The UK’s horse racing industry is preparing to celebrate its national day of community activity on May 9.
The ‘Racing Together Community Day’ provides racing charities and businesses across the country with an opportunity to engage with their local area and build relationships with those that share the communities in which they operate.
More than 50 companies have signed up to support this year’s day so far with a variety of activities planned including volunteering at Age UK, organising careers days, environmental clean-ups and hosting ‘Racing to School’ events across the country.
Racing Together is British racing’s official community engagement activity and is a partnership of charities and other organisations who work across the sport. Its vision is for British racing to be known as a ‘force for good’ by helping the communities in which the sport operates.
Any racing-related business or charity is encouraged to get involved. Will Lambe, Executive Director at the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), said: “It is terrific to see so many parts of British Racing uniting to work with the communities closest to them, and our thanks go to Racing Together for co-ordinating all of the activity.”
The BHA itself will welcome young people to its offices in London for an interactive careers day, involving a variety of departments and staff.
Elsewhere Chester Racecourse will host a visit from local schoolchildren for a ‘maths in action’ day, while at Perth a team will work with their local Park Action Group to clean up their local area.
Carlisle join in the fun for the first time this year, helping out at their local Racehorse Rescue Centre, while Ripon Racecourse has already staged a clean-up of its local area, alongside other local businesses, and Warwick Racecourse organised a half marathon for the British Heart Foundation last month.
John Blake, Chief Executive of Racing Together, said: “The simple purpose of Racing Together is to pool the imagination and effort of organisations across the sport with the common aim to help others, whether on their immediate doorstep or through initiatives that support people nationally.
“Community Day is Racing Together in a nutshell. This is the annual opportunity for racing to join forces and make an impact through volunteering – a lot of which already goes on in pockets across the sport year-round.
“May 9 is a day to celebrate racing’s growing commitment to do its bit, which is as rewarding for those involved as for those who benefit. We know that this will be the biggest, most far-reaching Community Day yet and we want as many racing people as possible to show how the sport values its neighbours.”
To find out more, visit the Racing Together page on the ConnectSport directory. To add your organisation to the directory, contact [email protected].
