Chaperone’s Partnership with National Nature Reserve, Bradgate Park, UK

As of Monday, May 20th, 2024, the 830-acre park was recognised as a National Nature Reserve as part of a project to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III. Educational and heritage charity The Bradgate Park Trust actively cares for Bradgate Park and Swithland Wood. 

The Bradgate Park Trust has been participating in the Chaperone Academy, which was set up primarily to support free-to-enter culture and heritage attractions in the UK and Ireland. Chaperone Academy utilises Chaperone, an interactive platform for automating and enhancing guest experiences. So the questions that loom are: why was this important for Bradgate Park, and what were the results? 

The Park has been looking at ways to enhance the visitor experience. With the rise of digital technology, museums and heritage sites need to embrace the power of mobile engagement. 

Bradgate Park's participation in the Chaperone Academy has enabled them to learn to effectively create and deploy their own feature-rich app utilising the Chaperone platform. A series of online sessions provided a logical step-by-step approach, from experience definition and user journey mapping, through creating story-led experiences to designing and creating the content. Bradgate have managed their own content creation based on the guidelines defined. Following an initial test phase, they were able to deploy their Chaperone platform-based app via the online stores, making it freely available to all visitors.

“Over the past year, we have been working with Chaperone to develop an app. As a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a National Nature Reserve, we want to trial providing our visitors with information about the park’s history, geology, and ecology through a digital platform. 

This digital approach also supports our commitment to sustainability by eliminating the need for printed materials, thereby reducing our environmental impact. We have used the app to run seasonal trails, an interactive map, and daily schedules about what's happening in the park. We are also looking at using the app to help us with the interpretation of Bradgate House Ruins through storytelling which should help us engage a wider audience. 

Our experience working with Chaperone has been positive, and their expertise and support have been invaluable in trialling the app development.” - Allie Manek, Education Officer, Bradgate Park Trust

It has been a truly rewarding experience for the Chaperone team to partner with Bradgate Park via the Chaperone Academy. The results have been terrific to see and we’re delighted to hear of their National Nature Reserve status. 

“Bradgate Park is a great example of how with minimal effort, albeit a focus and clear timelines, great results can be achieved. Bradgates participation in Chaperone Academy provided the structure and tools facilitating the creation and deployment of their new feature-rich app. I am sure they will continue to further enhance their guest experience unlocking further Chaperone features and capabilities along with adding new content. Indeed there are already plans to add new audio guides and educational content. Well done to the Bradgate team for their creative efforts. We look forward to continuing to work with them.” - Simon Turtle, CSO & CPO, Chaperone 

If you would like to find out more about how the Chaperone team can transform your attraction, venue and customer experience, please feel free to get in touch and book your free interactive demonstration.