Finalists compete for RCA Showcase Community Award

Racecourse teams gather at Pontefract today, 10 November to celebrate the best entries for events, sustainability, diversity & inclusion, marketing and of course the Racing Together Community Award.

Find out more about each of the finalists below.

Aintree—Harnessing The Power Of The People’s Race

Aintree’s long-standing and highly effective community engagement programme continues to grow from strength to strength. As the community emerges from the pandemic, Aintree’s support is more important than ever before. Using the People’s Race, the Grand National, as a catalyst, Aintree offered support to a number areas of the community with a host of varied, targeted initiatives which resonated strongly in the local area and beyond.

Ascot—Celebrating The Platinum Jubilee

As the venue for the Royal Meeting, Ascot’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations took on additional importance. Wanting to leave a lasting legacy from the celebrations to benefit generations to come, Ascot worked in collaboration with local groups and the Crown to achieve the perfect balance of celebration and support. A canopy of Oak trees, new artwork to adorn the racecourse underpasses and special invitations to Royal Ascot for first-time visitors ensured all within Ascot’s local community would remember the Platinum Jubilee.

Catterick—Platinum Jubilee Raceday

Wanting to capitalise on the double Bank Holiday, Catterick hosted the Platinum Jubilee raceday to give local people an ideal place to celebrate the Jubilee whilst enjoying a wonderful day out. Working closely with local schools to bring the next generation of racing fan along was a key element, as was the emphasis on sustainability which looks to be a growing area of work for the Yorkshire Racecourse. Attendance on the day increased 74%YOY from 2018, but more importantly the racecourse and horseracing was the centre of the local community’s Jubilee celebrations.

Chester—Chester Loves Racegoers. Love it Back.

Chester’s unique position within the City centre carries pros and cons, with a common complaint being the racecourse is responsible for much of the anti-social behaviour post-racing. Acknowledging the concerns of its locality, Chester Racecourse launched this campaign with the simple message to love the historic city that racegoers found themselves in. A strong communications campaign was backed up by tangible action in the city centre, resulting in major endorsements from local media and 50% fewer resident complaints.

Scottish Racing—Scottish Racing In The Community

Scottish Racing’s overarching banner brings a fantastic opportunity to combine the resources and reach of racecourses, training yards and the Scottish Racing Academy to benefit communities both locally and across Scotland. With an ambitious aim to make each racecourse a community hub, Scottish Racing co-ordinated a national donation of equine support kits for all of Scotland as part of the sport’s national day of volunteering. This particular initiative was but one example of a sound and ambitious strategy being successfully implemented.

Visit the Racecourse Association Showcase & Awards hub here.