I was born in Northumberland and I am passionate about both my county and jump racing so joining Hexham Racecourse in the Marketing department was a dream come true. I have worked tirelessly to put the racecourse on a national platform and to increase the number of racegoers through innovative marketing on a limited budget, competing with major courses such as Cheltenham and Ascot. Northumberland is the lowest populated county in England and relies heavily on tourism for economic growth. Hexham is the only surviving racecourse in Northumberland. Racing most months of the year, the weather can often be very cold which challenges even the hardiest of racegoers. Getting people to attend on a wet and windy evening requires serious skill. In the 7 years I have worked at Hexham I believe I have consistently delivered outstanding customer service and exceeded business targets year on year, being promoted to Marketing manager in 2015. I won the “Tynedale Young Employee of the Year Award” in 2013 and Hexham Racecourse was voted “The Racegoers Club Best Small Racecourse in Scotland and the North Award” in 2010 and 2015. I was part of the key marketing team who supported Independent Racecourses Limited with their work to ensure a positive negotiation for media and television rights which is a vital part of racecourse funding.