New Directory shows the power of the racing industry to support its communities and transform lives
Joint press release issued on behalf of Racing Together, Godolphin and The Racing Foundation
A ground-breaking is launched today highlighting British horseracing鈥檚 commitment to helping communities improve their health, wellbeing and education, including bringing them closer to horses. A 鈥榝irst of its kind for racing鈥�, the development of this Directory of charitable and community activity is seen as an important contributor to the sport鈥檚 recovery plan and its engagement with the racing public and wider society.
The Directory maps nationwide activities from over 100 organisations that are harnessing assets to help people develop skills, increase physical activity and to create a more diverse and inclusive sport.
Racing working across multiple outcomes for its communities
The Directory reveals that over the last 18-months more than 40,000 people have been involved in programmes run by racecourses, charities, training yards and a range of other industry bodies.
Among the Directory鈥檚 programmes are schemes allowing people experiencing mental health difficulties or dementia to visit a race meeting, and many activities that have inspired young people struggling with mainstream education.
Visit and Add to the Directory
The platform is accessible to all through the Racing Together website, and organisations are encouraged to add their programmes and build upon the fantastic content that has been submitted so far at which includes updates on the immediate responses of racing businesses and people to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on local communities.
Chris Grant, Sport England Board Member and former CEO of the Sported Foundation said:
鈥淚t鈥檚 inspiring to see so many people benefitting from racing鈥檚 work, and it鈥檚 impressive to see how the industry puts its spaces and its knowhow at the service of people around the country – all underpinned by the most distinctive asset of all: the horse.
鈥淭hese activities go to the heart of many of the deepest challenges facing our communities and will become even more important as we recover from the challenges of 2020. This Directory will open peoples鈥� eyes to the positive power of racing and stimulate the sharing of ideas and resources across the industry.鈥�
Nick Rust, Chief Executive of the British Horseracing Authority, said:
鈥淏ritish racing鈥檚 Members Committee recently had the opportunity to see first-hand the latest work Racing Together has been doing, supported by the Racing Foundation and Godolphin, to identify the many ways in which our industry is involved with local communities up and down our nations, and the benefits that brings to those communities.
鈥淲e are delighted that the Directory is being launched to map and showcase those activities, and we believe it will help encourage others to engage locally and gain some real momentum in the help and support our industry brings to local communities.鈥�
Annamarie Phelps, Chair of the British Horseracing Authority, said:
鈥淢any people come to racing for the sport but they stay because of the wider benefits: the social aspects, the friendships they form, the physical and mental well-being they get from their involvement with racing鈥檚 people and our fabulous horses.
鈥淭his Directory is the first of its kind for racing. It will help us understand what is happening already, so that we can work together to align our activities and provide a coherent message about the positive impact of the sport and industry on those it engages with.
鈥淭his is just the first phase of a project to recognise the huge positive impact that our people and our horses have on those they interact with and will be valuable to the industry here in the UK and globally to ensure its health and sustainability as we emerge into a new post-Covid future.鈥�
Nick Froy, Executive Headteacher at Newmarket Academy and Sybil Andrews Academy, and Chair of the Steering Group leading this project, said:
鈥淭his Directory shows the power of the racing industry to support its communities and transform lives. Newmarket is a better place for the support, intervention and opportunity of the assets of the racing industry.
鈥淭he young people of Newmarket have been exposed to a range of opportunities which have raised their aspiration and ambition and given them chances to pursue their career dreams.鈥�
Barrie Wells MBE, Founder of Barrie Wells Trust, said:
鈥淚t is great to see racing’s community engagement activity in one place, and to know that the industry is trying to increase its impact in this area. This is wonderful news as the racing community has so much to offer.
鈥淚 am delighted that my charity’s Box4Kids initiative has had exceptional support from racing and in particular The Jockey Club, who provide such incredible and memorable experiences for seriously ill and disabled children, with all their 15 racecourses fully contributing so positively. I am excited to be a part of this new directory and look forward to seeing the great benefits it will bring to so many charities and organisations such as my own.鈥�
Forming a new Leadership Strategy
The new Directory forms part of a wider strategy of collaboration for racing to deliver an ambitious and aligned programme of activity that increases the sport鈥檚 beneficiaries across community engagement and education.
Rob Hezel, CEO of the Racing Foundation, said:
鈥淭he Racing Foundation are excited about the launch of the Directory which we hope will support greater co-ordination and alignment of the community and education activities undertaken across the sport. The Directory which will be followed by an aspirational strategy aims to maximise the impact of activities for the benefit of individuals, communities and the sport as a whole.
鈥淲e would like to acknowledge the tremendous amount of work that takes place every year from thousands of people across racing that allows so much good to be done and positivity created.鈥�
Further detail outlining the range and impact objectives of these community engagement and education initiatives, including a detailed survey report is contained
International Racing in step with GB
All the main overseas racing nations have been supported by Godolphin to reflect on their work and approach to education and community engagement. To accelerate this collaboration, work is underway to produce a new website under the name of Together for Racing International.
Diana Cooper, responsible for Godolphin鈥檚 global charitable programme, said:
鈥淕odolphin has been integral in the development of this Directory of community engagement and education because it lies at the heart of our charitable programme鈥檚 objective.
The work, however, does not stop here as while the Directory brings racing鈥檚 efforts together, we now have the foundation to build a cohesive strategy for the betterment of our industry and to highlight the positive effect it can have on the people around us.鈥�
Visit the Media Pack
Help us to showcase the Directory by making use of including:
鈥� How you can help us spread the word
鈥� Supporting social media posts and graphics
鈥� Full Directory Report PDF featuring case studies
鈥� Sending a letter to your local MP
Directory contributions were received from racecourses, racing and non-racing charities, industry stakeholders and social enterprises, whose work connects with many in the wider industry, and there is an opportunity for organisations to still be included in the Directory by adding their relevant community programmes, via .
Notes to editors:
星空无限传媒 Godolphin
Godolphin is the global thoroughbred horseracing and breeding operation founded by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates.
With its headquarters in Dubai, it is one of the world鈥檚 largest equine teams, operating in England, Ireland, France, Australia, Japan and the United States.
Godolphin is committed to the lifetime care of its horses, including retraining and rehoming. It also supports various education programmes around the world, key industry awards and trains future equine leaders.
星空无限传媒 The Racing Foundation
The Racing Foundation was established in January 2012 by the British Horseracing Authority, the Horsemen鈥檚 Group and Racecourse Association, as a charity, to oversee the distribution of funds to charitable causes within racing following the sale of the Tote. They are registered with the Charity Commission under the law of England and Wales (no. 1145297). The Racing Foundation鈥檚 purpose is to make a difference in racing by acting as a catalyst and a funder of improvement.
The Trustees of the Racing Foundation are Ian Barlow (Chairman), Linda Bowles, Susannah Gill, Mark Johnston, Louise Kemble and William Rucker. Since inception, the Racing Foundation has granted over 拢20 million to charities associated with the horseracing and Thoroughbred breeding industry in the UK, supporting work in social welfare, education and training, horse welfare, equine science research, and heritage and culture. Website: Twitter:@RacingGrants
星空无限传媒 Racing Together
Racing Together is British racing鈥檚 community engagement activity and is a partnership of charities and organisations that work across the sport to benefit others. Racing Together is led by the education charity Racing to School.
Racing Together coordinates, supports, represents and measures British racing鈥檚 community engagement and CSR activity. Racing Together鈥檚 vision is for British racing to be known as a 鈥榝orce for good鈥� by helping the communities in which the sport operates.
Racing Together achieves this by providing practical support and resources to the partnership; hosting an action group to facilitate ideas, collaboration and progress; working on specific nationwide initiatives; hosting inspiring masterclasses and coordinating Racing Together Community Day; while promoting and sharing best examples of community engagement on an ongoing basis.
For more information on Racing Together, please contact Lucy Gurney, Community Engagement Manager, Racing Together. 07387 260 980, [email protected],
