Aintree Beacon Project celebrates 10 years

In May, Racing to School celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the  Aintree Beacon Project with two unique events. The programme, delivered with support from Aintree Racecourse and Aintree Equestrian Centre, engages around 1,200 pupils annually from local Maricourt Catholic High School and three of its feeder Primary schools: St John Bosco Primary, Holy Rosary Catholic Primary and St George’s Catholic Primary. Since 2015. The  aim is  to connect participants with horseracing at contact points from Year 5 through to Year 10 to  generate interest  and share knowledge of the sport;  the Beacon also supports  pathways to employment for those wishing to pursue careers in the sport.

Carrie Ford, Racing to School’s  Aintree Beacon Project lead, said: “This is an important milestone for the Aintree Beacon Project and the charity  as we celebrate 10 years of inspiring the young people of Merseyside and Sefton. With our partners we have used the  cultural relevance of the Grand National and showcased the racecourse’s deep-rooted impact on the local community.

“We are incredibly grateful to everyone at Aintree Racecourse, Aintree Equestrian Centre and all the teachers who contribute to the success of this programme every year.”

To mark this landmark, two activities took place. A Hospitality Insight Day at Aintree Racecourse, a first for the Beacon, was led by Hospitality Manager Mike Warrington. The visit gave Maricourt Catholic High School’s GCSE Hospitality students a unique view  into large-scale raceday event preparation. The group enjoyed a behind-the-scenes tour of the facilities and had the chance to explore potential career pathways within the industry with guidance from the racecourse team.

Danielle Lawler, Deputy Headteacher at Maricourt Catholic High School, said: “The Aintree Beacon Project has helped bring our curriculum to life over the past 10 years, giving students the chance to feel part of the celebrations and major events happening in their local community. Through visits to the racecourse, they developed a cultural understanding of racing beyond just horses and seen how subjects like Maths, Literacy and Marketing are used in the industry.

“The project has also helped students build enterprise skills, and working with people in different job roles has supported their aspirations and allowed learning to extend beyond the classroom. Without it, many wouldn’t have the chance to experience a racecourse, despite having the world’s biggest steeplechase on their doorstep. We hope the project continues to grow and creates lasting memories for our students.”

The celebration continued on  16th May as Year 6 students were welcomed back to Aintree Racecourse, this time to experience a raceday for the first time.

Building on the knowledge they gained during their Year 5 Pony Education Days at Aintree Equestrian Centre, students met racehorses arriving at the course and heard from industry professionals about their roles on the day, while exploring the rich history of their local racecourse and its Grand National links.

The day was rounded off with an evening of racing with students joined by their families to experience the live action  together – a well-deserved post SATs treat.

Dickon White, Regional Director of the Jockey Club North West said: “The local community are at the heart of everything we do at Aintree Racecourse, and we’re extremely proud of the Aintree Beacon Project reaching this decade milestone. Connecting young people with the fantastic sport of racing, the Grand National and all that the industry has to offer is extremely important when looking to inspire the next generation of fans and that ethos is at the centre of the Beacon Project work.

“We’d like to thank Carrie Ford and the Racing to School team, the teachers and of course the students who are always so engaged with this project and we’re looking forward to what the next ten years have in store.”

Beacon project activity continued in the week before half term as 180 Year 7 students took part in three non-raceday events at Aintree. These visits include exclusive behind-the-scenes tours of the racecourse and a range of curriculum-linked activities designed to engage and inspire. The sessions concluded with an exciting opportunity to test their jockey skills on the equiciser, one of the charity’s mechanical horses

Racing to School is already planning  delivery of the Aintree Beacon Project for the next academic year and beyond. The  programme remains focused on creating a lasting and positive impact for the young people it supports, and to connecting  future cohorts to the sport that  has helped shape their local area for generations.