Brief for Commercial Review July 2015

Transcription

1 Sheffield Students Union Brief for Commercial Review July About Sheffield Students Union Sheffield Students Union exists to represent, support, and enhance the lives of all University of Sheffield students. We were founded in 196 by students, for students, and today our student leaders continue the work of guiding and shaping our organisation to meet the demands of the ever changing membership. We provide activities and sport, entertainment, support and representation, as well as numerous outlets and services inside our extensive Students Union building. We are recognised as leaders in our field, and have been ranked Number 1 Students Union in the UK in the Times Higher Education Student Experience Awards, for the past seven years running. We have also been awarded Gold in the national Students Union Evaluation Initiative scheme; one of only four Students Unions to share this accolade. In the annual National Student Survey, our members consistently rate their satisfaction with us the highest of any Students Union in the country. The University of Sheffield Students Union is democratically run by students, for students, with all of our students automatically enrolled as members when they join the University. To really bring this to life, our members elect eight students to work full time in the SU for one year as Officers. Through their various work remits, they get involved in all aspects of the Students Union s operations. Involving students in running our activities, planning our future and leading the organisation is the key to us keeping fresh and connected. The eight Student Officers collectively form the Student Executive Committee, taking effective responsibility for the day to day operation of the organisation via a number of student working committees and a staff team which, at peak, numbers in excess of 85. A Students Union Council of 54 elected students provides direction, support and oversees the work of the Student Executive Committee. Over 1, other students hold official positions and are directly involved in the running of the working committees, societies and sports clubs. We are an unincorporated association registered as a charity. The Board of Trustees is responsible for the governance and financial & strategic management of the Students Union. The Board is made up of eight Students Union Officers, five Student Trustees and four External Trustees. The eight officers are also the Directors of SUSU Services Ltd, which operates our non-mutual trading. We represent the collective voice of 26, students within the University, locally and nationally, and we actively campaigns on issues on their behalf. Our Student Advice Centre provides advice, support and academic representation to assist our students. We boast a fantastic modern building featuring cafes, shops, bars and an activities and sports zone where students can join over 4 sports clubs and societies and other student led services, activities and campaigns. Students also provide award winning student media in the form of TV, radio, online and print journalism; all of which enable our students to easily get involved in their Students Union. More than 2,5 of our members are in leadership positions within the organisation. Inside the building, every evening the Students Union has something different on offer; from club nights to film screenings, live music, theatrical performances and talks. We work closely with the University to achieve a world class student experience for those studying at the University of Sheffield. The University is a long-established research intensive member of the Russell Group. Information about the University can be found on their website: Page 1

2 The Students Union is accessible in the building, of course, through our website and social media sites (Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for example) and wherever our students are active. 2. Our Strategy 216 Our strategy 216 includes clarity about our purpose and the vision we have for the Students Union in 216: Purpose - To represent, support and enhance the lives of University of Sheffield students. Vision - We will be recognised as a leading Students Union: exciting, dynamic and studentled. Values - We will be Democratic A Global Community Ambitious, Innovative and Creative Collaborative Sustainable Environmentally and Socially Responsible Diverse and Inclusive Fair and Accessible Independent 3. About our Trading Operations Sheffield Students Union provides a wide range of trading services for its members. We are hugely successful in the SU sector and our NPS scores show high satisfaction levels amongst our students and other customers. However, in common with national trends, some of our sales have been in decline in recent years and it is timely for us to review what areas we are involved in and what avenues we should explore to grow our trade, sustainability and income. We are looking for someone to undertake a thorough review of our trading activities with a fresh pair of eyes. Sheffield has been at the forefront of commercial developments in the Students Union sector for many decades. This has allowed us to build up our operations over many years so we are in the enviable position of providing significant and popular trading services to our members. Over recent years, changes to university funding, licensing laws and student lifestyles have led to a decline in our revenues especially in the formerly highly profitable licensed trade. We have always sought to diversify our offer to ensure we can maintain income levels. Sadly the changes over the past 5-1 years have led to a significant fall in revenue. Our turnover currently stands at over 5.5m with a contribution (net surplus) of over 8k. The chart below shows how turnover in bars, catering and shops has declined in recent years. It is worth noting that for the years the building we occupy underwent significant refurbishment which entailed closing or relocating many of our services. This particularly had an impact in , which is now largely recovered. The charts in Appendix 1 Commercial Breakdown by Service show clearly that the total decline is mainly due to reductions in Bars turnover. Catering has achieved higher sales than before the building work and retail is close to exceeding the previous highs. The total net profit remains below the peak of Page 2

3 6,, TOTAL 5,, 4,, 3,, 2,, 1,, In terms of governance and finances, most of our trading operates through the Students Union; although where we predominantly trade with non-students (eg advertising sales and childcare provision) we operate through a trading subsidiary, SUSU Services Ltd, which gift-aids any profits back to the SU. 4. The Brief We want to understand how to improve our performance in the operations we currently run and what new markets we should explore. The outcome of this review should be a series of reports which articulate the following: Current performance o Review of how effective our current operations are, in terms of market share, profitability and member satisfaction; o Identification of opportunities to grow trade or reduce costs; o Relevance of the outlet brands to the (current and future) student market; o Potential revenue opportunities; o Potential for enhancing our values driven social enterprises. New operations o An assessment of which new operations are worth exploring and establishing; o Potential revenue opportunities; o Potential for enhancing our values driven social enterprises. Outputs o Thorough review of student spending and related opportunities for us; o Assessment of the student markets we currently operate in, approximate market share and strategies for growth; o Proposed improvements to our staffing structure to support the developments identified; o Proposals to ensure the best use of our spaces; o Explore and prioritise opportunities arising from the Potential Partnership Projects with the university. The Students Union has a wealth of talent within the staff team, including experienced commercial operators, data & research support and marketing. These colleagues will provide valuable assistance to you during the review, including access to information about our current customers. Page 3

4 5. Our Requirements We have assessed the likely attributes of the individual or team we appoint and identified the following as key: 1. A strong affinity with our work and values, in particular a commitment to Diversity and promoting Equality and Ethical & Environmental improvements in service delivery. 2. Sound track record of recognising and implementing successful business development opportunities and of creating and setting up new commercial operations. 3. Experience of making a positive impact at a senior managerial level within a related sector with extensive experience of managing trading services successfully. 4. Experience of developing strategic marketing plans for trading activity. 5. Experience of allocating and managing budgets/resources. 6. Enthused by digital opportunities and competent in the use and application of technology. 7. Proven track record of delivering service excellence every day. 8. Ability to provide clear direction and inspirational leadership. 9. Excellent communication, interpersonal and negotiation skills with proven ability to influence and persuade at all levels. 1. Successful track record of change management projects. 11. Evidence of impactful report and proposal writing. We have a fixed budget of 3, for the work which we expect to be complete within 6 months of starting. We welcome submissions for full or part time working, with one individual or a team. We are happy to appoint on a fixed term employment contract, or through a SLA or other contract. Secondments from other organisations are also an option for us. 6. Your submission We are seeking submissions to this brief which describe the following; a. How you would approach the brief and what the tangible outcomes would be. b. CVs/biographies of who will work with us. c. References at least two to inform your previous impacts. d. Evidence of your commitment to supporting our values, in particular sustainable services and equality & diversity. e. Detail of the nature of support and information you will need to be successful in this brief. f. Your price for the work and suggested contractual arrangement Please forward your submission to su-chief-executive@sheffield.ac.uk by the deadline of midday on Friday 11 September. We will review the submissions and hold interviews to discuss the proposals more in early September. For an informal discussion contact Jaki Booth, Chief Executive, on or suchief-executive@sheffield.ac.uk before 8 August or after 27 August. Page 4

5 Appendix 1 Commercial Breakdown by Service Retail 1,6, 1,4, 1,2, 1,, 8, 6, 4, 2, ,4, 1,2, 1,, 8, 6, 4, 2, Catering ,5, 3,, 2,5, 2,, 1,5, 1,, 5, Bars Page 5