September 17 2012.


For the 13th year running Newhaven Fort has received a glowing assessment from the Visitor Attractions Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS) run by Visit England.

The VAQAS accreditation was launched nationally in 2001 as a consumer focused quality assessment service for visitor attractions. The annual assessment helps to identify strengths of an attraction and highlights development areas based on industry examples.

The report praised the attraction, stating 'Newhaven Fort continues to provide a fascinating insight into not only the history of the Fort itself but also of the other organisations whose collections are housed here.'

The Fort's staff team was also commended, with the report stating that they, 'played an integral role in the visitor's enjoyment.'

After being assessed by the Visitor Attractions Quality Assurance Service last year, the Fort staff used the assessor's findings to inform changes and improve the overall experience for visitors, resulting in the assessors finding that Newhaven Fort 'merits the award of Visit England's accreditation of Quality Assured Visitor Attraction at an overall higher quality standard than last year.'

Simon Cochran, Newhaven Fort's manager, said: "It is important not to lose sight of visitor needs and expectations and all staff here at the Fort continually strive to exceed them. Their hard work and dedication have ensured that we have retained the VAQAS accreditation once again."