Case Study: Salisbury Racecourse

Type of security: Event stewarding
Location: Netherhampton, Salisbury
Number of visitors: 9000 per event
Area: 3 tiered spectator enclosure and corporate hospitality boxes
Number of Venture staff: 45-60

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Situation

A Venture Security customer since 2014, Salisbury Racecourse, located in Wiltshire, is a flat course that hosts 16 racedays per year. With three tiers of spectator enclosure, along with corporate hospitality boxes, each raceday attracts up to 9,000 attendees. Facilities for guests, attending raceday meets, include a range of on site bars and eateries, while live music events and family entertainment is also provided as part of Salisbury Racecourse’s annual raceday program.

Task

When responsibility for racecourse security passed to Supervisor, Debbie Mouland, Salisbury Racecourse had been using the same security provider for around 20 years. Following a number of issues, including poor communication, in 2014 the racecourse decided to look for an alternative security partner.

Requirements of Salisbury Racecourse’s security included:

All operatives to be SIA licenced + trained in first aid and lost child procedures
Assistance in event planning & logistics including conducting risk assessments
Event staffing and crowd control at raceday meets
Effective communication between security personnel and Salisbury Racecourse
Parking stewarding, providing excellent customer service to raceday spectators

Action

With the safety of Salisbury Racecourse’s spectators of paramount importance, the security contract called for an agency with experience of working large-scale events and the resource to provide at least 45-60 trained security personnel per raceday. Having crossed paths with Venture’s founder, Paul Howe, at a local Pub Watch meeting, Debbie invited the team to tender. Impressed by their comprehensive proposal, experience, and attitude, Salisbury Racecourse subsequently awarded Venture its security contract.

Services Venture Security provide Salisbury Racecourse include:

Safety and security consultancy – pre-event planning, including risk assessments, fire safety, and lost child procedures. An experienced Raceday Safety Officer is also present at each event
SIA Licensed Security Operatives - responsible for access control, maintaining crowd safety, providing information to racegoers, and tackling crime and/or anti-social behaviour
Event Control & Event Stewards - an experienced events stewarding team who provide effective communication, coordination and customer service each raceday
Head of Security & Security Supervisor - responsible for the operational running of the security team on site during racedays
Parking Supervisor & Parking Stewards - directing visitors safely to the car park and ensuring vehicles are parked correctly to maximise space

Results

A communicative and highly skilled team that always deals with incidents efficiently, before they have chance to escalate
Exceptional standards of record keeping and documentation
Transparent, open and honest communication across the whole team
A collaborative working relationship with a supplier for whom no request is too much trouble
Thorough and comprehensive security consultancy that never cuts corners
Excellent preparedness for emergency scenarios, including running training exercises with the team where we plan for hypothetical incidents
A security provision Salisbury Racecourse is proud of, which has been highly complimented by the police and local authority

“Their communication is amazing and the whole team is very accessible. No request is ever too much trouble."

Debbie Mouland, Designated Premises Supervisor

Find out more

The award-winning team at Venture has been supporting local authorities, private and public sector organisations across the region for more than a decade.

To find out more about our specialist security services, call us for a free, no obligation chat, on: 0800 021 3949, email [email protected] or complete our online enquiry form.