- Rachel Snowden, Lettings Manager

"Manor Academy is an outstanding school with a reputation for academic excellence. Our aim is that all students and staff, ‘serve others, grow together and live life to the full.’ A really important part of that is the role we play in the local community. We are extremely privileged to have state-of-the-art facilities which provide the best learning environment for our young people, and that we are able to offer for use by the local community.

We first started letting our facilities for community use nine years ago, and now have a huge range of clubs and organisations that enjoy them, from our astro turf and sports facilities to our purpose built theatre and large hall. As well as sports clubs and dance and theatre groups, we regularly host church meetings and larger events including parties and weddings. Once a year we even host the BBC’s live ‘The Big Questions’ show.

Dealing with such a quantity and diversity of clients means that it is imperative that we have an efficient and effective lettings management system. We have been working with Kajima Community’s BookingsPlus service for two years and it has transformed our lettings process.

Not only do our clients find it quick and simple to use, but its in-built marketing website, complete with search engine optimisation tool, has driven a significant increase in our enquiries and bookings, resulting in a revenue increase of more than £18,500. We now generate a gross annual income of £128,000, which we are able to reinvest in the school to deliver the best teaching and learning experiences for our staff and young people.

There is no sense of inertia at Kajima – it is constantly improving its product and services to the benefit of its clients. Although we love the online system itself, an even greater value-add is the unfailing support that we get from the BookingsPlus staff. From first installation and training through to ongoing operational support, the highly experienced, friendly team is always on hand to answer any questions that we might have."

Thanks to its efficiency and effectiveness, BookingsPlus has saved admin hours. It has liberated time that can be given back to the school, helping to create and maintain the outstanding learning environment of which we are so proud.