The education charity Racing School (previously known as the British Horseracing Education Standards Trust – BHEST) will from next month take on the objectives of Racing Together – the umbrella brand for British racing’s Community Engagement programme.
Racing to School has for the past 15 years delivered free, nationwide programmes at racecourses, studs and trainers’ yards. Today the charity supports the education of over 10,000 young people each year. The charity’s work is aligned to the aims of Racing Together, which was formed in 2014 to encourage and highlight the considerable work being done by racing in its communities. Developing valuable partnerships for the sport locally and nationally has been one of the key successes of Racing Together, which has been led recently by the sport’s governing body, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).
“Racing to School and Racing Together already naturally overlap in their aims to use the power of racing for the benefit of local communities, especially the young,” said the charity’s Chairman David Adam.
“The charity has been expanding this year and is well placed to take on the key objectives of Racing Together. Such a strong alliance will allow us to reach more beneficiaries by pooling our networks; expanding our fundraising and communications strategy and using our strong reputations to increase the impact of our work.”
Racing Together has played a key role in guiding and supporting racecourses and other industry participants, explained Racing Together’s Chairman Ian Barlow.
“British Racing has a proud track record of helping communities across the UK. Racing Together was formed to promote, coordinate and build upon the existing community engagement of our racecourses, training yards, studs and racing charities. There is no better example of this than Racing to School with its long record of supporting a broad range of schools, colleges and other organisations. Our alliance is therefore a natural evolution, marrying the success and capabilities of the charity Racing to School with the ambitions of Racing Together to extend the community engagement of what is the second most attended sport in the UK.”
Sean O’Connor on behalf of the BHA added: “Racing to School will use its well-rooted, nationwide relationships to take on and develop the work undertaken by Racing Together, which has been to coordinate and encourage initiatives across the sport to engage and help those communities in which racing operates.”
To support the new alliance of Racing to School with Racing Together, the charity’s Trustees will now undertake a recruitment process for a Chief Executive and, in time, it is expected that additional posts will be created to meet the needs of the larger charity and its future growth.
ENDS
Note to Editors
Racing to School (formerly BHEST), established in 1993, is a registered charity (No. 1040590) responsible for the development and delivery of racing related education programmes. Delivered free to schools at racecourses, studs and trainers’ yards across the UK, Racing to School’s lively approach supports children and young people by demonstrating a practical application of a range of National Curriculum subjects and sparking a knowledge and understanding of the sport of horseracing.
The Riders’ and Work Programmes are being launched as pilots in 2016 in line with the charity’s strategic objectives to expand its work and increase the number of beneficiaries. www.racingtoschool.co.uk
Racing Together is the umbrella brand for British Racing’s Community Engagement programme. Originally introduced in 2014, its principal aims are to develop community engagement in the streams of education, local life and welfare, and to promote the considerable work being done by racing in its communities.
Contact – John Blake
[email protected]
07766 114828
