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Champions set to showcase Durham on a global scale

Left to right- Tony Hanson, Corporate Director, Regeneration, Economy and Growth, Durham County Council; David Jackson, Marketing Director, Durham Cricket; Rhiannon Hiles, CEO, Beamish the Living Museum of the North; Emma Gaudern, CEO, EMG Solicitors; Richard Baker, Director Economic Development & Commercialisation Durham University.

Businesses, organisations and individuals from across County Durham have come together for the first Durham Champions – an exciting new county-wide network made up of people who are passionate about the place and want to see it thrive.

It follows the recent launch of the county’s place brand – ‘The Durham Story’ – spearheaded by Durham County Council, including its Visit County Durham and Business Durham services, and Durham University. The 12-month project saw engagement with hundreds of stakeholders from across the region, to identify a compelling new proposition for the county which will showcase County Durham on a global scale.

The Durham Story is an extraordinary blend of beauty, enterprise, heritage, culture and ambition, found in all four corners of the county. It shines a light on what makes County Durham special, its distinctiveness and character, and the opportunities for the growth and development.

This new approach will see organisations and individuals join forces and unite behind the brand to build the county’s image, identity and reputation, and harness profile-raising opportunities to reach audiences essential for economic success.

The first Durham Champions event took place on Thursday 25 July at Durham Cricket and was attended by over 50 businesses and individuals who want to work together to promote County Durham, and raise its profile as a place to live, work, invest, study and visit. Speaking at the event were Emma Gaudern, CEO, EMG Solicitors, David Jackson, Marketing Director, Durham Cricket, Rhiannon Hiles, CEO, Beamish the Living Museum of the North, Richard Baker, Director Economic Development & Commercialisation Durham University, and Tony Hanson, Corporate Director, Regeneration, Economy and Growth, Durham County Council.

Cllr Lyndsey Fox, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “The purpose of the new place brand for the county is ultimately to help it prosper. We are lucky that County Durham already has many individuals and businesses who are great ambassadors for our wonderful part of the world. We want to build on their fantastic contribution, and we want more of them, so we can create a powerful ‘team Durham’ approach. We have an amazing story to tell, and we all need to play our part in getting that story out there. Collaboration has never been more important, and together, the Durham Champions will demonstrate the confidence we have in our future and play a part in making that happen.”

Emma Gaudern CEO, EMG Solicitors hosted the event and said: “I am proud to be one of the first Durham Champions and part of this powerful new network. The Durham Story is inspiring and reflects the passion and ambition we have in abundance across the county. As an employer I was excited to see the Durham Story unveiled, and what this new approach to promoting the county can achieve through working together. The brand will support businesses and organisations to retain and attract talent, secure investment, and create opportunities by putting the county even more firmly on the map.”

To find out more about The Durham Story, visit Durham-UK.com and sign up to become a Durham Champion.

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Durham Cricket to host three England International fixtures at Banks Homes Riverside in 2026 

People watching a game of cricket at Chester-le-Street

The stadium, one of the country’s most picturesque and fan-friendly venues, will welcome fans for an exciting summer of international action featuring New Zealand Women, India Men, and Sri Lanka Men. 

Confirmed Fixtures at Banks Homes Riverside in 2026: 

  • England Women vs New Zealand Women – One Day International
    Sunday 10 May 2026 
  • England Men vs India Men – T20 International
    Wednesday 1 July 2026 
  • England Men vs Sri Lanka Men – One Day International
    Tuesday 22 September 2026 

These matches form part of Durham’s ongoing commitment to delivering world-class international cricket and creating unforgettable moments for fans across the North East and beyond. 

Tim Bostock, Chief Executive of Durham Cricket, said: “We’re delighted to be hosting three England internationals next summer.

“The opportunity to bring elite-level men’s and women’s cricket to Chester-le-Street is not only great for our supporters, but also for the wider community and local economy. These fixtures highlight the trust the ECB places in our club and our venue.” 

“The 2026 schedule showcases the best of white ball cricket, promising fans a rich mix of fast-paced action and top-level competition. The inclusion of another women’s international reflects Durham’s growing role in supporting the development of the women’s game, following its successful launch of their Tier 1 professional women’s team. 

Ballot & Tickets 

Members and season ticket holders will be given priority purchase windows. Due to expected high demand, Durham Cricket will be operating a ticket ballot system, with further ticketing announcements to follow in the coming weeks.  

Fans are encouraged to sign up to receive ticketing updates using the link below: 

www.durhamcricket.co.uk/international-cricket-2026 

Supporters who register will be the first to hear when ballot entries open, giving them the best chance to secure seats to these blockbuster fixtures. 

 Hospitality is available now from our partner Seat Unique: 

https://www.seatunique.com/sport-tickets/cricket/england-cricket-at-the-banks-homes-riverside-tickets

  England Women v New Zealand – ODI: 

https://www.seatunique.com/sport-tickets/cricket/england-cricket-at-the-banks-homes-riverside-tickets/b7578cb2#28985d51

England v India – IT20:

https://www.seatunique.com/sport-tickets/cricket/england-cricket-at-the-banks-homes-riverside-tickets/a0d87f95#6d3e486d

England v Sri Lanka – ODI:

https://www.seatunique.com/sport-tickets/cricket/england-cricket-at-the-banks-homes-riverside-tickets/4aa6220a#56b4d82c

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Bumper investment drives continued growth for Durham’s visitor economy

Visit County Durham STEAM Results 2025 Anna Warnecke and Cllr Lyndsey Fox

Latest tourism figures show a major boost for Durham’s visitor economy as the county sees overall visitor expenditure rise to a record £1.38billion, with the number of day visitors now 7.6% higher than pre pandemic figures, and overnight visitors also rising by 1.8%.

Visit County Durham, the county’s Destination Management Organisation and Durham County Council’s tourism service, has welcomed the results which show visitor expenditure rose by 11.7% in 2024, with the value of the county’s visitor economy reaching record levels for the third year in a row.

Overall, 21.56 million people visited the county last year, an increase of 7%. The number of people employed in tourism in Durham has also risen and is up by 4.7% according to the latest STEAM* results.

The major study which tracked visitors to the region throughout 2024 has shown an increase in the number of people staying overnight and has highlighted the county as the only area in the North East to see a rise in overall visitor numbers.

Significant levels of investment in the county’s visitor offer have helped to drive this continued growth, whilst marketing campaigns and strategic partnerships have raised the profile and appeal of the county on a global scale. New and enhanced visitor attractions have played a major part in this success with the New Hall expansion at Locomotion, the transformation of Raby Castle’s Rising development, new experiences at Beamish Museum and developments at The Auckland Project.

With even more investment and developments in the pipeline, including major investment in our hotels, Redhills Durham Miners Hall and plans for a historical theme park at Kynren, the sector is looking to the future with optimism.

From high-profile events and cultural programmes at major attractions to vibrant grassroots festivals and community celebrations, Durham offers year-round reasons to visit, with experiences that reflect the county’s rich heritage, creativity, and warm welcome.

Duncan Peake, Chair of Visit County Durham and CEO of Raby Estates said: “These results illustrate the ambition and resilience of the county’s visitor economy. We have not only survived the challenges of the last few years but have emerged much stronger.

We continue to see new developments take shape across the county and wider region, as well as continuing to reap the rewards of recent investment. However, we must not slow down, we must keep moving forward at pace to ensure the county’s visitor economy continues to prosper, which in turn creates jobs and opportunities for residents.”

Cllr Lyndsey Fox, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “We are thrilled with the latest economic assessment STEAM results, which are testament to the incredible partnerships across the county that are committed to working together to grow our visitor economy. Durham continues to grow as an exciting and attractive visitor destination and has greatly benefited from new developments over recent years, and with more to come it puts us in a strong position for 2025 and beyond.”

Jane Ruffer, co-founder of The Auckland Project, said: “These results are a powerful endorsement of the vision and long-term investment that have gone into County Durham’s visitor economy. At The Auckland Project, we’ve experienced first-hand how cultural regeneration and community-led programming can reinvigorate a place and attract both day and overnight visitors. The continued growth in visitor numbers and expenditure is not only good news for our sector but for the communities and local businesses that benefit from this shared success. It’s a clear signal that County Durham’s heritage, creativity and hospitality are resonating with people like never before.”

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Innovative eye-tracking technology to improve museum visitor experience

A man using eye tracking technology

Our researchers are part of an exciting new project working to enhance museum visitor experience by using ground-breaking eye-tracking technology.

Innovative eye-tracking technology

Professor Andy Beresford, from our School of Modern Languages and Cultures, is leading a team conducting experiments at the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, County Durham.

One hundred visitors who volunteer to take part will wear state-of-the-art eye-tracking glasses. The glasses will record their eye movements as they move around the galleries, as well as how long they have spent gazing at a particular display.

On returning the glasses, participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire about their visit.

The researchers will analyse the data from the glasses, and the questionnaires to understand if there is a distinction between the memory and the physical reality of each person’s gallery experience.

The second part of the study, taking place at the University, will involve 50 volunteers taking part in a fixed eye-tracking experiment. This will test the usefulness of the label information provided for a particular object or display and will show whether they need to be rewritten or redesigned.

Improving the museum’s visitor experience

It is hoped that the results will inform potential changes to improve the experience of visitors at the museum and how it presents its displays.

By looking at the data gathered from the two experiments we’ll be able to make recommendations on how and in what ways the visitor experience could be improved by remodelling and recontextualising the artworks on show in the Picture Galleries at The Bowes Museum.

Professor Andy Beresford, Durham University’s School of Modern Languages and Cultures

Find out more

With sections regularly featuring in the top five in national league tables such as the Good University Guide and the Complete University Guide by Subject, our School of Modern Languages and Cultures offers expertise in a wide range of subjects, including language, literature, cultural history, cinema and visual culture, and translation. In the Complete University Guide by Subject 2024, it was ranked 4th for German, 5th for Asian Studies and Italian and 6th for French. 

The School also hosts the BA in Visual Arts and Film and MA Visual Culture. It has forged a ground-breaking partnership with the British Film Institute (BFI), bringing students the unique opportunity to learn from industry experts along with University-wide access to the BFI Player. 

Feeling inspired? Visit our Modern Languages and Cultures webpages for more information on our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. 

Durham University is a top 100 world university. In the QS World University Rankings 2024, we were ranked 78th globally. 

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Ramside Hall Hotel to create multi million pound golf facility

A simulation of the new golf facilities at Ramside Hall Hotel

A County Durham hotel is investing more than £6m in creating what will be one of the UK’s top golf facilities.

Ramside Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa already has two championship courses, which brings players from across the region and nationally.

And now the hotel is building a multi-million-pound golf academy, leisure and entertainment hub.

The ambitious development will include a 43 bay TopTracer driving range, a six-lane indoor bowling alley, sports bar with interactive electronic games such as darts and shuffleboards, pool tables and large screens which will show major sports events.

A new academy – which it is hoped will attract more golf professionals – will include new short game practice and coaching areas, a new retail outlet and a 120 seater function room.

The phased opening of the development will take place between March and August.

Hotel owner, John Adamson, believes the development is a great asset not just for Ramside but for County Durham.

“These new facilities will have something for everyone, just for golfers,” he said.

“The bowling alley and the sports bar with the electronic games will hopefully attract people who just want to enjoy some fun activities but don’t necessarily want to play golf.

“At the same time, the Golf Academy will mean that anyone who is interested in learning the game – or who wants to improve their existing game – can also make use of the state-of-the-art facilities.”