Measuring our impact
Since 2024, Autism In Racing has been measuring not only how many people the programme reaches, but how families engage with racing over time and how participating racecourses are developing more accessible experiences.
Figures updated to 3 August 2026Booked places across 33 Autism Friendly event occurrences at 20 racing venues, recorded between 1 January and 3 August 2026.
Year-on-year growth and evidence
Autism In Racing launched in January 2024. The available evidence shows rapid expansion in both delivery and recorded reach. Because data collection improved between years, each figure is labelled by its original measure rather than being treated as perfectly interchangeable.
Programme delivery by year
2024 and 2025 are full-year totals. 2026 includes events with recorded bookings to 3 August.
Recorded programme reach
The 2025 figure is reported registered beneficiaries; 2026 is unique booked ticket places.
| Measure | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 to 3 August | What the comparison shows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autism Friendly delivery | 30 racedays | 70+ fixtures | 33 events with bookings | Delivery more than doubled between the first and second full programme years. |
| Venue reach | Not consistently recorded | 39 racecourses | 20 venues | By early August 2026, the programme had already reached over half the number of venues reported across the whole of 2025. |
| People reached | Not available in supplied data | 650+ registered beneficiaries | 1,253 booked places | Recorded 2026 reach is already nearly twice the published minimum for 2025, although the measures were collected differently. |
| Return engagement | Not available | 33.1% returners in a 152-person survey sample | 75 cross-year returners; 30 repeat families within 2026 | 2026 introduces direct record-matching alongside the earlier survey measure. |
| Access dependency | Not available | 71% would not attend without sensory support | Not asked in the booking dataset | The 2025 survey provides the strongest direct evidence that AIR removes a genuine access barrier. |
| Future intention | Not available | 96%+ likely to attend again | Verified repeat booking now available | The evidence base is progressing from stated intention towards observed return behaviour. |
From first access to sustained engagement
Repeat participation is one of the clearest behavioural indicators available. It demonstrates that engagement has continued beyond a single booking, although it should not be presented as proof of improved wellbeing without direct feedback.
Three views of return engagement
Each percentage answers a different question and uses a different evidence base.
This represents 23.7% of identifiable 2026 families. When combined with additional families who attended more than one 2026 event, 88 identifiable families show repeat engagement since 2025.
Why this matters
- It demonstrates continued participation rather than one-off reach.
- It provides evidence of an emerging relationship with racing.
- It supports the BHA themes of belonging, community access and repeated engagement.
- It creates a baseline for future retention and confidence measures.
2026 programme profile
Aggregate programme data provides a clearer picture of who is being reached and how families find Autism In Racing.
Adult and child places
Booked places through 3 August 2026.
How booking groups heard about AIR
Measured once per family-event booking, not once per ticket.
Contribution to the BHA Social Impact Strategy
Autism In Racing's evidence aligns with all four social impact goals, while keeping a clear distinction between delivery outputs, behavioural indicators and directly measured outcomes.
Power of Opportunity
571 child places were booked in 2026. Accessible first experiences can create a foundation for later mentoring, education, volunteering and employment pathways, although progression must be measured separately.
Power of the Racehorse
Families access authentic racing environments and opportunities to connect with thoroughbreds. Booking data confirms access to racing fixtures; direct horse interaction should be captured as an additional outcome.
Power of Racing
75 cross-year returners and 30 families attending multiple 2026 events provide direct evidence of sustained engagement. The 2025 survey also reported that 71% would not attend without sensory support.
Power of Community
Delivery across 20 venues in 2026 shows racecourses operating as accessible community assets. Racecourse referrals, schools, autism groups and personal recommendations all contribute to programme reach.
Evidence strength at a glance
| Outcome area | Current evidence | Evidence status | Reporting language |
|---|---|---|---|
| Programme access | 1,253 booked places across 33 event occurrences | Verified output | “Booked places” rather than confirmed attendance |
| Sustained engagement | 75 cross-year returners; 30 repeat families in 2026 | Verified behaviour | Evidence of continued participation |
| Reduced access barriers | 71% would not attend without sensory support | Survey outcome | Applies to the 2025 survey sample |
| Future engagement | 96%+ likely or very likely to attend again | Survey intention | Intention, not verified future attendance |
| Confidence and wellbeing | Repeat behaviour and qualitative feedback | Promising indicator | Do not claim causal improvement without direct measures |
Methodology, privacy and limitations
This public page contains aggregate statistics only. Participant names, email addresses, telephone numbers, addresses, accessibility details and individual booking histories are excluded.
How figures were calculated
- 2026 places were deduplicated using order ID, ticket number, event and event date.
- Family-level retention was matched using normalised booking email addresses; this was used only for deduplication and return-engagement analysis.
- Cross-year returners were identified only where the same email appeared in both the 2025 registration export and 2026 booking data.
- Sensory needs were counted once per family-event booking to avoid multiplying the same response across tickets.
Important limitations
- Check-in data is excluded because recording varies between racecourses.
- Different booking contacts may represent the same household, so unique-family counts are conservative estimates.
- The 2025 and 2026 systems collect different fields and use different definitions.
- No monetary social value is claimed without a recognised valuation method and direct outcome evidence.
Sources: AIR BHA Social Impact Strategy 2025 Report; Autism Friendly Raceday Registration 2025 export; Humanitix attendee, event and purchaser reports exported 3 August 2026.