Racing Together Community Day Racing Together Community Day is a day on which racing businesses – such as racecourses, charities and major stakeholders – are encouraged to volunteer their time to participate in events which benefit their local communities. In doing so it provides racing charities and businesses across Britain with an opportunity and focus to engage with their local area and build lasting relationships with those that share the communities in which they operate.
Key Facts
- British racing’s national employee volunteering day ‘Racing Together Community Day’ takes place on Thursday 9 May
- Coordinated by Racing Together partnership of charities and racing businesses
- Over 300 hours were volunteered on or around this day last year and over 50 racing businesses have signed up for this year’s effort so far
- A variety of plans are forming for this year, including volunteering at Age UK, organising careers days, environment clean-ups and hosting Racing to School events across the country
- Ripon Racecourse kick started the activities early in late March, participating in a local area ‘tidy up’ ahead of the first fixture for the season.
Who is involved?
Any racing-related business or charity is encouraged to get involved. Stakeholders from across racing have again embraced the initiative with a variety of projects. Confirmed participants so far include:
Racing Together’s Chief Executive, John Blake 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 9th 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.”
Examples of activity
The BHA will once again welcome young people form a London youth group for an interactive careers day, involving a variety of departments and staff.
Chester Racecourse will host a Racing to School visit for local pupils to enjoy 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.
Ripon Racecourse have put down an early marker having already undertaken a Harrogate District clean-up, alongside other local businesses. Not to be outdone, Warwick Racecourse organised a half marathon for the British Heart Foundation last month during a short gap between fixtures.
Will Lambe, Executive Director at the 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. We are greatly looking forward to welcoming some young people to our offices in High Holborn for an interactive careers day, which will give them a real flavour of many of the fantastic opportunities our sport offers.”
There is still time to sign up to join Racing Together Community Day. Please contact Racing Together Community Manager, Lucy Saunders (details below) to receive further information and ideas.
Notes to editors:
1. Racing Together is British racing’s community engagement activity and is a partnership of charities and other organisations who work across the sport to benefit others. It coordinates, supports, represents and measures British racing’s community engagement and CSR activity.
Racing Together’s vision is for British racing to be known as a ‘force for good’ by helping the communities in which the sport operates. It 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 the 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 Saunders, Community Engagement Manager, Racing Together. 07387 260 980, [email protected], www.racingtogether.co.uk .
