‘Everybody wants to help’: racing’s workforce digs deep for local community
Racing’s workforce have grabbed their paintbrushes, bin bags and shovels to give back 1,500 hours of their time to their local communities.
More than 250 people from 60 businesses, including yards and racecourse staff, spent 9 May helping out at organsations and charities in their neighbourhoods.
Ascot racecourse organised a food bank drive, staff at Cheltenham racecourse spent the day volunteering with the Riding for the Disabled, litter picks happened in Yorkshire and Newmarket, while others went into schools and charities.
Racing Together and Racing to School visited Age UK Camden to brighten up its living area.
“We simply would not have had the resources to paint the living area at our centre,” said manager Brian O’Connell.
“The work done by the team of volunteers will brighten and freshen up the space where so many activities for our residents take place. The benefits for both staff and the elderly who live in the area will be tenfold.”
Naomi Wood, hospitality coordinator at Cheltenham racecourse, added it was wonderful to learn more about the work the Riding for the Disabled Association does.
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“We feel very lucky to have been able to participate in this day and have now signed up to volunteer with them in the future,” she said.
Staff at Carlile racecourse resurfaced a pen and helped to clean and paint stables at the Racehorse Rescue Centre.
“Racing is one of the best communities in the entire world,” said the racecourse’s general manager, Molly Dingwall.
“Everybody wants to help everybody else and we all pull our weight. It is so nice to be able to give back in a different way, which is what we have done today.”
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.