Beverley Racecourse celebrates a season of community events and innovation

Beverley racecourse attracted more customers this year but the season also saw the announcement of plans to invest in a new £4.8m grandstand.

The independent racecourse also introduced a series of initiatives designed to provide an excellent race-day experience and improve inclusivity and accessibility for all.

Some pioneering events during the season included the staging of Britain’s first deaf-friendly raceday, designed in partnership with the British Deaf Association. British Sign Language (BSL) interpretations of the build-up to races were displayed on a big screen, and staff were provided with extra training to ensure that people with hearing impairments were able to enjoy their day at the races. It is hoped that the initiative will be developed further in 2019.

During the May Day Bank Holiday, residents from three Beverley care homes were invited to the first Bygone Beverley event, when the course stepped back in time to create a 1960s raceday.

In July, the racecourse joined forces with Contact the Elderly, a charity dedicated to combating loneliness among older people, to stage a raceday tea party. No less than 80 local elderly people and volunteers enjoyed an afternoon of tea, cake and conversation to a backdrop of top-quality horse racing and family entertainment.

The past 15 years has seen a total of £7million invested into improving facilities for visitors and the racing community.

Marketing Manager Kate McKee said: “It was a very rewarding experience to see our efforts to improve inclusivity and accessibility pay off by staging events such as Britain’s first deaf-friendly raceday and our tea party for isolated elderly people.”

“We have been helped along the way by some wonderful community partners, such as the British Deaf Association and Contact the Elderly, and we look forward to harnessing their expertise again in 2019 as we continue to build on these successes.”