ROYAL HOSPITAL CHELSEA

RHC Garde II Stable Yard Visitor Centre  

The Royal Hospital Chelsea (RHC) is a listed heritage site that encapsulates magnificent buildings designed by Sir Christopher Wren and Sir John Soane as well as 66 acres of grounds.  Home to the iconic veteran community known as the ‘Chelsea Pensioners’ since 1692, RHC is a unique working building with a wealth of socio-military, natural and architectural heritage.  RHC secured a £3.2 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund in Autumn 2022 to restore and adapt the Garde II Stable Yard, designed by Sir John Soane, a Visitor, Outreach and Heritage Centre.  Within the Centre there will be a café, new shop, the RHC Post Office, free exhibitions, and an outreach space.  The business plan anticipates c 31,000 to 36,000 visits to the site each year, including 8500, to 13,100 tours from the public, military, and special interest groups.

New Visitor Experience includes:

· A permanent free exhibition, with new interpretation telling the story of the Royal Hospital Chelsea and the Chelsea Pensioners 

· Audio visual presentations, maximising limited space with depth of content

· Outreach space (for wellbeing activities and programmes) 

· Shop and Post Office (relocation and upgrade of existing facility, currently located on the site’s Eastern side)

· Café, with outdoor seating and event kitchen  

· Courtyard for events and corporate hire

Link to Website:  https://www.chelsea-pensioners.co.uk/works

Project Overview 

• In January 2024, Royal Hospital Chelsea retained Spider Entertainment to manage the operational set up and launch of the Soane Stable Yard project ahead of opening later in 2024.  The Spider team will help ensure the delivery of a sustainable business strategy and excellent visitor experience. 

Spider Services Utilized

·  Operations Management Services– preparing for opening of venue (typical strategy)

o  Advice on the Marketing Strategy and its implementation 

o  Review, shape and start the delivery of sustainable business strategy

o  Operational Set-Up

o  Provide leadership for the operational team   

o  Recruitment of key operational posts 

o  Staff training and training documentation 

o  Advice on the retailing operations (e-commerce) 

o  Advice on maximizing the commercial efficiency of all areas of operation

o  Advise on identifying opportunities to continually refine and develop the visitor experience after opening

o  Advice on the practical logistics of creating and operating a new attraction

o  Developing and delivering the operational launch plan 

The Spider Operations Management Team:

Spider’s expert Founding Team have decades of experience, working with some of the biggest attractions and brands in the world.  We have worked with and within organisations such as Disney, Merlin Entertainments, Continuum Attractions, Kidzania, Silverstone, RSPB, Center Parcs and ITV to name but a few. We have had direct involvement and developed many nationally recognised and award winning experiences such as The Silverstone Museum, Spinnaker Tower, Peppa Pig, Kent Life, Greenwood Forest Park, Legoland Windsor and Coronation Street The Tour.   

Spider cover all the key disciplines, combined or separate, that are essential for Creating, Developing, Building, Setting Up, Launching and Operating successful venues and attractions. The Spider Team will ensure that the commercial opportunities of any project are maximised whilst ensuring that  guests’ journey are consistently brilliant – not just during their core experience but pre and post it too. 

Our experience of developing new concepts and feasibility studies for visitor attractions in the cultural sector is vast and we are familiar with working on projects for independent trusts, local authority clients, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Historic England, English Heritage, and National Trust to name just a few.

Meet the Team!

Sally Reynolds – Chief Experience Officer

Background: Sally led the project to develop, fund, design and build the Silverstone Museum from its inception in 2011 to its official opening by the Duke of Sussex and Sir Lewis Hamilton in 2020. She then led museum operations until March 2022 when she left to join Spider Entertainment Ltd.  Sally has 25 years’ experience in the attractions and museums industry, six with the world's second largest attraction operator – Merlin Entertainments Ltd.

Kev Smith – Operations Director

Background: With 30 years’ experience in operational management and commercial development across the Attractions  industry, Kevin has planned, developed, opened and operated numerous attractions including Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth; York’s Chocolate Story, York; The Real Mary Kings Close, Edinburgh; The Royal Mint, Cardiff; Oxford Castle and Prison, Oxford; Kent Life; Coronation Street The Tour, Manchester and Star Wars Secrets of the Empire, London to name but a few.

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