MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
We are very pleased to report that RYA membership reached an all- time high of 112,826 in September. This is all the more remarkable when we remember that RYA membership, unlike many national and global national governing bodies, is not mandatory. These are nevertheless challenging times for membership organisations, and it has never been more important to focus on looking after our members.
Our instructors are considered to be key ambassadors, and UK instructor membership has remained stable at 74%. We expect this to rise over the coming years as the benefits packages evolve to ensure our credential holders and our practical and shorebased instructors receive an enhanced membership offer they value and that supports their boating and the delivery of RYA training.
Yacht and motor cruisers make up 50% of our membership, while all other forms of boating are well represented within our member base, reflecting the wide appeal of membership to boaters of all types. This variety underscores why it is so critical that we tailor our engagement to serve the interests of our members.
The average length of membership is ten years, and in the last rolling 12 months we have recruited 19,350 new and re-joining members. Many of these new joiners come to us through the International Certificate of Competence (ICC) offer, while Joining Points, particularly those offered by Recognised Training Centres, are also a popular route into the RYA. The Refer a Friend initiative has also been a valuable tool in driving membership numbers, with existing members advocating the benefits of membership to their friends and family.
Once again we were able to negotiate a complimentary ticket for every RYA member to the Southampton International Boat Show, with special concessions for friends and family members. Nearly 10,000
6 ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2020
free tickets were claimed and over 8,700 members and their guests joined us in the RYA members’ lounge.
It has been another busy year for the RYA’s certification team, with over 73,500 certificates issued by RYA House in addition to the 150,000 certificates issued by our Recognised Training Centres. Over 40,000 candidates chose to record their qualification details centrally.
Digital continues to play a significant role in how we engage with and deliver services to our members and stakeholders. This year we commenced the next phase of our digital transformation. Following an extensive selection and design process we have invested in a modern digital platform to support email, commerce and the website. The advantages over the current aging patchwork of technology are that it will enable greater personalisation, a simpler user experience and ease of maintenance. The new platform will launch in early 2021.
Social media channels have continued to grow and play an increasingly important role in our communications mix. Our new social media strategy will enable us to align content more closely to the needs of our varying audiences and ensure that we optimise the use of each channel. Email newsletters continue to deliver strong engagement, with consistently high open and click rates.
RYA Magazine retains the highest circulation of all leading British boating magazines. A change of publisher has seen the design refreshed and enhanced to ensure content is engaging and reflects our broad range of watersports and member interest. Online views grow steadily, and, following members’ feedback, is now available in a digital-friendly, browser-based, format.
We have added more benefits to the popular member Reward Partners programme, offering savings on a wide range of retailers and services, including clothing, holidays and insurance.
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