Strawberry Fields has launched a new membership scheme to raise money to support young adults with learning difficulties.
The ‘Steps to Work’ program focuses on education and aims to give people the opportunity to learn and find employment while also ensuring the famous gates remain open.
Through the scheme, Liverpool businesses and organisations provide work placements for young adults who previously may never have had the opportunity.
The silver membership is £60 a year and provides one person plus a guest unlimited free entry to the visitor exhibition, 20% off the café and access to a monthly newsletter. At £120 per year, the gold membership adds exclusive virtual calls with the team and special guests with priority booking to any events, plus 15% off retail.
Lesley Theodorus, public fundraiser for Strawberry Fields, said: “The program is the heart of Strawberry Fields, so the reason I created this membership was to give something back to our donors and encourage more people to support us.
“Our visitors now are mainly local so we’ve got the facilities for people to just call in and have a coffee. Whatever is spent on that will go straight back into the program. We want to entice more people into visiting but we also want to offer benefits for our regulars”.
Covid-19 restrictions mean Strawberry Fields has currently closed its onsite facilities and have a new adapted campaign called ‘Steps to Work at Home’, offering their trainees online support through Zoom.
Ms Theodorus said: “What I’ve learnt is it’s difficult to sell a membership with so many benefits that are on site. But the online shop is booming at the moment with Christmas gifts, so money is still going back into the program”
In 2019 more than half of those who visited Strawberry Fields were from abroad. With restrictions on international travel preventing tourists from visiting the site made famous by The Beatles, one aim of the membership scheme is to appeal to more locals.
Ms Theodorus said: “Our international visitors are dearly missed and although we do have people coming in from the likes of Manchester, London and other parts of the north west, we are working together to able to offer and target locals with discounts to come and see us both online and when we are open again”.