Racing Together Community Week
Your guide to taking part
Racing’s national week of volunteering in local communities
Thank you for your commitment to taking part in this year’s Racing Together Community Week on 5-11th May.
We’re looking forward to the biggest Racing Together Community Week so far – we know over 90 racing organisations have plans to volunteer in their local community, or have already planned or completed their activity during a quieter time of year.
Just some of the highlights so far:
- Collective volunteering efforts with multiple racing organisations working together on one project
- Plenty of volunteering at racehorse rehoming centres
- Community-focussed racedays
- Food bank support, and much more.
What we need from you:
Please tell us, if you haven’t already:
- How many people volunteer
- Approximately how many hours
- Which charity or community group you support
- If your activity involves fundraising – how much did you raise?
This helps us to pull together some impressive nationwide stats for Community Week.
Showcase Your Participation
Help us celebrate the impact of Community Week by sharing your photos! We’ve created two downloadable participation templates that you can personalise with your own image and post on social media using #RacingTogether.
You can access templates and a step-by-step user guide here
Social media post:
We’re part of Racing Together Community Week! We are (activity here) in support of (charity or community group here). Find out more: https://www.racingtogether.co.uk/racing-together-community-day/
Email or write to your local MP – download a template here.
Photo/ video guidelines
Please take as many photos and video clips as you can, and email, WeTransfer or WhatsApp them to us (07387 260980) to include in our Community Week video montage. We appreciate it’s not always appropriate to take photos including beneficiaries to protect privacy/ sensitivity when you are volunteering. A photo of your team wearing something branded with your organisation name is a great alternative.
1. Landscape AND portrait orientation ideally (landscape for the video montage, portrait for Instagram and TikTok)
2. Both photo and short video formats (circa 10-20 secs)
3. Please also send any written or video feedback/ quotes you receive from beneficiaries
4. Tag @racingtogether and use the hashtag #RacingTogether when posting on social media
5. Previous video montage here by way of example
The following week is Mental Health Awareness Week and Racing Welfare leads on this on behalf of the racing industry. This year’s theme is ‘Community’ which ties in well with Community Week beforehand.
“Newmarket racing-related businesses had an amazing opportunity to improve our local area this week: sign cleaning, litter picking and more. It was a fantastic example of teamworking and has made a visible difference to our local area.” John Gilbert, Racing Centre CEO
THANK YOU
A big thank you to all the businesses and individuals taking part in this year’s Racing Together Community Week and making a difference in their local communities.
Why volunteer?
- Your people: it’s fun, develops skills and offers a rewarding team-building activity
- Your community: it changes lives, builds new partnerships and helps where need is greatest
- Your business: it’s motivating, creates a positive local profile and is responsible business.
10 Ideas for Racing Together Community Day Activity:
- Identify an existing charity partner or ask your team to submit local causes close to their hearts
- Tidy up your local area, speak to your local council
- Visit a volunteer website for ideas
- Contact your local Lions Club
- Use your team’s core skills; maintenance, catering, social media
- Invite beneficiaries to a behind-the-scenes day at your racecourse
- Use the day to train your staff: to be autism aware, dementia friends, etc
- Volunteer your time to host an event, fundraise, mentor or skills to help out
- Charity types suit your team: animal charities; sports foundations
- Equine charities: Greatwood, the Racehorse Sanctuary, HEROs, etc.
Help the sport to promote the initiative:
- Advise Racing Together of activities
- Tag Racing Together, take photos and be active on social media using #RacingTogether
- Send a press release to contribute to racing’s wider industry story
- Let your local MP know and invite them along.
Are you racing that week? If so:
- Use spare race titles and racecard space
- Include sponsors in activities
- Invite your local MP
- If you’re too busy, simply announce plans for later in the year
- Brief media contacts, photographers and raceday presenters.
About Racing Together
Racing Together represents and champions British racing’s community engagement and education activity and is a growing partnership of charities and other organisations who work across the sport to benefit others.
Discover more