Racing Together Gets Active In Communities

Racing Together, British Racing’s collective banner for community engagement, has launched a new partnership with Active Communities Network (ACN).

ACN provides sports based programmes, personal and social development programmes and training. Through the partnership Racing Together will have the opportunity to work with over 1,000 at risk young people through a series of racing education days.

The series will deliver a racing based social development prgoramme from Aintree, Lingfield Park and Doncaster racecourses, with the objective of showing young people an alternative path in life, teach them about the racing industry and careers within it.

The official launch coincides with the announcement of ACN receiving Sport England funding for its work with disadvantaged young people.

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 ACN to support and inspire young people to become more involved with the racing industry and community, especially those from more challenging backgrounds.”

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.”

From now until the end of 2016 the three racecourses will facilitate the racing education days, with plans to extend their geographical reach in the future.