Greenhouse Sports is one of seven beneficiaries of this year’s Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot and Mimi O’Callaghan explains how the donated funds will support the charity’s mission.

Greenhouse Sports is a youth development charity that uses the power of sport and long-term mentoring to improve the life chances of young people growing up in poverty. We embed full-time Coach-Mentors into schools in areas of high deprivation, working before, during, and after school, all year round.

Changing Lives through Sport

Sport is the hook, but our impact runs deeper — our Coach-Mentors are trusted adults who build the confidence, resilience, and life skills young people need to thrive, in school and beyond.

Each year, over 8,500 young people take part in our programmes. Being involved in the Betting & Gaming Council’s initiative through the Britannia Stakes has helped shine a light on the challenges facing children growing up in poverty – and the transformational impact a trusted adult can have in a young person’s corner.

 Being selected helps reach more people who believe, like we do, that every child deserves a fair chance at life.

Far-reaching impact

Every pound raised helps us put more Coach-Mentors into more schools, and supporting young people who need it most!

Thid donation will fund intensive coaching and mentoring sessions, holiday programmes, and safe spaces where young people grow in self-belief, develop essential life skills, and build brighter futures.

Jordan’s story

One young man’s story says it all. By Year 9, Jordan had already been excluded from school twice. Home life was tough, school didn’t feel like a place he could succeed, and his environment offered few real chances to break out of that cycle.

Then Greenhouse stepped in. Coach didn’t just offer basketball, but belief. When Jordan was taken off the team to focus on improving his grades and behaviour, it wasn’t punishment – it was accountability with trust. His Coach made it clear: Jordan wasn’t a lost cause, just someone with more to give.

That was the turning point. Sport gave Jordan focus, structure, and a reason to care. He channelled that discipline into school, rising from middle sets to top sets across the board.

Within two years, he went from being written off and someone who thought it was impossible to do well in school, to achieving A grades and leading by example.

 Today, Jordan is thriving professionally – but he credits a huge part of his journey to his Greenhouse Coach-Mentor who saw his potential when others didn’t – and who didn’t give up on him.

Different sports, familiar challenges

Cross-sport promotion helps us reach beyond our usual audiences and show that what we do isn’t just about sport – it’s about the young people behind the sport. We’re a youth development charity that uses sport as our vehicle.

By connecting with different sporting communities, like racing, we’re able to raise awareness in new spaces, build new partnerships, grow our network – and ultimately reach more young people who need support.

It’s absolutely vital that young people are introduced to career and development opportunities within the wider sports industry, and it’s a big part of what we do at Greenhouse. For young people facing poverty, many career paths especially in professional industries can feel completely out of reach. They’re not even on the radar.

But when we connect our young people with employers, take them into corporate spaces, and create moments where they can speak with professionals who share their background or story, it changes everything.

 It shows young people that they belong in those spaces too. It sparks ambition, unlocks new possibilities, and gives them the confidence to dream beyond the limits of their postcode.

Greenhouse is not trying to create elite athletes. Sport is the hook, but the goal is bigger: to expand horizons and improve life chances.

Career exposure, mentoring, and development opportunities are a crucial part of that journey, and we’re proud to work with partners who help make that possible.

A sense of belonging

The young people we support don’t lack talent or drive – far from it. But when you grow up in an environment where your family has less than £20 a day to cover everything, certain opportunities can feel out of reach before you even get the chance to try.

Because poverty quietly narrows your view of what’s possible. That’s why our work matters. We don’t just use sport to get kids active, but to build essential life skills and broaden their sense of what’s possible.

The young people we work with are bright, resilient, and full of so much potential. And that extra support in their corner, a Coach-Mentor who shows up every day – listens, backs them, builds self belief, keeps them engaged in school – that’s the power of Greenhouse. And it changes everything!

To find out more about the incredible work Greenhouse Sports does, visit their website