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Bristol Community Ferry BoatsCommunity Aboard Final Evaluation January 2019

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Bristol Community Ferry BoatsCommunity Aboard Final Evaluation January 2019

Written on behalf of Bristol Community Ferry Boats by:

Iridescent Ideas CICwww.iridescentideas.com

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Contents1. Executive summary........................................................................................................................................52. Introduction..................................................................................................................................................103. Methodology.................................................................................................................................................114. Power to Change outcomes..........................................................................................................................134.1 PtC outcome one – Improved educational programme................................................................................134.2 PtC outcome two – Improved skills and improved employability linked to training.....................................174.3 PtC outcome three – Improved volunteering opportunities.........................................................................234.4 PtC outcome four – Reduced isolation.........................................................................................................265. Recommendations.......................................................................................................................................30

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“”Bristol harbour really wouldn’t be the same without the ferries!Volunteer

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1.Executive summaryPower to Change (PtC) awarded Bristol Community Ferry Boats (BCFB) a grant to develop a community outreach programme for volunteers, trainees and schools. The project was called ‘Community Aboard’ and ran from November 2016 to November 2018. Iridescent Ideas CIC (IICIC) was appointed to evaluate the project. The Community Aboard programme helped the organisation develop:

1. An improved offer to schools and educational partners.

2. More and better volunteering experiences.3. An enhanced crew and skipper training

programme.4. Its capacity to reach out to more people through

a variety of partnerships and events.

This report summarises the progress of the project. It combines BCFB’s own statistical data on people who took part in all aspects of the project along with feedback from a range of surveys and deeper qualitative information from attendees, partner organisations and stakeholders.

Iridescent Ideas evaluated progress towards four specific outcomes developed at the beginning of the project:

Outcome 1: Improved educational programme

Outcome 2: Improved skills and improved employability linked to training

Outcome 3: Improved volunteering opportunities Outcome 4: Reduced isolation

A fifth outcome of the project was linked to reduced pollution from a new boat. This has not been evaluated in this report.

Summary

All the data sources we have reviewed show that the Community Aboard project has been a great success. Three of the four outcome areas were definitely achieved and a fourth was almost certainly achieved. Some highlights:

The schools programme doubled with around 4,500 young people attending 150 school trips on the ferries.

96% of people on the school trips (both teachers and students) were satisfied or highly satisfied with the content and relevancy of the online resources.

Crew and skipper training was a great success with strong evidence of improved employability and skills. A total of 38 people completed the training - 92% of trainees said that they felt more employable after the training, and 95% said that they improved their customer service skills and other practical skills.

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The volunteering programme increased numbers and quality. Volunteers increased from 7 to 23 and the quotes and case studies paint a picture of a great team with people enjoying participating in events and learning about the harbour and the ferries. Furthermore, the evidence also points to crossover with outcome four around reducing isolation for volunteers.

An outreach programme was created with increased diversity and reach – over a third of people attending had not been on the ferries before.

What worked well?

The more in-depth qualitative surveys showed that BCFB can be proud of its high standards of customer service and its commitment to staff, trainees and volunteers. The ferries are seen as an integral part of the harbour and are well engaged in a wide range of events and activities that help makes Bristol a vibrant city. Furthermore, the BCFB team was found to be adaptable, friendly and accessible.

What could be improved?

There were very few critical comments received. Constructive feedback included some comments that the organisation could develop better use of technology and adopt some improved systems and procedures for ticket sales. Enhanced marketing of the services would also help gain more customers. Data collection for one area of the project was

unfortunately hit by a computer issue – a better backup system may have helped.

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Case study: Elaine’s story

Elaine’s journey with BCFB started in January 2017. She was new to Bristol and on her first day in the city she decided to hop on one of the ferryboats for a trip. She spent 80 minutes going around the harbour on a very cold winter day. She said, “I loved the boats from that moment!”

Elaine’s sister and friends all took ferry trips when they came to stay. Elaine’s sister said, “This would be a good job for you!” and so the seed was sown. Elaine was then excited to see that BCFB were advertising for crew training. She applied and was delighted to get an interview. She enjoyed the training but sadly wasn’t successful in making the last six. However, it was suggested that she could volunteer. She said, “As I was so passionate about the boats, to be involved in any way was success in my eyes!”

She had had a turbulent few years and coming to Bristol was a major new start in her life. She says, “ It is no exaggeration to say that BCFB and all the wonderful people I have met have made me feel that I truly belong somewhere once again and can be useful once more. It’s been a huge part of making Bristol feel like home. I have also become great friends with fellow volunteers and long may that continue. I have had the best two evenings ever in Bristol courtesy of BCFB: swimming fully clothed after the litter pick and dancing madly on Matilda after Harbour Fest. I was truly happy and it has been a long time since I had such joyous fun. Thank you all who sail/volunteer/work at BCFB for making me feel so welcome and a part of something so special.”

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“”The ferry trip always brings things alive for our students. It gives them a context, and the anecdotal stories and evidence really help to cement the theory.School teacher

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Page | 9Clean-up day

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2.IntroductionBristol Community Ferry Boats (BCFB) is a Community Benefit Society that runs the famous yellow and blue ferries on the waterways in and around Bristol. It is a co-operative, social enterprise and is owned by nearly 900 community shareholders.

Power to Change funded BCFB to develop their Community Aboard outreach programme and to build a new environmentally friendly boat.

Iridescent Ideas CIC was appointed to evaluate the project.

Objectives of evaluation

BCFB wished to evaluate the Community Aboard project to report to Power to Change, to help develop its services and to prove its worth to other funders and partners.

The outcomes of the Community Aboard project were:

Outcome 1: Improved educational programme Outcome 2: Improved skills and improved

employability linked to training Outcome 3: Improved volunteering opportunities Outcome 4: Reduced isolation/increased

diversity*

*The original aim of this part of the programme was to reach more older people. However, outcome was broadened to ‘reduced isolation’ after summer 2017 when BCFB found they already had a large percentage of older people using their services. This meant BCFB could offer more diverse opportunities to a wider range of people.

A further outcome linked to the overall project was the building of a new boat. This has not been evaluated in this report – we have focussed on the outreach work.

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3.Methodology The evaluation used qualitative and quantitative methods including: feedback surveys (both ‘pre’ and ‘post’ engagement with the project), qualitative surveys with beneficiaries and stakeholders, and statistical analysis of data captured by BCFB. This allows a rich picture to be built up of the programme and also provided a measure of triangulation - allowing verification of data through cross-referencing different sources.

To ensure the evaluation captured information to report on the PtC outcomes, Iridescent Ideas CIC:

1. Created an evaluation framework, which mapped outcomes and indicators to sources of data.

2. Set up online data collection tools for BCFB to survey those attending the project.

3. Performed analysis of the start and end data to produce statistics showing change among participants.

4. Conducted qualitative surveys with six people including staff, teachers, volunteers and other stakeholders.

About the quantitative dataDuring the Community Aboard project each person attending the project was asked to complete pre and

post engagement surveys which enabled us to look at the difference made from a baseline point. Data was entered into an online survey tool. The measurement tools used were:

BCFB Schools survey (272 responses) BCFB pre-evaluation volunteers survey (23

responses) BCFB post-evaluation volunteers survey (9

responses) Skipper training pre-evaluation survey (1

response) Skipper training post-evaluation survey (1

response) BCFB Crew training day pre-evaluation survey

(13 responses) BCFB Crew training day post-evaluation survey

(12 responses) BCFB post-evaluation Crew survey (19

responses)

We also evaluated statistics and data provided by BCFB.

Qualitative researchIridescent Ideas CIC conducted seven more detailed paper surveys to evaluate the project. We received responses from beneficiaries of the project, teachers, volunteers, crew and other stakeholders. We asked interviewees to give us their views on the impact of

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the project, what had worked well, what could be improved and any further comments.

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Page | 13Black History Month

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4.Power to Change outcomes4.1 PtC outcome one – Improved educational programmeThe Community Aboard programme aimed to improve the educational programme and experience with BCFB. We gathered quantitative and qualitative data from an online survey, the organisation’s own statistics and paper survey returns from teachers and other partners.

Core statistics

Around 150 school trips to c50 schools were delivered during the evaluation period. An estimated total of 4,500 young people were supported on the trips. This is around double the previous year’s provision.

Feedback survey

In total 272 responses to the feedback survey were received. 173 of these were described as ‘regular’ trips, 18 as ‘interactive’ and 77 as ‘extra’ trips.

140 of the surveys were completed by students and 126 were completed by teachers. 6 had no answer or were skipped.

The survey asked how satisfied participants were with various aspects of the trip on a scale of one to five

where one equalled least satisfied and five equals most satisfied. We have grouped scores of four and five in the analysis below.Key findings of the data were:

92% were satisfied or most satisfied with how good the presenter was.

91% enjoyed the trips. 87% were satisfied or very satisfied with how

relevant and useful the content of commentary on the trip.

96% were satisfied or most satisfied with the content and relevancy of the online resources.

75% were satisfied or most satisfied with looking at old photos of the Port of Bristol.

Direct con-tact (email,

poster, leaflet, etc)

Internet search

Other Repeat trips Underfall Yard

Word of mouth

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

How did you find out about the trip?

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Favourite part of the trip:

All of it

Being on a boat

Buildings,/

bridges/t

unnels

General exp

erience

General learning

Guide/commentary

History

Other

SS Great B

ritain

Views0

10203040506070

Favourite bit?

Positive comments included:

“Maps were brilliant.” “Presenter was very clear, the children liked the

flags.” “Brilliant commentary!” “Commentary was really linked to the spec!

Used online resources, very useful.” “Really great and accessible for our disabled

students.” “Enjoyable even in the wet!”

Constructive criticism included:

“Photos could have been circulated to children.” “Sometimes hard to hear.” “Prefer the boat where the commentary is in the

boat.”

Other relevant statistics:

100% of teachers who answered the question (117) said they would book a trip again.

Qualitative survey responses

We received four responses to our paper qualitative survey. These were from teachers and partners who had been involved in the programme. Feedback from these was universally positive. Comments included:

“BCFB has provided an excellent way of both teachers and children to engage with Bristol’s heritage.”

“I really appreciate the bespoke nature of what they do for schools.”

“It would be wonderful if BCFB could be subsidised to make them more affordable for schools.”

“BCFB was very open to collaboration and very supportive. They provided a high-quality heritage experience for schools.”

“[The impact has been] considerable – the trip brings things alive for our students. It gives

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them a context and the anecdotal stories and evidence really helps to cement the theory.”

“BCFB make a point of adapting their materials to support what we are trying to focus on in the classroom.”

“Their flexibility has been great.” “Excellent knowledge and resources.”

Other outcomes achieved

Six of BCFB’s existing presenters were trained in new material and two people were trained in doing commentary on educational trips.

PtC funding enabled BCFB to develop partnerships with other educational providers, forums and organisations. This helped raise the profile of the ferries considerably and led to many fruitful joint initiatives.

BCFB found that the ability to provide some formal and informal training with staff was been a great advantage. 

Summary: Improved educational programme

The evidence we have evaluated shows the educational programme has expanded considerably and is of high quality. The satisfaction findings from students and teachers are very high and feedback from qualitative information was universally positive.

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“”The ferries provided an excellent way for both teachers and children to engage with Bristol’s heritage.Partner organisation

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4.2 PtC outcome two – Improved skills and improved employability linked to training

The Community Aboard programme aimed to improve the training and employment aspects of BCFB. We gathered quantitative and qualitative data from start and end point online surveys, the organisation’s own statistics and qualitative paper survey returns from crew and trainees.

Core statistics

Improved skills

95% said they improved their customer service skills.

95% improved their practical skills. 90% improved their knowledge of Bristol. 92% were confident around safety and practice

for small passenger vessels. 92% were confident at rope skills.

Improved employability

100% of participants said they were more likely to actively search for work on or near the water.

92% said that they felt more employable after the training.

Crew training

Four free training courses were run. These were a unique, original two-day inland waterway competent crew training course that followed RYA and MCA guidelines.

A total of 38 people completed the training. 21 of these were under 25 years old. 14 of these currently work for BCFB and three volunteer for BCFB.

Two people found similar work elsewhere. 38 award certificates were issued.

Staff training

45 of current staff and newly trained participants have also taken part in further training, entailing at least one day up river and extra emergency training.

35 current onboard crew and skippers received guidance and any further training as necessary to suit their needs.

Skipper training

Three new skippers have been trained. Further training on different vessels has and is

also being provided.

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Five more skippers were being inducted at the time of writing.

Community training

11 people from local businesses have been trained in first aid and bespoke conflict training.

Expectations

19 people responded to the question, ‘How were your expectations of the course realised?’ 68% of people said ‘exceeded’, 32% said ‘about right’.

How did the training improve your general confidence in the following areas?

Working closely with others = 100% showed reasonable to excellent improvement (score 3 to 5)

Customer service skills = 95% improved Knowledge of Bristol = 90% improved Practical skills = 95% improved

After the training how likely are you to:

Apply for similar schemes = 68% (score 4 or 5) Actively search for work on or near the water =

100%

How did you find the content of the training?

Speed of delivery = 79% excellent or good Amount = 89% excellent or good Quality = 100% excellent Variety of learning methods = 95% excellent or

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How useful were the teaching methods?

Handouts = 68% excellent or good Practical exercises = 100% excellent Class discussions = 79% excellent or good Shadowing = 100% excellent or good

Rating the trainer

Knowledge of subject / activity = 100% excellent

Creating interest in subject / activity = 100% excellent or good

Understanding your needs = 95% excellent or good

Responding to questions = 100% excellent or good

Welcoming = 95% excellent or good

Rating of following areas

Administration and enrolment = 100% excellent or good

Room / Venue = 83% excellent or good Convenience (time/location) = 79% excellent or

good Facilities PPE = 89% excellent or good Flexibility of scheme = 100% excellent or good Welcoming environment = 95% excellent or

good

How confident are you about your ability?

Manage your own schedule = 100% excellent or good

Deal with difficult passengers = 43% good Be assertive and use your own initiative = 71%

excellent or good Stay calm in an emergency = 71% excellent or

good Work well in a team = 86% excellent or good.

Positive comments

“Nothing else to add - a brilliant experience and really pleased I've had the chance to be part of it.”

“A really great course, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Thank you so much!!! Very interesting, excellent opportunity to refresh first aid etc. Everybody super nice/friendly/sympathetic/fun, the work is hard but there is a definite sense of working in a unit, together. Would highly recommend.”

“Great fun & very informative!” “Very fun, practical, understanding and

informative -motivating training by a great team. Lots of information that at first seems overwhelming but the trainers put the confidence in you that it gets easier with practice and that there is a support system of skippers and staff and documents and further training.”

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“Rosie & Biddy's delivery was the best! Really, patient, approachable, very knowledgeable. Thank you - beyond that I can't think of anything else.”

“Had a great day, loved learning all the interesting stuff.” “If I get a job I would be ecstatic, and if not I had an amazing day.”

“Best training and most fun I've had in ages.” “Extremely enjoyable, educational and exciting

all round. It is very difficult to imagine how it could be done differently or better.” 

“All top notch! Staff very welcoming and helpful; course times very flexible so easily able to attend at a convenient time. Very well organised.” 

“A massive THANK YOU for the wonderful training you have offered over the last three weeks. It has been an honour to learn from the Ferry Family; a group of individuals so passionate and enthusiastic about working on the water. I have learnt so much from you all and have fallen in love with Bristol again. So thank you all for being so patient, honest, caring and jolly. The training given was absolutely excellent and made even better by the amazing staff willing to help.”

Constructive criticism

“If it could be condensed into fewer, longer days it would be easier financially.”

“Perhaps bit more explicit structure to parts of the training. Anecdotal stories are incredibly

useful but if structure of what we were learning is not set out, it makes them hard to follow”

“For some participants in the training some discussion could be covered on how these skills are transferable to other employment/ ways to progress in same field.”

“Possible increased hours shadowing.” “Possibly more clarity about whether we were

being assessed for employability and if trainees would be offered work at the end of the training.”

Summary: Improved skills and improved employability

There is strong evidence that the Community Aboard programme has significantly improved participants’ skills and employability.

A complete training scheme for people to work on passenger vessels and inland waterways has been developed from scratch for BCFB and has made a major difference to the company practice. It is also potentially transferable to other ferry companies as there is no accredited scheme currently available through the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) or any other body. This is a unique scheme that now covers every aspect of ferry operations including crew, skippers and volunteer training.

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“”A massive THANK YOU for the wonderful training you have offered over the last three weeks. It has been an honour to learn from the Ferry family; a group of individuals so passionate and enthusiastic about working on the water. I have learnt so much from you all and have fallen in love with Bristol again. So thank you all for being so patient, honest, caring and jolly. The training given was absolutely excellent and made even better by the amazing staff willing to help.Training participant

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Page | 23Crew training

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4.3 PtC outcome three – Improved volunteering opportunitiesThe Community Aboard programme aimed to improve the volunteering programme and volunteer experience with BCFB. The key indicator we evaluated was a count of volunteers compared to the previous year. We gathered quantitative and qualitative data from an online survey, the organisation’s own statistics, paper survey returns, case studies and other feedback about the volunteering experience.

Count of volunteers

The baseline count of volunteers was seven. Over the course of the project BCFB increased the number of volunteers from seven to twenty-eight.

Online start and end survey

Twenty-three people completed the start survey and nine completed the end survey. In response to what people gained from their experience, the following was reported:

“Meeting people, getting to know about a small Bristol company, spending more time on the water.”

“New experiences meeting new people.” “Knowledge of the harbour and hearing

interesting stories.”

“A great experience of teamwork.” “I gained lots: engagement, involvement,

increased knowledge of harbour history.” “Access to new opportunities, skills, made new

friends, learnt new things.” “Friends - feeling of usefulness. FUN.” “Friendship, fulfilment and being part of a team.

It helped my confidence.” “Part of a wider family, hear about events in the

city, taking part in events.”

What changed for the volunteers?

Made new friends

Felt more connected

Got a new job

Had new opportunities in life

Felt part of a wider community

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

[What] has changed as a result of taking part in volunteering?

Other comments included people learning about:

The history of the harbour. The people linked to the organisation. How the ferry works.

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New skills, communications, confidence.

What volunteers gained (those scoring four or five)?

Learned new things

Gained skills

Met new people

Made new friends

Made links to the harbour community

Attended interesting events

Maritime history and heritage

History of Bristol

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%

What do you feel you have gained from your volunteering experience? (Scores of 4/5)

All nine respondents said they felt a better sense of well-being as a result of their volunteering experience.

Volunteers enjoyed most:

Meeting people (five mentions) Participating in events (three mentions)

Other comments included:

“Brilliant thanks very much! Looking forward to harbour festival.”

“It helped with my university project, and I gained a much better knowledge of the breadth of activities that volunteers undertake around the harbour.”

“Wonderful, thanks!” “This is one of my favourite volunteer

opportunities in Bristol.” “Delighted to be part of the team.” “Thanks for welcoming me to my new home

city!”

Other statistics

Five volunteers described themselves as disabled.

Other feedback

“Thank you so much for all your support and helping the floating Bristol Ferry Fun Palace come to life. It was a great day on Sunday, and your volunteers Sophie and Sally were incredible. I would like to pass on particular thanks to Sally who kindly donated a load of wool and lent her own pom pom makers out to passengers, as well as clearly and helpfully teaching people how to use them. She really made the day and was a huge help. If she ever needs any reference, please let me know and I would be happy to recommend her.”

“Thanks for the wonderful opportunities that the Ferry Boats have provided for me in my first

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year as a volunteer. It was great to see such a varied and expressive collection of work demonstrating the passion that artists have towards the boats and their role in our community in this fine city.”

“It's fun going out on the water. Volunteering with the ferries revives old skills. It's also very good for my health and, in many ways, being part of a team is great. Getting to know new people is brilliant. Why it's so good is a mystery. Learning the ropes of how the ferry, the company and volunteering system works is a great experience.”

Summary: Improved volunteering

The information we have reviewed clearly demonstrates the increased number of volunteers and the experiences they had were very positive.

The quotes and case studies paint a picture of a great team with people enjoying participating in events and learning about the harbour and the ferries. Furthermore, the evidence also points to crossover with outcome four around reducing isolation for volunteers.

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Case study: Diana’s story in her own words

The regeneration of the harbourside has been a major factor in creating the vibrancy that makes Bristol what it is today. Bristol Ferries are a key part of the harbourside. The blue and yellow boats are instantly recognisable, and the service offered to visitors and locals alike makes the ferries an absolute Bristol gem.

Volunteering with the ferries is special. The crew, the boats, being on the water, helping out with other community activities such as the Harbourside Festival, Celebrating Age, Black History Month, meeting many new people and learning from them have all made volunteering a fun, fulfilling and enriching experience.

Being on the water is a treat. At water's eye level you get a bird's eye view - literally with cormorants, ducks, swans and gulls on show - of Bristol, and it is a great way to view the city from a different perspective. The ferry routes trace the harbour history as well as showcasing many iconic Bristol views - the SS Great Britain, Hotwells, the Avon Gorge, Temple Meads, the Suspension Bridge, the coloured house facades of Clifton, the marina/houseboats and many others. There is plenty to see and plenty to learn.

Volunteering has allowed me to feel part of Bristol Ferries and the harbourside community. Quite simply it has given me a sense of belonging as well as being a hugely enjoyable and invaluable experience.

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4.4 PtC outcome four – Reduced isolation/Increased diversity

The Community Aboard programme aimed to work in partnership with a range of Bristol organisations to encourage more people from diverse backgrounds to use the ferries with an overall aim to reduce isolation.

The original aim of this part of the programme was to reach isolated older people. The outcome of the programme was broadened after summer 2017 when BCFB found it was not feasible to genuinely reduce isolation within the project time frame. When the baseline surveys were collated, it was clear that they already had a large percentage of older people using their services; however, people from Black and Minority Ethnic groups were underrepresented. Thus this aim was expanded to encourage a more diverse customer base.

We gathered data from the organisation’s own statistics, paper interview returns, case studies and other feedback about the partnerships that were developed. We received data on the following activities:

Black History Month Sail and Sing events x 2 Docks Heritage Weekend Event Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

Dockers project Docks Unlocked Women Who Rock the Boat (event for

International Women’s Day).On average over two thirds (69%) of attendees had either never use the ferries before or only been once or twice.

Demographic data from these events shows:

6%

25%

28%

13%

14%

14%

Age diversity

0-1819-3031-4546-5556-6566+

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15%

8%

60%

17%

Ethnicity

AsianBlackMixedWhite BWhite O

Female Male0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Gender

Unfortunately, some data was lost due to a computer crash. A community outreach survey was conducted

twice. The first survey had 337 responses, the second had 108 responses.

Whilst we need to be cautious interpreting this data, a broad theme emerging appears to be that the project significantly increased the diversity of attendees in terms of ethnicity. At the start point around 7% were from Asian, Black or mixed ethnic groups. The second survey showed that this had jumped to 38% of people taking the survey.

Qualitative survey responses show that several people talk about themes of isolation and the ferry experience either as a volunteer or crew member, helping them make new friends and thus reducing isolation.

Positive comments

“I liked the elephant story, it transported me to Africa and put me in the journeying man’s shoes (Eliza aged 9).”

“Great event, I really liked having the real dockers on board! My daughter really enjoyed the shadow puppets and props.”

“Totally loved the show. There should be more things like this in the city.”

“Beautifully curated wonderfully crewed thank you!”

“Loved & enjoyed every moment on the boat.” “Oral histories and the sound mix were great.

Brilliant use of the audio, thanks.”

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“I loved the head wraps, the material and the history and just networking with other women about head wraps. What I disliked - it was too short and not always enough space for everyone to see…overall I loved it.”

“Unique and personal. Made me feel good. Made me feel part of the diverse community that is Bristol!”

“I really enjoyed this evening. A great mixture of history and entertainment. I’m going to be paying more attention to Bristol’s history from now on.”

“AMAZING NIGHT! Well done ARRIBA ARRIBA!” “A lovely evening. My first listen to live mariachi

– excellent. A nice cruise too, as an ex-boater. Hope you do it again.”

“Loved the whole trip loads of fun and it helped that fellow passengers got into the “spirit” of the night from the start.”

“Thank you for such a great night – Day of the Dead was so much fun. Do it again next year!”

Constructive criticism

“Bigger/higher screen please! Shorter people can’t see anything from the back.”

“Only difficulty was I couldn’t see Acts 1 or 2 at all as no view from the back row with tall people in front! Maybe cushions for the back row? Or warn short people?”

Summary: Reduced isolation/Increased diversity

At the start of the project, positive contacts were made with older people’s groups but the focus was shifted to a more diverse offering.

The data and interviews suggest that this outcome was probably achieved. Certainly, diversity was increased and more people who had not used the ferries before started to attend events.

Other evidence shows the diverse partnerships that have been developed across Bristol and the wide range of events the ferry team takes part in. In this sense there is strong evidence of improved outreach work.

The project has welcomed older people to the harbour and they continue to use the ferries at discounted rates.

Unfortunately, loss of some key data has hampered the ability to report fully on this outcome. A recommendation is to more clearly establish the baseline data and keep back up copies of datasets for analysis.

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5.Recommendations1. ISSUE: Data collection was hampered by a

computer issue

RECOMMENDATION: Assess systems and look to improve backing up of data.

2. ISSUE: Better use of technology

RECOMMENDATION: Scope out ability to use technology to improve ticket sales.

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“”I have learned a wide range of new skills through BCFB’s training, which has been of a high standard and personalised to my needs.Crew trainee

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