How LEAPS Helped the UK’s Oldest Theme Park Raise the Bar on Safety

“Joining the LEAP Scheme felt right not only for the business, but I also felt there was a gap in the market that I hoped LEAPS was going to step in and fill.”

13th September 2022 – the application form was signed. Blackgang Chine was among the first attractions to become part of LEAPS, and they have continued to showcase their dedication to leisure safety, taking the additional step of becoming Five-Star certified in June 2024.

Prior to joining the scheme, there was no existing relationship between Blackgang Chine and LEAPS, but a visit to the site sealed the deal. When our Managing Director, Jon Ruddock, went to meet with Dominic Wray, the Managing Director of Blackgang Chine, a long-term partnership, described by Dominic as “a two-way relationship”, was formed.

The UK’s oldest theme park, Blackgang Chine opened in 1843, with a whale skeleton as its first attraction. Of course, much has changed since, but their dedication to providing an excellent environment for their visitors remains a priority.

In the summer of 2022, an incident occurred which left Dominic and his team feeling unsupported and, if not correctly handled, could have had negative implications for many. However, during the LEAPS visit to Blackgang Chine, their team quickly realised that a change in certification schemes could have the positive impact they were seeking, with Dominic saying he felt he was speaking “to a group of individuals who understood the pros and cons of the industry very well”. He also believed the journey with LEAPS would be collaborative, whereas their previous scheme felt very “one-way”.

 

The Blackgang Chine X LEAPS Journey

• 13th September 2022: Blackgang Chine submit their application to become certified under LEAPS
• 25th – 27th June 2024: Operational Assurance visit takes place at Blackgang Chine
• 26th July 2024: Operational Assurance report and Five-Star certificate are issued
• 4th September 2024: Blackgang Chine pass their HSE audit

According to Dominic, the LEAPS onboarding process was seamless, with the minor issues encountered (it seems technology will never be on our side 100% of the time) resolved very quickly, and all feedback actioned. The transition from their previous scheme provider was “smooth and handled professionally”, with the inspection body being managed proactively, and expectations of deliverables outlined upfront.

Since its creation in 2021, the aim of LEAPS has always been to provide a high-quality service to fixed-site leisure attractions, allowing them to feel confident in the safety of their operations. After moving from their previous scheme provider, the team at Blackgang Chine were confident that they had found a professional, dynamic solution which had the correct systems and processes in place to deal with the unexpected – should it occur – giving them great reassurance.

They stated that they had previously felt like they sat within a triangle: the scheme provider, inspection body and asset manufacturer made up the three points, with the operator floating in the middle. In the event of any incident, the responsibility would shift between the three points, with little acceptance of liability. The good news – they no longer feel this way.
 

The Benefits of LEAPS from an Operator’s Point of View

• Internal confidence that teams are operating to the best of their ability
• External confidence, giving customers reassurance that the operation is being run safely and competently
• Transparency for customers – not only is the operator able to make a claim of being safe, but an external professional body is verifying this claim
• A clear framework for internal teams to work to
• A sense of accomplishment when Five-Star certification was achieved
• Assurance from an external body that the inspection bodies being used are competent

There are three main pillars within the LEAPS certification: competent operator, safe asset, competent inspection body. For our theme park members who wish to take their safety assurance to the next level, the Operational Assurance visit gives them the opportunity to achieve Five-Star certification.

In true Blackgang Chine form, they were one of the first operators to take up this opportunity, with Dominic saying, “From a Managing Director’s point of view, I wanted reassurance that everyone is doing as much as they can do”. Having worked with LEAPS for some time, they understood the potential benefits of the visit and wanted to take the opportunity to gain a broader overview of their setup in terms of systems and processes, confirming their gold standard across the board. For Dominic, Five-Star meant reassurance.

The additional value Blackgang Chine feels they received from their Operational Assurance report and Five-Star certification:

• Reassurance for the team that they are doing the right things, and working to the required industry standards
• Support to sharpen up processes and procedures, in turn helping them to prepare for future external audits
• Positive media perception in a time when they are often quick to point out when things go wrong
• A strong PR/marketing tool to highlight that the site is being run well
• Personal development opportunity for internal teams
• External validation and public demonstration that the operator is confident in validating themselves against industry standards

Earlier this month, Blackgang Chine underwent an HSE audit which they passed with flying colours. They believe their LEAPS Five-Star certification enabled them to go into this confident in their robust systems and overall team performance.

According to Dominic, being a member of LEAPS has exceeded their expectations. He “hoped it was going to be a collaborative journey and that has definitely been the case”. In addition to their trusted certifications, he believes that we have added value to the team’s career development with educational workshops, and that the relationship they have developed with Jon Ruddock and the wider LEAPS team has been great. Their LEAPS membership has “done what it said on the tin and a lot more”.

In addition to being the Managing Director of Blackgang Chine, Dominic sits on the BALPPA Management Committee. LEAPS is a BALPPA member, an active member of the Health and Safety committee and represents BALPPA on the BSI Standards Committee for Amusement Rides. LEAPS is also, and has been for three years running, the main sponsor of the BALPPA H&S Seminar. With this connection in mind, we asked Dominic if he felt LEAPS had any impact on UK fixed theme parks.

He told us he believes that “LEAPS has had a positive impact in the separation of fixed attractions and travelling”. He believes we have helped to make a clear distinction between the standards of fixed sites and those of travelling sites, and “helped to create more of a positive reinforcement behind standards that are adhered to within fixed sites”.
 

Looking to the Future

Both Blackgang Chine and LEAPS feel incredibly positive about the future of our partnership, with Dominic telling us that he is looking forward to continuing to work with LEAPS in the future. He could see where the scheme was going from the beginning, and always believed in its long-term value. The team are big champions of LEAPS, which is why they took the opportunity to become early adopters.

Dominic says he is “looking forward to continuing the partnership and working in collaboration” with LEAPS.

When asked if he would recommend LEAPS to other operators, Dominic said that he “definitely would”, adding, “personally, I think it’s a no-brainer in comparison to alternatives”. They value the collaborative way of working and the support framework that we have in place, as well as the proactive management of their inspection body, and feel like they have someone else in their corner on various levels. Dominic believes LEAPS is “a fantastic scheme that has lots of far-reaching benefits internally and from an external standpoint”.

It seems appropriate to end with Dominic’s advice to other operators: “Moving to a new scheme might be quite a large change for people who perhaps do things the way they’ve always done them, but change definitely can be a positive thing, and this scheme is a fantastic example of moving forward with the times.”

Here at LEAPS, we value the partnerships we create with all of our members, and are committed to continuing to drive positive change and improve safety standards across the leisure industry.

If you have not yet been certified, you can find out all you need to know here.