UPTON HOUSE AND GARDENS IN WARWICKSHIRE
Julie Smith, Property Manager
Coming from a career with Marks and Spencer I never imagined somewhere like
this could lose almost £200,000 a year. We had 61,000 visitors, a great
picture and porcelain collection and 14 hectares (34 acres) of wonderful grounds.
So my top priority had to be finance. We needed 100,000 visitors to break even.
I knew from many years in business that increasing numbers by 64% could be delivered
only if everyone - staff and volunteers - was fully engaged right
from the start in every decision.
We seemed to be marketing Upton as an art gallery within a country house. That
put off many people who were looking for a good day out - they didn't
even realise we had a fantastic garden.
So we changed the name to Upton House and Gardens, and now present it as a
1930s multi-millionaire's estate. And we decided to target investment not just
on improving facilities or giving TLC to the buildings, but delivering what
people wanted - to feel more involved in the place as a living thing.
I've been startled by the energy and quality of the input from staff
and volunteers. Together we've reduced our deficit from £193,000
to £62,000. We're confident we'll reach our 100,000 visitor
break-even target by 2010/11.
It's about listening to visitors, not just cutting costs. We're
now open from March to January. And, so there's plenty to do when the
house is closed, we're converting a squash court into an exhibition and
conference centre, and creating winter garden walks.
The next big step is to develop Upton's human story. We're hoping
to welcome visitors as guests to a country-house weekend set in 1937, with a
piano playing, old newspapers lying around, and home-movies showing in the squash-courts.
I'm much freer to manage here than I've ever been before. I can apply my buss
expertise, knowing that at the heart of everything is the Trust's 'for ever,
for everyone' purpose. The feeling of empowerment is enormous.
