- British Racing set to help over 1,000 at risk young people through racing education days
- Racing education days will teach underprivileged young people about racing and job opportunities in the industry
- Doncaster, Aintree and Lingfield racecourses to host racing education days
Racing Together, British Racing’s collective banner for community engagement, are today delighted to announce the launch of a partnership with Active Communities Network (ACN). The official launch of the relationship, which coincides with the announcement of ACN receiving funding from Sport England, is happening at Doncaster racecourse today.
ACN works with disadvantaged young people (aged 11-25) in specific geographical hubs across the UK, providing sports based programmes, personal and social development programmes, accredited training and helps to build pathways into employment.
Through this partnership Racing will have the opportunity to work with over 1,000 at risk young people in Britain through series of racing education days. This will provide a racing-based social development programme from three beacon racecourses – Aintree, Lingfield Park and Doncaster – with the objective of providing a positive experience for the young people, showing them an alternative path in life and teaching them about the Racing industry and career opportunities within it.
The racing education days will involve giving young people a ‘behind the scenes’ tour of a racecourse. They will meet racecourse staff to learn more about what goes into putting on a raceday and about the racing industry more broadly. This will introduce them to a sporting industry that supports over 85,000 full time jobs in Britain, and what these jobs entail.
From now until the end of 2016 the three beacon racecourses will facilitate the racing education days, with plans to extend their geographical reach in the future.
Hayley Turner, former leading female jockey and ACN ambassador, said:
“I am committed to helping young people and promote the sport I love and that brought me so many incredible opportunities. Having recently retired, I am looking forward to working closely with Active Communities Network to support and inspire young people to become more involved with the racing industry and community, especially those from more challenging backgrounds.”
To further increase Racing’s engagement in the programme, ACN are also offering an opportunity for members of Racing’s workforce to become accredited, with a vocationally recognised qualification, to work with young people using sport to tackle crime. These Racing industry coaches will then assist in the delivery of the days at the three pilot hubs.
Carole Goldsmith, the BHA’s Director of People and Development, said:
“This an exciting development for British Racing. Racing has a plethora of top class facilities and career opportunities that, through this relationship with ACN, we will be able to share with ‘at-risk’ young people. Not only will the racing education days provide fun and interest for the underprivileged young people, they will also highlight careers they might have otherwise not known about.
“The vocational qualification that ACN are offering to people working in racing provides an excellent chance for personal development for those working within the Racing community. The qualification will allow the holder to work with young people, using Racing to tackle their problems. This will help the local community in the long term, as well as providing nationally-recognised qualifications for stud and stable staff.”
Notes to editors:
1. The ACN programme complements the “Racing to School” programme delivered by the charity the British Horseracing Education and Standards Trust (BHEST) which provides educational visits to racecourses for over 10,000 school children and young people each year, supporting their learning of national curriculum subjects using the context of racing and thoroughbred breeding. BHEST has plans to further expand its activity and introduce two new programmes in the new year
More information about BHEST: http://www.bhest.co.uk/
2. About Racing Together: Launched in November 2014, Racing Together is British Racing’s collective banner for community engagement. Through racing’s network of racecourses, personnel and businesses Racing Together sets out British Racing’s contribution to communities across Britain and outlines the steps for ensuring Racing extends its reach to people and communities in the future. The work is based around four guiding pillars: Helping others; Racing, Education outreach; Local life. For more information contact [email protected] or visit: https://www.britishhorseracing.com/bha/grassroots/racing-together/
3. About Active Communities Network: ACN is a registered charity with headquarters in London and regional offices in Manchester, Belfast and Cape Town. As a youth and community development charity, their mission is to tackle poverty and social deprivation at the heart of neighbourhoods. By delivering grassroots projects, primarily through the mediums of sport and cultural activity, with highly trained and multi-skilled staff, their vision is to engage, support, mentor and progress young people into education, training and employment. Through this approach they also impact on the wider community by promoting a greater sense of citizenship, cohesion and inclusion through social action projects, youth volunteering and cross community events. For more information please visit: www.activecommunities.org.uk
