A passion for Yorkshire and a commitment to improving the environment are the hallmarks of two new members of staff at the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

left to right: Deborah Goodall, Marketing Manager & Sarah Ferguson Facilities Manager with the Great Yorkshire Showground in the background

As Marketing Manager, Deborah Goodall has responsibility for the Society's two major events, the Great Yorkshire Show and the Countryside Live Food and Farming Fair, as well as the Society's work supporting agriculture and the rural community in the North of England.

Sarah Ferguson joins with a broad remit as Facilities Manager. She has charge of the Society's 250 acre site, the Great Yorkshire Showground, on the edge of Harrogate. The site includes the two venues, Pavilions of Harrogate and the Yorkshire Event Centre which host events virtually every day of the year, in addition to the two flagship agricultural shows.

Nigel Pulling, the Society's Chief Executive said: “The Society's work has grown substantially in recent years and strengthening our management team is a key part of that. The showground is used almost every day of the year and in the last 12 years we have spent £14m creating a venue which is one of the finest and most versatile in the country.”


The daughter of a York dairy farmer, Miss Goodall is a passionate advocate of Yorkshire and rural life. Aged 32, she has 12 years' experience in marketing, 10 of which as a manager across a range of sectors. Most recently she worked at the York based healthcare company, Yorktest Laboratories concentrating on the business to business and business to consumer markets. In her spare time she is a keen mountain biker and hill walker and enjoys gardening and growing her own vegetables.

She says: “My home county of Yorkshire is somewhere I feel passionate about, and the Yorkshire Agricultural Society is very much a part of that. I have lots of marketing experience, but not of promoting an event, so I'm looking forward to the new challenges the role brings.”


Miss Ferguson joins the Society after a London-based career in the facilities management sector. Most recently she was Operations Director for Covion, the Uk's fourth fastest growing facilities management company.

Committed to working to improve the environment, Miss Ferguson heads a team of 18 and is responsible for ensuring the site is in perfect condition to welcome all visitors year round - from politicians Gerhard Schroder and Rev Jesse Jackson who will speak at the Yorkshire International Business Convention in June, to the thousands of visitors at this month's Harrogate Spring Flower Show.

Miss Ferguson is particularly keen to improve the showground's carbon footprint. “The Society already has a good track record and is environmentally aware, but I am keen to develop this still further, which fits with its commitment to improving the countryside and the environment.”

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