York chief supportive of scandal-hit Ebor festival backer Welcome to Yorkshire

York will continue to work constructively with next week’s headline Ebor festival sponsor Welcome to Yorkshire (WtY) despite the now tarnished reputation of the tourist agency.

WtY has backed the Ebor festival since 2010 and last year signed a new three-year deal to take the association between the two groups through to at least 2021.

However, WtY, which oversees the promotion of Yorkshire as a tourist destination, has been rocked by a series of scandals including claims of staff bullying, the alleged misuse of public funds and a “culture of toxicity” at the not-for-profit organisation.

Asked if York had, or would be seeking to, end the sponsorship, William Derby, the course’s chief executive, said: “Absolutely not. We have a long-term partnership with them.

"We’re very proud of our partnership with and support by them of the biggest sporting venue in Yorkshire. We work very closely with the team there and they do tremendous work.”

Sir Gary Verity, the former chief executive of WtY, resigned in March on health grounds before subsequent allegations of staff bullying and inappropriate expenses claims emerged, leading Lord Scriven to claim there was a “culture of toxicity” at the organisation during a debate in the House of Lords last month.

William Derby: praised Welcome to Yorkshire for the work it doesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Nevertheless, Derby had nothing but praise for WtY for the work it conducted alongside the racecourse and for the county overall.

He said: “The Welcome to Yorkshire team and the ethos of the organisation in promoting the region is hugely important to all businesses in the county. We’re tremendously proud of our association with them.

“It’s a very positive relationship and it’s about promoting the wider city of York and the region of Yorkshire to visitors from around the world who come to our corner of England and that welcome is ever so important.”

Did you know you can bet via the Racing Post mobile app/website? Simply sign in with your favourite bookmaker via the Accounts button and then bet direct from our racecards