About

Located at the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage site, and of special architectural and historic interest, our four venues are certainly unique. As well as being iconic Bath landmarks, they are warm and welcoming centres of entertainment and hospitality, hosting a wide variety of events.

It is our aim to ensure customers have a quality experience from the moment they enquire with us through to the close of their event, whilst also ensuring that the venues and their historic collections are protected for future generations.

We believe that our venues should be inclusive and enjoyable for all. We run a full schedule of in-house training including: Disability Awareness; Equalities, Customer Care. All of our venues are gay-friendly, and we are proud to host a number of LGBTQ+ weddings and events throughout the year.

Tom Deller - Corporate Hospitality Manager

Debs Coutts - Sales Executive

Lu Hallam - Client Liaison Manager

Christine Lerwill - Client Liaison Manager

Gemma Reynolds - Marketing Officer

Lizzie Marshall - Marketing Officer

Kizzie Rowley - Event Support Officer

Bristol, Bath & Somerset Awards

Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism - Gold

Wedding Venue of the Year - The Roman Baths & Pump Room

Responsible business

Sustainability – As part of Bath and North East Somerset Council, a Beacon Council for Waste, we are dedicated to minimising waste and consumption. We actively seek locally sourced products and work to reduce food miles wherever possible, ensuring responsible and sustainable practices.

Community – At the Roman Baths, we believe in enriching our local community through a wide range of initiatives that promote wellbeing, inclusion, and engagement.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) – We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and diverse environment. With an established focus group and strategy in place, we continue to drive meaningful change.

Heritage Services' Environmental Statement

Bath and North East Somerset Council declared a Climate Emergency in March 2019. Heritage Services, is a business unit within the Council responsible for the Roman Baths, Fashion Museum, Victoria Art Gallery, Bath Film Office, Bath Record Office and the World Heritage Site. Heritage Services manages its activities, buildings and estates to promote environmental sustainability, conserve and enhance natural resources, prevent environmental pollution, and bring about a continual improvement in its environmental performance.

We will continue to reduce our environmental impact and help to address the climate crisis. This environmental statement documents what we are already doing and sets out a range of objectives and targets to:

Implement sound environmental management practices
Increase awareness of environmental responsibilities amongst staff
Implement practices that reduce our carbon footprint
Minimise waste and pollution and operate effective waste management procedures
Reduce the consumption of non-renewable sources of energy
Reduce water consumption
Evaluate suppliers’ environmental credentials as part of the procurement process and give preference as far as is practicable to suppliers, products and services who score highly for environmental sustainability
Minimise the use of environmentally damaging substances, materials and processes
Maintain our buildings in an environmentally sensitive way
Invest in the conservation of our heritage collections and assets
Encourage modes of transport by visitors and staff which minimise their environmental impact
Implement Council-wide actions as a result of the declared Climate Emergency.

What we have done and currently do

Travel:

We advertise in railway stations and always list the travel time on posters to encourage rail travel
Our events and venues team works closely with Great Western Railway to offer discount packages to delegates to encourage rail travel
Our websites advise travel by public transport to Bath and gives distances from Bath Spa railway station. Car travel is the last to be listed and use of the Park and Ride is encouraged
We promote Bath BID’s bus discount scheme with First Bus to all our staff to encourage travel on public transport
We encourage walking and using rail for our staff to travel to offsite meetings
We work closely with our Travel Trade partners to advise them of the Council’s proposed clean air zone, which will be implemented in 2021, and to encourage them to adapt their vehicle fleets where necessary to respect its requirements and objectives.
We promote ourselves as part of a wider trip Bath to encourage a longer stay in the city
We offer free entry for our residents as part of the Residents Discovery Card Scheme to encourage them to visit with their visiting friends and relatives, who put less pressure on the environment by staying in their homes instead of hotels.

Waste, recycling and plastics:

With our catering provider Searcys we have eliminated the use of plastic straws
Our shops use recyclable paper bags and 100% biodegradable carrier bags. In line with DEFRA we charge for plastic carrier bags and the proceeds (after tax) go to the Roman Baths Foundation at the Roman Baths, The Glove Collection Trust at the Fashion Museum and to the Friends of the Victoria Art Gallery at the Gallery. Our aim is to stop offering plastic bags completely by 2022
We do not use plastic cups at our sites. We use paper cups that are compostable and biodegradable for spa water tasting at the Roman Baths.

Energy use:

Offices and meeting rooms have motion-sensitive lights which turn off automatically after the room has been vacated
We regularly audit the lighting used on site to ensure reduced energy consumption. Flood-lighting installed in the Great Bath in 2007 reduced energy consumption by 60%
Staff are encouraged to close windows and internal doors when leaving the office or meeting facility they have been using
Our computers and monitors have auto-switch off
Our public toilets have automatic mixer taps which help save water.
Suppliers
The Council employs a Think Local policy with regard to the procurement of goods and services. This means lower delivery emissions and fewer meetings where long distance travel is necessary
We work with a catering provider who sources local ingredients wherever possible (for more info https://searcys.co.uk/our-heritage/responsibility-sourcing/).

Funders and sponsorship:

We will neither seek nor accept funding from an individual or organisation if it is profiting as a result of environmental destruction.

Our aims for the future

We acknowledge that there is always more we can do and so we have outlined some actions we will try to implement, over the next two years:

Map our carbon footprint, to better understand how our activities contribute to it
Replace the 1993 heat exchange system at the Roman Baths with an updated version. The heat exchange system uses energy from the thermal spring water to heat the building. This new scheme will be extended to provide heating for the new Clore Learning Centre and the World Heritage Centre. Learn more about the energy capture project here
Offer discounts on entry to those who show a valid rail ticket with the current date
Purchase an electric or hybrid van for use in transporting stock and goods to our sites
Work with our catering provider to offer meat free incentives such as meat free Mondays and continue to encourage our catering partners to develop more plant based menus
Introduce a staff ‘green’ champions scheme and encourage a similar scheme for our catering partners
Survey staff across the service for their innovative impact reduction ideas
Take part in green weeks and celebrations e.g. Earth Day that are relevant to Heritage
Where relevant reference climate and sustainability in Heritage learning provision
Include an environmental impact assessment as part of the criteria for agreeing touring exhibitions, and loans in/out, including the transport associated with them
Take part in the Arts Council’s environmental programme.

This is an interim position statement and will be revised and updated as these aims are achieved or new measures identified.

Community Support

Through the following dedicated programmes and partnerships, The Roman Baths continues to serve as a hub for community engagement, inclusivity, and cultural enrichment.

Holidays, Activities, and Food Programme – Providing support for children receiving Free School Meals and those identified by teachers as benefiting from additional opportunities.
Tai Chi Sessions – Open to both residents and visitors, promoting relaxation and mindful movement.
Refugee Programme – Delivered in partnership with the Bath & North East Somerset Council Resettlement Team to support newly settled individuals.
Roman Baths Youth Forum – A new initiative empowering young people aged 16 to 24 to engage with heritage and community activities.
Carers and Young Carers Programme – Designed in collaboration with Bath Carers’ Centre to offer support and engagement opportunities for local carers.
Health and Wellbeing Programme – Targeted at groups and available to individuals through GP social prescribing, with promotional efforts through the local Wellbeing Hub.
- Wellbeing Course – A structured five-week programme to enhance physical and mental wellbeing.
Charitable Partnerships – Collaborations with organisations such as Bath Mind, Headway, Stroke Association, Bath College, and Blind Veterans to extend support and resources.
Minerva Mondays – A monthly group providing regular wellbeing activities for those seeking sustained engagement.
Care Home Visits – Occasional sessions offered in response to requests from residential activity programme leaders.
Uniform Groups Support – Identified activity sessions tailored to help uniformed youth groups earn badges.
Major Community Events – Active participation in and organisation of key cultural events, including:
- World Heritage Day
- British Science Week
- Festival of Archaeology
- Heritage Open Days

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Heritage Services consists of the Roman Baths Museum and Pump Room, Fashion Museum, Victoria Art Gallery, Bath Record Office, Bath’s Historic Venues, and the World Heritage Centre.

An EDI strategy has been created alongside the Council’s Equality Policy Commitment and is subject to all other Council EDI initiatives and support - https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/equality-and-diversity

Our Journey
In 2023, the Roman Baths was selected as one of eight cohort museums to take part in the Travelling Together programme, a programme of training and support to enable us to make changes needed to grow in accessibility and relevance for our community, led by Museums Development South West. The outcome of the project was a series of workshops facilitated by Inclusive Recruiting Ltd to support the senior leadership team of Heritage Services to develop an EDI Strategy that aligns with our business plan and vision to “Learn from the past, understand the present, shape the future”.

Our Purpose
Heritage Services is committed to welcoming new and diverse audiences. We believe that a valued and diverse workforce will be more creative, productive and help to widen our audiences, staff and volunteers. We are committed to creating an environment in which our staff, volunteers, visitors, and partners are treated fairly and are given equitable opportunities. We want our sites, exhibitions, collections, and communications to be accessible to all. We aim to create a culture that respects and values the differences between individuals and where everyone can belong.

Our EDI Strategy outlines clear aims, goals, and a structured activity plan to drive meaningful progress. As part of this commitment, EDI training is being implemented across the organisation, ensuring a more inclusive and informed workplace for all.

Explore Bath's world heritage

Other things to do in Bath

About

Located at the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage site, and of special architectural and historic interest, our four venues are certainly unique. As well as being iconic Bath landmarks, they are warm and welcoming centres of entertainment and hospitality, hosting a wide variety of events.

Our experienced team make every event special and we will support you every step of the way.

The quality of our venues and the staff that work within them have been recognised at some of the UK’s top awards.

Explore Bath's world heritage

Explore Bath's world heritage

Other things to do in Bath

About

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