Background
Burnley FC in the Community (BFCitC) is the award-winning, official charity of Burnley Football Club, which recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary. The charity’s efforts are channelled into three key areas: Football, Sport and Education, Welfare and Inclusion and Community Facilities and its highly skilled, dynamic, and passionate team now deliver over 50 community projects.
Challenge
BFCitC operates both The Leisure Box – an old warehouse has been transformed into a state of the art, 133,000 square foot leisure facility – and the Whitehough Outdoor Centre, a 22-acre outdoor education facility nestled in the enchanting Pendle countryside.
Both facilities serve a range of clientele, including children and vulnerable adults, so it was vital that users and staff felt safe and protected when visiting these premises.
It was also important to ensure tight security at these venues when not in use.
Ben Bottomley, Head of Partnerships & Fundraising for BFCiTC, said: “We needed to find a partner who could quickly understand, and be responsive to the needs of a fast paced, dynamic organisation that has families involved daily.”
Knowing that Thorne Fire & Security looked after Burnley Football Club well, discussions between the two began and a solution was sought.
“We needed to find a partner who could quickly understand, and be responsive to the needs of a fast paced, dynamic organisation that has families involved daily.”
Knowing that Thorne Fire & Security looked after Burnley Football Club well, discussions between the two began and a solution was sought.
Solution
Hadrian Thorne, Managing Director of Thorne Fire & Security, said: “Both facilities are very different. The Leisure Box sits in the heart of the busy town of Brierfield and opens daily but not overnight, while Whitehough is in a remote part of the area and provides overnight accommodation to the likes of school and corporate groups.”
They agreed that both sites required a full-service approach, which includes:
Fire alarms and extinguishers
Ensuring that suitable emergency fire detection/fighting equipment is provided on each premises
CCTV
Providing early warning against intrusion and visual verification of alarm activation
Intruder alarms
Providing early warning against intrusion of the premises
Access control
Protecting each facility from unauthorised entry
Monitoring and maintenance
Ensuring that your systems are in good working order
The systems work together to ensure 24/7 security and supervision across the two sites, which gives staff and customers peace of mind.
Result
Ben Bottomley, Head of Partnerships & Fundraising for BFCiTC, said: “We have worked with Thorne successfully for a number of years now and we have developed a very strong working partnership.
“It’s been very clear from the outset that the Thorne team offer so much more than just their products. They offer exceptional customer care and we know we can call them anytime if we have an issue and they’ll be on to it straight away.
“But more than that, Thorne have become a living, breathing part of what we do. They attend our events, they support our fundraising and they instil a passion for BFCitC within their team.
Ben concluded: