have had many employees bring us news about something they were worried about, and I can’t tell you how much of a huge difference these bits of information have helped us. We have resolved malpractice and changed procedures for the better and this in turn has helped us run a better company because of it. I am very confident that as a business we are in a good place with four excellent months of trading behind us. For the first time ever, we now enter the main golfing/hospitality season as a profitable company, and we should have a very successful

trading year ahead of us. On a personal note, I have started my bike training for our Burhill – Paris Bike Ride for Ukraine in September and have the sore backside to prove it!!! It gets easier the more miles you do on the bike. Why not join us? See page 15 for more information and speak to your manager. I have also managed to get my qualifying time for the GB Masters Swimming Championship, being held in Aberdeen in June, albeit quite a long way behind where I was before Covid struck, so still work to do. Kirstie, my better half, is doing a Half Marathon in Dubrovnik this coming weekend with her girlfriends (somehow Aberdeen just does not sound as exciting/exotic as Dubrovnik!!!) She is also planning on doing the bike ride with me so we both have some tough training to do over the summer!!! Thank you for all your hard work and contribution to our success so far this year, it never goes unnoticed. Warmest Regards

Colin Mayes Chief Executive

Janice Moore

Learning & Development Manager

Putting the Spring back in your step: 3 tips to re-energise yourself! There are so many things about Spring that I love! I never tire of noticing how nature has its own special way of re-energising itself, as can be seen in the bulb that wakes up and reaches for the sun, or the buds on the trees that unfold like carefully arranged origami. As humans we have developed ways to re-energize too, but sometimes feelings of ‘winter’ can blow over us like a cold north wind, even if the sun is shining outside. Here are some simple ways to turn yourself toward the sun when you’re feeling down: 1.Write your purpose on a post-it. This might be your overall career purpose (why you’ve chosen the profession that you are in) or a micro purpose (what’s motivating you to do a great job on a particular task). Keep it at your desk as a constant visual reminder of why you do what you do, especially when things are getting you down. 2.Create “a wall of encouragement.” Take any messages of encouragement, pictures, positive feedback, or even memes that make you laugh, and keep them somewhere where you can look at them when you need to feel re-energised and appreciated. 3.Write a "to-don’t" list. What things are you currently doing that are sucking up your energy?

Identify which ones you can stop doing and put them on a list. These might be certain people that you decide not to see, habits that you want to break, or tedious tasks that can be automated or delegated. (Adapted from “Stop Trying to Manage Your Time” by Amantha Imber) While growth in nature abounds, how about developing some new skills yourself? Speak to your Manager about gaining a nationally recognised qualification this year – full funding is available. Qualifications available in areas including F&B, Greenkeeping, Sales, Retail, Management, Events and more. Janice Moore Learning and Development Manager

Claire Boulden

Group Head of People & Culture

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) I am delighted to be able to say that April saw the launch of our Employee Assistance programme, more commonly known as an EAP. I must firstly acknowledge all the hard work and effort put in by Tim Good, our General Manager at Thornbury Golf Centre, who prior to my arrival took the lead on driving understanding and reasons to have an Employee Assistance programme in the business. The company that will be our provider is Care First – you will have received the information on how to sign up to the scheme through the email address we have for you in the Academy. Hopefully you will already be familiar with what Care First can offer you and if not, do make sure you spend some time navigating the portal to see what benefits are available to you. What is an Employee Assistance Programme? ‘An employee assistance programme is an employee benefit program that assists employees with personal problems and/or work-related problems that may impact their job performance, health, mental and emotional well-being.’ Source: Wikipedia

What services are available? 1. Comprehensive telephone support lines available 24/7 2. Counselling, either on the phone or face to face 3. Health and wellbeing portal, Care First Lifestyle 4. Legal/financial issues 5. Bereavement/loss My peers on the Executive Team support this programme whole heartedly, and its introduction demonstrates the commitment that we have to our people. Our initial plan is for a two-year agreement so please do familiarise yourself with what it can do for you and your family and make the most of it. Later in the year I will be seeking feedback on the EAP overall to allow me to see what is working well and what may need tweaking. Finally, while this option is available to you, if you are having a tough time or just struggling generally, don’t forget your line managers are available to you at any time to discuss any worries or concerns, particularly if it is related to your work – we are here to help you and support you, not just manage you from day to day. Warmest regards Claire

Sarah Blunden & Stuart Perry Stuart Perry and Sarah Blunden have been studying towards a Certified Club Managers Qualification through the Club Managers Association of Europe (CMAE) We are pleased to announce they have now completed the course and have obtained their qualification. Congratulations!

A message from Sarah:

A message from Stuart:

Hi Colin and Guy,

Morning Colin/Guy,

I just wanted to pop you a quick note to say thank you for allowing me to attend the CMAE Level 3 week in Prague last week. I haven’t come back with the stories like I did from St Andrews, but it was a brilliant week focusing on strategy and leadership.

It was a great trip, very insightful and I personally feel it was the best week so far on the journey. Thank you very much for allowing us to continue the CMAE programme.

Like all the CMAE weeks they give you the chance to step back and re-focus, whilst learning from some brilliant speakers. The networking, and connections we gain are also invaluable. For me, spending the week with 10 other GM’s, and sharing ideas is one of the best things about these. We were lucky to have the CEO of The Congressional, Jeff Kreafle, join us for a couple of days. He was really inspirational to listen to. A very process driven manager, who uses the values and vision of the Congressional to empower his team to make decisions. It’s a great tool to start conversations about different leadership styles, and how we all move from one style to another depending on what is needed. This leadership theme lead the majority of the week, with the last 2 days focusing on increasing performance within a team via Empowered Leadership. We had a very interesting sport/team psychologist (who used to work with the All Blacks) lead these sessions. Which for me, were some of the best sessions of the week.

I’ve been keeping in touch with Jeffrey the CEO of Congressional since my return, bouncing some ideas off him for The Shropshire and he’s been great at responding. I loved what he was saying about how he leads the club and how he sets processes/policies in line with the values of the club. It was amazing to have someone leading a club like Congressional spend two days with us on the course. It’s the largest clubhouse operation in America and was amazing how down to earth he was. Again it’s also great to spend 5 days with other GM’s and bounce ideas/understand how they run their clubs too. Not only generating new ideas but reaffirming my knowledge and how we operate under BGL. Both Sarah and I passed the exam and the case study element, the results came through on Thursday! We just have the world conference to attend now so we can then become eligible to take the 7 hour CCM exam.

Meet the Team BGL: In three words describe your job? Kasia: Members, busy, passion BGL: What’s your favourite part about working in the BGL Group? Kasia: I love my job and I am very happy. I try my best to give our members the best service I can. Every day brings new experiences, and I am learning a lot which helps me with my determination to succeed. BGL: What’s your typical day like at Burhill? Kasia: Every day I start by checking our function sheets and planning our service. I have to make sure that the bar and function rooms are all set up and ready for our members and guests. I look after our team and make sure that we give the best hospitality to our customers during the Functions, Golf Days and many other events. At the moment I spend lots of time on staff training and recruitment to build up our team and make it stronger. BGL: What is your favourite highlight of Burhill? Kasia: My work colleagues and members.

This month’s meet the team is: Kasia Skrobot, Floor Manager at Burhill Golf Club. BGL: What’s your current role and how long have you been with BGL? Kasia: I am the Floor Manager at Burhill Golf Club and have been here since 2017. BGL: What was the journey to where you are now. Previous roles? Kasia: I went to University in Poland and gained a degree in ‘Management in Tourism and Hotels’. During my last year of studying I was offered a job in the biggest Travel Agency in Poland and stayed there for 8 years as a Tourism Specialist. Me and my husband then decided to move with our children to the UK, where I then became an F&B Assistant at Burhill. Very quickly I got promoted to the role of Supervisor and then after six months became Assistant Bar Manager. Two months ago I was then promoted to the role of the Floor Manager and I am very happy and proud of what I am doing and what I have achieved.

BGL: What’s the best thing you have achieved? Kasia: My biggest achievement is being promoted to the Floor Manager and receiving ‘The employee of the Year’ award 2 years ago. BGL: What are your hobbies? Kasia: I love hiking and whenever we can, we take our children to explore the UK. I love classical music which helps me to relax after busy day. BGL: What would your ‘death row meal’ be? Kasia: For starter, creamy garlic mushrooms on ciabatta. Then for main, pan fried tenderloin pork in a mustard brandy sauce served with seasonal vegetables and sautéed new potatoes. Then for dessert, fresh pavlova. All accompanied by my favourite glass of Pinot Noir.

Golf Business News - Interview GBN: If you had to describe your job role to people outside of the business, how would you do that?

Golf Business News - Article published 12/04/22

We meet Claire Boulden, the Group Head of People and Culture, at Burhill Group Limited (BGL), to discuss her new position, the importance of having in-house HR professionals, and how the Group continues to reinforce its commitment to its people and their wellbeing. GBN: This role is totally new at BGL, why do you think it was important to recruit a Group Head of People and Culture? CB: That is correct. This is the first time that the company has been able to benefit from a dedicated in-house HR professional, and I will be overseeing the entire group from my base at Burhill Golf Club. My title, ‘Group Head of People and Culture’, is actually one that is becoming more common within the HR discipline. Rather than ‘Head of HR’, more businesses are rebranding the role to highlight the fact that the most important resource of any company is its people. The culture element is something that the group are keen to instil. BGL is an established and very strong business, and to continue with growth and development we want to establish and grow a culture within all aspects of the company. This will involve looking at how we perceive things around us in the workplace, and how we perceive each other. We are all too aware that the pandemic has affected people in different ways, work/life balance included. So, our culture will represent everything to do with work: how we work, our members and customers, and how we treat each other.

CB: Well, this role covers a huge number of tasks and responsibilities. With it being a new role within the business, we have so far been concentrating our energy on things that we feel are most pressing. A very positive and exciting element of my appointment will be to work alongside my colleagues in payroll to introduce a Human Resources Information System (HRIS) into the business. This is a tool that will allow us to go electronic with HR processes and payroll information. HRIS can also help us with retention, learning and management, and back-office reporting. In the past, I have worked at a strategic level within my roles. So, in addition to working on day-to-day functionalities like compliance, recruitment, and so on, I am also able to assist in pointing out what we need to plan for, and what we could improve on. I am actually working on writing a HR & People plan right now. GBN: Why do you feel that this sort of position is key to the long-term success of an already established business like BGL? CB: I understand from a lot of my colleagues that having a permanent People and Culture professional in the business has been on the wishlist for some time. I think now, in 2022, businesses are much more aware of the benefits that having such a person can bring. That isn’t just things like sorting out benefits and salaries, but it’s letting them know there is someone they can go to whenever they have a question or issue that they need assistance with. I consider myself to be working in a dual role. The first half of that is focused around protecting the business and its interests. I must make sure that we are doing things correctly to ensure compliance, and of course our integrity and reputation, those things fall within my remit. The other half of my role is to protect the employees within the

business. I sit in a role where I not only make sure that the business is operating correctly, but I also explore what we can do better for our people. The best thing about this business, I can tell you, is the people that are working within it. I am blessed to be surrounded by people that are driven, engaged and motivated. They are quite inspiring actually. The pandemic was an extremely difficult time for the hospitality industry, but these people are steadfast in their commitment to ensuring the business grows and is successful. So, I am determined to make sure that we recognise our people for everything they are doing for the business. We all work for a salary, that is one of our ‘must haves’. Then we also have things like a benefit scheme, which is a ‘nice to have’. Something that I am passionate about working on is a recognition scheme for those who go above and beyond – which I see a lot of within this business! It is important that we tell and reward our people when they have done something fantastic. Something that has also been welcomed since my arrival, is clearer direction in terms of how we manage the performance of our teams. In this industry, there seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding that performance management is just about telling people off. That is absolutely not the case. It is crucial that we acknowledge success, because that will allow us to harness the positives and develop those methods to increase productivity moving forward. GBN: BGL is a large business in terms of the number of golf clubs and leisure facilities it operates. How do you go about devising strategies for so many different sectors with different demands and expectations? CB: The first thing is gaining knowledge and an understanding of how these different operations all work. As you say, we are a very complex business, with numerous brands. I would like to try to streamline things where I can, to make

things easier for everyone and create a leaner way of working. The less complexity there is, the easier it will be for us to function efficiently. This is something that will develop over time, when I have had more opportunities to learn about the day-to-day barriers and challenges that each venue faces, as well as the things they are doing particularly well. When we are making a plan, we are ultimately trying to make working life easier, as well as making the business more successful and profitable. The first thing is always knowledge – I am trying to saturate myself with everything I can gain. When I step into our clubs and venues, the teams are very welcoming and receptive to me asking them lots of questions. Another thing I’m going to be doing is sending out a comprehensive survey, so that I can gauge the thoughts of people across the business. What they like about us, why they like working with us, and what maybe they think we could do better. I always find when I am doing my planning stages that surveys give me a lot of information on what we need to focus on. Some people are really interested in their holiday and benefits, sometimes it is about the working environment. So, speaking directly to our people should give us a really good overall spectrum on how to move forward in the best way. For more information on Burhill Group Limited visit www.bglcompany.co.uk Claire worked for British Airways for 20 years. She joined as cabin crew and remained a flyer until she departed, at the senior rank of CSD (Cabin Service Director). Whilst at BA she did multiple placements and secondments including recruitment, training, safety services, and fleet management. After leaving BA in 2016 she consulted privately for around 18 months then joined a niche villa company to revamp the HR and customer experience. Over the Covid period she has been working with a hotel group.

Sustainability & Environment Update

BGL Renews GEO Certification. Sustainable.Golf - Article published 06/04/22

Burhill Group Limited (BGL) is proud to announce that its entire portfolio of golf clubs has been successfully reaccredited as GEO Certified.

been reaccredited with GEO certified status is a testament to the fantastic work ethic and vision of team members at BGL.

This news highlights the group’s continued commitment to environmental progression and solidifies its place as the only major multi-course operator to have achieved GEO Certified across all its sites. Each club will hold the renewed certification for the next five years.

“Each club has developed bespoke maintenance programmes designed to incorporate more sustainable and efficient practices, while simultaneously continuing to make improvements to the courses and club facilities that are enjoyed by our members and visitors every day.”

The GEO certification encompasses environmental success in the areas of golf facility operations, golf development and renovation, and golf tournaments. This status demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement around nature, resources, climate, and the community.

BGL Golf is one of the largest owners and operators of golf courses and facilities in the UK. The company currently operates 22 golf courses at 10 venues across the country, each providing a different style and character while offering a highquality, friendly, and professional service.

The announcement comes following the recent recertification of Wycombe Heights Golf Centre in Buckinghamshire, Aldwickbury Park Golf Club in Hertfordshire, and The Shropshire Golf Centre in Shropshire. Sustainability projects undertaken both on and off the course have contributed to the recognitions, including the planting of trees, water retention and recycling, tracking of carbon footprints, use of ultra-efficient LED lighting, and a reduction in the use of cling film and takeaway cups, among others.

Kelli Jerome, Executive Director, GEO Foundation For Sustainable Golf, added: “BGL’s commitment to sustainability is unwavering, and testament to their progressive nature as a group. They are the first multi-course operator to have all their facilities GEO Certified and all of them have continued to renew and track their progress year-on-year. They have also been setting new ambitious targets and engaging people across the organisation. This leadership shows they are taking the sustainable golf responsibility and opportunity seriously, and GEO Foundation has been very pleased to support, recognise, and share their commitment and results over nearly 10 years.”

Commenting on the achievement, BGL CEO Colin Mayes, said: “Sustainability is more important than ever, so we are continually striving to operate our clubs in the most environmentally sensitive ways possible. For our entire golf portfolio to have

Look out for monthly updates on Sustainability and Environment.

Latest News Ellie Davies from Ninja Warrior UK, Milton Keynes competed in the Junior World Cheerleading Championships in Orlando Florida this month representing the UK.

England Golf bring the Par 3 Ladies Championship to Ramsdale Park on the 10th August! The Championship consists of 18 holes on the Par 3 Lee Course. The winner of the stroke play competition shall be the competitor who returns the lowest net score over 18 holes.

Teams and individuals from around the world came to perform their routines in front of a panel of judges hoping to be crowned International Champions. We are delighted to announce that Ellie’s team won a GOLD medal! Congratulations Ellie!

FREE TICKETS

Be part of the crowd! ITV will be filming the latest Ninja Warrior series at Bedford NW from the 1st - 14th August and all BGL employees have access to FREE tickets to come and watch! To request your free tickets, email e.olley@bglcompany.co.uk today!

Welcome back Stacey! Mr Mulligan’s are thrilled to welcome back Basildon’s Stacey Rolland who returned on the 11th April after her maternity leave.

Baby Fever at Ramsdale Park Chef Tanaka Baby due May 2022 Sales Manager Tom Baby due October 2022 Pro, Ben Richardson – TWINS Babies due in couple of months Greenkeeper, James Wolfe Baby due end of 2022