Inclusion Projects
Learn about new and existing programmes
Find out more about just some of the latest inclusion projects across British Horseracing. To explore British racing’s Directory of Community Engagement and Education activity, including initiatives focussing on diversity and inclusion, click the button below.
Autism in Racing
Autism in Racing seeks to raise awareness of autism, educate racing’s workforce and customers about autism and hosts autism-friendly sensory spaces on racecourses.
Visit the Autism in Racing webpage here.
Racing is Everyone’s Sport
Racing is Everyone’s Sport is a campaign led by Great British Racing in conjunction with the Diversity in Racing Steering Group and Racing With Pride. The campaign aims to encourage and welcome LGBT+ participation in the sport of horse racing, bringing the racing community together to champion inclusion for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
LGBT+ industry figures and role models, including ex-jockey Victoria Smith, work rider Christopher Williams and industry courses manager Di Farrell-Thomas (all pictured) and trainer Mick Appleby, share their personal experiences in the sport and pledging their support to LGBT+ communities.
Visit the landing page here.
Racing Pathway
Racing Pathway is a project, partially funded by the Racing Foundation, to develop three defined collaborative pathways into our sport. Promoted across a more diverse audience, the Racing Pathway is looking to ensure that racing becomes an option for future fans and also future careers for Generation Z.
Visit the website here.
Racing With Pride
Racing With Pride is British racing’s official LGBT+ network which offers a community for people to find support and camaraderie, as well as influence social change and promote a diverse and inclusive industry.
Visit the Racing With Pride page here.
Riding A Dream Academy
The Riding A Dream Academy is inspired by the incredible achievements of Khadijah Mellah who was the first British Muslim woman to ride in and win a British horse race. Its aims are to help other young people from underrepresented groups and communities and non-horsey backgrounds get involved in the sport. Within the Academy, there are two programmes which will run during 2021/2 – The Khadijah Mellah Scholarship and the Riding a Dream Residential Week.
Visit the website here.
Step on Track
Careers in Racing (CiR), the dedicated careers marketing arm of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), has launched a programme designed to introduce young people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds to the horseracing industry.
Step On Track has been developed in response to the lack of BAME representation within some areas of British racing and aims to engage young people from ethnic minorities with Britain’s second largest spectator sport, as well as showcasing the varied and exciting career opportunities that it can provide.
The first programme took place during Black History Month in October 2020 and included daily events including talks from inspirational racing figures, activities and the opportunity to go racing as a group at an appropriate point in the future.
Upon completion of the course, the candidates receive ongoing mentoring and guidance, as well as assistance in finding work experience placements within the industry.
Women in Racing
Women in Racing (WiR) is a network of professionals working across the sport of horseracing who aim to enhance the profile and development of their peers, with a goal to introduce more women into racing and enrich the sport. WiR is also proud to have developed Racing Home, an industry-leading programme designed to ensure that Horseracing can become a cultural leader in the sports world at supporting its participants in planning and raising a family. This measure is vital both for wellbeing and for the overall sustainability of the industry.
Visit the website here.
Racing Home
The Racing Home Project has as its core objective the improvement of the working lives of parent and carers in the horseracing industry. It seeks to ensure that all employees have an understanding of their basic rights and entitlements and can talk openly about the challenges they experience as a working mother, father or carer.
More information can be found here.