Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway – Audience Research Consultant

NATIONAL LOTTERY HERITAGE FUND 

WELSHPOOL & LLANFAIR LIGHT RAILWAY – COMMUNITY & CONNECTIONS 

AUDIENCE RESEARCH BRIEF 

Background

The Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway (W&LLR) was opened in 1903 to link the market town of Welshpool to the rural community of Llanfair Caereinion.  Built as a Light Railway to avoid some of the costs of railway construction, the narrow gauge allows for tight curves and steep gradients, enabling the line to follow the contours of the countryside.

The railway was closed in November 1956 but was rescued by a group of enthusiasts who restored and re-opened it as a tourist attraction.  The original locomotives were also preserved and are still maintained and operated by the WLLR along with several other locomotives acquired subsequently. The carriages too are special; those in regular use being from Hungary and Austria with access to the enclosed seating area via an open balcony – a great way to watch the world go by.

The W&LLR is a charity established to preserve the infrastructure of the historic Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway and to safeguard our collection of heritage steam locomotives, rolling stock and ancillary equipment for public and educational benefit.

Our railway is mainly volunteer operated, including engineering, rail operations, museum, commercial and visitor services.

Our principal activity and objects are to encourage and promote public interest in the preservation of steam and other railway locomotives and rolling stock of historical importance. We restore and maintain our collection in our engineering workshop at Llanfair Caereinion and operate our collection on our 2ft 6in gauge railway between Llanfair and Welshpool. We operate a small museum/visitor centre, ‘Llanfair Connections’ adjacent to Llanfair Station and hold a range of special events throughout the year.

In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the W&LLR we need to develop a long-term business plan which includes a broad range of activities which generate sufficient income to support all of our operating costs and provide a surplus to be invested in our infrastructure and public offers. We need to reach a broader and more diverse range of people than our traditional audience of railway enthusiasts and we need to develop a new Volunteering, Education and Community Engagement Strategy, maximising the contribution of volunteering and creating the next generation of active volunteers.  We need to develop and implement a programme of train operations, special events, education and community activities that add value and contribute to the WLLR values and objectives and meet the needs of this broader and more diverse audience. All of this needs to take into account the changing environment of ongoing coronavirus restrictions, political change and economic hardship.

This must be based on sound audience research, by an experienced professional, which identifies the needs of our existing community and the barriers to engagement for those who do not currently participate in our programmes.

The W&LLR has received a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to appoint an Audience Research Consultant to lead on the research and consultation necessary to produce a detailed Audience Development Plan which will inform our future business, activity and interpretation plans. 

Scope of Work

Our Audience Development Plan will be based on significant research of current and potential audiences and exploring barriers to audience engagement and the means of overcoming them.  It will identify key target audiences, their needs and expectations.

The Audience Research Consultant will:

• Plan and implement consultations with local communities, specialist groups, local educational organisations, volunteers, members of the public and other stakeholders in order to produce a body of evidence which will inform the Audience Development Plan. This may involve the recruitment and use of volunteers to assist in carrying out the consultations.
• Undertake desktop research and consultations with other similar organisations to supplement the audience research consultations and to inform an Audience Development Plan.
• Produce a detailed Audience Development Plan to inform our future business, activity, volunteering and interpretation plans, which:
  • Identifies the rationale for the existence of the W&LLR
  • Identifies existing audiences (internal and external)
  • Provides a profile of the existing audiences including age, gender and ethnicity
  • Identifies frequency of visit or train travel
  • Identifies who does not currently visit the W&LLR and explores why they do not visit, e.g. are not aware of our offers, feel excluded, it is not relevant to them, affordability, type of offering etc
  • Identifies what potential growth audiences exist and what specific requirements they have
  • Identifies how the specific services (two-hour trips, one hour trips, etc) and events we offer attract or dissuade specific audiences from coming.
  • Identifies how we can best reach and communicate with audiences so that they best engage with our charitable aim (visit, learning, etc).
  • Explores perceptions of value for money and how price impacts visitation
  • Explores potential sources of new volunteers and identifies their needs
  • Where they usually visit or travel to
  • What activities they usually participate in

• From the above research, identify who the main target audiences will be and make recommendations on the types of activity required to meet their needs.
• Make recommendations on how to reach the target audiences and liaise with the management team to ensure that the business, volunteering, activity and marketing plans focus on the target audiences (internal and external).

Project Team 

The Project Team consists of Steve Clews (Chairman), Charles Spencer/James Brett (General Manager), Helen Ashby (Trustee for Education & Heritage), Bob Mason (Financial Director), Iain McLean (Fundraising Director), Oliver Edwards (Product & Marketing Manager) Matthew Dawe (Community Development Officer) and Robert Robinson (Volunteer Liaison Officer).

The Audience Research Consultant will report to the Project Team.

Project Timescales 

The work will be carried out between the beginning of beginning of May 2021 and the end of October 2021.

Fee

c £11,000

Person Specification 

Knowledge:

Essential

• In-depth understanding of the Audience Development Planning Process
• In-depth understanding principles of sampling and survey design
• Good IT skills and the ability to use Microsoft Office

Desirable

• Educated to degree level or equivalent in a relevant subject

Experience:

Essential

• Experience of carrying out public consultations with a broad and diverse range of people
• Experience of producing Audience Development Plans
• Experience of a range of partnership working

Desirable

• Involvement with NLHF or other external funding streams
• Some previous experience with schools or other learning groups
• Experience of working with heritage railways or other specialist groups within the heritage field

Personal Skills:

Essential

• Good organisational skills
• Good presentational style
• Excellent concise written and verbal communication
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to involve all audiences

Aptitudes:

Essential

• Ability to think strategically, plan, coordinate and deliver projects
• Self-motivate ad able to work effectively on own with back-up from volunteer professionals
• Ability to consult effectively
• Excellent communication skills

To apply

To make an application, email Oliver Edwards on oliveredwardsmarketing@gmail.com 

The closing date is Friday 30 April.