Our Economic Impact2016/17

Our vision is to be the lifeblood of the local economy, to enhance the lives of the people of Oxfordshire, to share this magnificent Palace and to conserve and protect it for future generations.

We are in year two of our ambitious 10 year plan, which underpins everything we are doing at Blenheim and involves everyone and every area of the Estate. The plan will revolutionise virtually every aspect of our Oxfordshire World Heritage Site.

The goals include tripling the Estate’s contribution to the local economy, housing 300 families in truly affordable homes, becoming one of the UK’s top 100 employers, training over 100 apprentices, and doubling our charitable contributions.

We believe there is no possible vision for a successful and flourishing Blenheim which does not depend on a flourishing and successful set of communities around it – and the same is true in reverse.

Last year we asked Oxford Brookes Business School to capture the economic impact of Blenheim so that we can measure and track our progress in achieving our 10 year goals.

Understanding the scale of our economy and gaining insight into those of our activities which generate the highest contribution to the local economy is critical to this ambitious goal.

We are very proud to set out, for the first time, this robust and comprehensive statement of Blenheim’s economic contribution to our area.

“

”Dominic Hare CEO

The full Blenheim economic impact survey can

be found at blenheimpalace.com/economicimpact

Blenheim’s economic impact was captured by Oxford Brookes Business School

The study encompasses the breadth of Blenheim

Operational Partners

This report uses the following terms which are defined below: • Gross domestic product (GDP) is the principal means of determining the

health of the UK economy

• Total economic impact comprises the direct, indirect and induced impact

that Blenheim has on the UK economy, in terms of the contribution to GDP

and jobs created/supported

• Direct economic impact captures the economic stimulus provided by

Blenheim itself, as well as the businesses supplying Blenheim with goods

and services

• Indirect economic impact refers to the economic stimulus provided by

Blenheim and the businesses supplying goods and services when they

procure goods from their supply chain

• Induced economic impact refers to consumer spending by those directly

employed by Blenheim and the direct supply chain

• Gross value added (GVA) is the contribution made by Blenheim to Gross

Domestic Product (GDP)

• Jobs supported refers to those directly employed by Blenheim, as well as

the jobs created in the wider economy as a result of our economic impact

• Local means within a 20 mile radius of Blenheim Palace

For data accuracy, 12 months data was collected across two timelines and covers from Jan-Dec 2016 & April 2016-March 2017

Visitor Business

Mineral Water

Renewable Energy

Construction & Property

Farming & Game

Trusts

Conferences & Hospitality

In-house Catering through Searcys

Events

600,000 paying

visitors come to Blenheim

every year; many enjoy

spending time in the local area

We employ 7 apprentices

Visitors to Blenheim Palace have a total economic impact of

£34.3m GVA to the UK economy

4,912 jobs

supported by Blenheim

£12.1m GVA

is the direct economic

contribution of Blenheim

We directly spend £16.9mwith UK suppliers

£17.4m GVA total economic impact generated by Blenheim’s operational partners such as catering and events

36% of our supplier spend is within a 20 mile radius of Blenheim

£71.8m GVA

total economic impact from

direct operations of Blenheim

Headline Facts & Figures

£1.1m of charitable

donations raised or made

by Blenheim

307 staff are directly employed

by Blenheim

£89.2m GVA

total economic impact

of Blenheim

147 staff are

directly employed by our

in-house caterers, Searcys

£13m GVA is the

economic contribution made

from expenditure on goods

and services by Blenheim

We drive economic growth within our local communities and across the UK

Direct economic contribution of Blenheim

£12.1mGVAis directly generated to the UK economy

We directly generate

£12.1m GVAwhich is the sum of employment costs and surplus on operations before depreciation and interest costs

307 staff are directly employed by Blenheim

£6.5m GVA

is generated directly from other areas including construction, property, hospitality, farming and renewable energy

£5.6m GVA is generated directly from Blenheim Palace visitor business

We spend with UK suppliers on goods and services

£4.7m

We provide a healthy boost to the economy.

It is our duty to support local suppliers, and

spending locally is important to us.

We are committed to all our suppliers, and to

building long lasting, positive and profitable

partnerships.

is spent with local suppliers

St George’s Studio has supplied military

figurines to Blenheim for over 36 years, and

they can be purchased in the East Courtyard

Shop, located in the Visitor Centre.

CASE STUDY

“With its strong military connection, Blenheim has proved an ideal outlet for my work.

I would find it very difficult, if not impossible, to carry on trading anywhere else. I have an excellent working relationship with the retail team.”Dino Lemonofides, Owner of St George’s Studio

St George’s Studio

We directly spend

£16.9m with UK suppliers

£4.7m (36% of

our spend) is within a

20 mile radius of Blenheim

2,910 jobs

are supported by this

spend across the UK

1,049 of these

jobs are within a 20 mile

radius of Blenheim

Our spend with suppliers contributes £13m GVA to the UK economy

£

307staff are directly employed by Blenheim

We create jobslocally and nationally

We invest in peoplethrough apprenticeships and training

We off er a stunning and unique place to work

and are proud to be a major employer in

Oxfordshire, with a large and diverse team.

*Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR 2014)

We employ

7 apprenticesWe provide workshops,

training and excellent

benefi ts for all our staff

On average, apprentices

are also more likely to be

found in stable and longer

term employment*

For every £1 invested in

apprenticeships the national

economy gains £21 in terms

of return on investment*

307 staff are directly employed by Blenheim

147 staff at Blenheim are directly

employed by our in-house

catering partner, Searcys

“I have been working at Blenheim as an apprentice for five months and I have gained valuable experience and qualifi cations. Th e team have been welcoming and supportive, and have encouraged me to achieve more than I imagined.”Will Thompson, Apprentice at Blenheim

4,912 jobs

are supported by Blenheim

Our visitors spend money in the local areas

Blenheim is surrounded by beautiful and welcoming communities, which our visitors love

to spend time in, often buying gifts, eating in restaurants or staying overnight. Their spend

outside Blenheim helps stimulate and support local businesses, enabling us to grow and

prosper together.

Multi-day visitors account for 13.7% of our paying visitors.

600,000

paying visitors

£152 on accommodation

£42 on gifts in local shops

£69 on other items

£25 on travel to and from Blenheim Palace

£48 on food and drinks in cafés and restaurants

During their trip, they spend

£336 on average, outside Blenheim

£34.3m GVA is generated

965 jobs are supported because of the impact of visitor spending

The Feathers Hotel

is set in the heart of

Woodstock. It has 21

individually designed

bedrooms and a

highly regarded

restaurant.

CASE STUDY

“We consider our proximity to Blenheim Palace to be one of our strongest selling points. Guests come from far and wide to visit Blenheim, and many stay with us for several nights to explore the surrounding area as part of their stay. We certainly see higher demand for bedrooms when there is a large event taking place, and we also welcome many guests for lunch or afternoon tea as part of their day out when visiting the Palace.”Dominique Ghislain, Manager at The Feathers Hotel

The Feathers Hotel

300high quality, truly aff ordable homes

Our 10 year goal

Our 10 year goal is to deliver 300 high

quality, truly aff ordable homes of which

communities can be proud.

We will support these new homes with

infrastructure, and invest in schools and

a doctor’s surgery.

We create aff ordable homesthrough our investment in residential developments

27 homes have been built at Home Farm in Bladon, of which fi ve are aff ordable, six have been sold on the open market, and 16 have

been let on the open market

Blenheim construction

projects contribute

£9.5m GVA

Supporting

133 jobs

Our catering and event partners add to the overall economic impact

Economic impact of our caterers Searcys

We host a wide variety of exciting events all year round. Managed

by external partners these events support the local economy,

directly by employing local people and making use of the

immediate infrastructure, and indirectly through visitor spending

both inside and outside of Blenheim.

Our figures are demonstrative of the direct impact of the event

itself, but the actual contribution of visitors, exhibitors and those

who came to the event and stayed in the area is probably several

times this amount; measuring exact indirect impact was beyond

the scope of this study.

Economic impact of our events

* We have only measured events that attract more than 25,000 visitors

£17.4mGVA total economic impact of our business partners

Countryfile Live saw 125,000 visitors

generating £9.9m

GVA and supporting

246 jobs

Blenheim International Horse Trials saw 45,000 visitors

generating £2.9m GVA

and supporting

79 jobs

£12.8m GVA contribution from events at Blenheim, supporting 325 jobs*

Searcys directly employ

147 staff£4.6m GVA contribution from Searcys,

supporting 220 jobs

CASE STUDY

“Blenheim is a friendly, honest company with a committed team that shares a common goal of creating the best product for customers whilst being open and true with suppliers. Working with Blenheim reinforces our commitment and procurement policy to source from local and regional areas. The relationship is 50:50; there’s mutual respect between the companies, and it’s fun!” Matthew Alden, Managing Director at Aldens Butchers

Aldens - Oxford’s oldest butcher

`

We have a long history of raising and donating money to charitable causes. We also

support charities by offering complimentary passes, educational talks & tours, and

goods from the Estate.

We support charities through raising money and donations made at Blenheim

£1.1m raised or donations made

• Bloodwise

• British Heart Foundation

• Pink Ribbon Walk• Royal British Legion • WWF UK• Oxford Historic Churches• Helen & Douglas House

£26,300 imputed value of facilities provided

£913,050

• Visits & guided tours to local schools and educational institutions

£99,200 £16,300• Complimentary passes • Other local donations

£11,010

£1.1mraised or donations made

“We were delighted to be chosen as the 2017 Blenheim Charity of the Year. The fundraising contributions provide vital support for people in the local area with cancer, and their family and friends. We are grateful for all the hard work that the staff at Blenheim have put into the partnership as it has made a huge difference.” Pip Dingle, Fundraising Manager at Maggie’s Oxford Centre

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GVA Contribution

Employment Supported

Direct economic contribution of Blenheim £12.1m 307

Impact of Blenheim expenditure on supplies £13m 2,910

Impact of staff expenditure £2.9m 52

Impact of visitor spending £34.3m 965

Impact of construction investment £9.5m 133

Total impact of direct operations of Blenheim £71.8m 4,367

Impact of Searcys at Blenheim £4.6m 220

Impact of Countryfile Live at Blenheim £9.9m 246

Impact of Blenheim International Horse Trials £2.9m 79

Total impact of business partner operations at Blenheim £17.4m 545

Collated total impact of Blenheim £89.2m 4,912

We’re working hard to do more than ever for our local communities, and this economic impact survey is the first step to measuring how well we are doing on our journey.

We’re proud to be part of the local communities and to invest in the economic, social and cultural life of those who share it now and for generations to come.

Summary

£89.2m GVA total economic impact of Blenheim

£17.4m GVA total economic impact generated by Blenheim’s operational partners, such as catering and events

£71.8m GVA total economic impact of direct operations of Blenheim

“

”Dominic Hare CEO

Build high quality,

aff ordable homes

for 300 families

Become a net generator of

green energy

Reacquire or borrow

key works from the Palace’s lost collections

Secure endowment of

£45 million to conserve

our World Heritage Site

TRIPLE our economic contribution to the local area

Complete

£40 million of vital restoration work

Our 10 Year GoalsOur 10 year goals refl ect our core purpose, which is to be the lifeblood of the local economy, to enhance the lives of

the people of Oxfordshire, to share this magnifi cent Palace, and to conserve and protect it for future generations.

Train over

100 NEW apprentices in roles

across the Estate

Achieve annualpaying visitor

numbers in excess of

750,000

DOUBLE our charitable

contributions tothe community

Become oneof the UK’s

TOP 100 employers

The Blenheim economic impact survey 2016/2017 was undertaken by Oxford Brookes Business School www.brookes.ac.uk/business