Racing is rolling up its sleeves for Racing Together Community Day on May 11th

Racing’s annual community volunteer day takes place on Friday May 11th and will bring together a record number of participants from across the sport. Around 20 racecourses are expected to use the Racing Together Community day to focus on issues facing people in their locality, although so many carry out year-round activity supporting their communities.

The ‘Big Switch Off’ encourages racecourses to commit to shutting down non-essential machines to both save money and, in turn, help the environment. Inspired by The Jockey Club’s Going Green Campaign, courses such as Newbury, Ludlow, Beverley, Lingfield and York were quick off the mark to join this simple initiative.

Ascot has recently completed voluntary work in the gardens of Thames Hospice, as part of their Ascot Spring Garden Show and donated plants in support of the charity.

Up at Aintree, within a well-established community programme, the team will be creating activity for 27 local military veterans. Working alongside British Cycling, the group will be taught many aspects of riding and then be allowed to put the theory to the test around the old British Grand Prix track, which runs parallel to the Grand National course.

Wincanton will be attending their local primary school fete in June for the first time, together with an equicisor, while Market Rasen has set aside time to work with local residential and nursing homes across Lincolnshire to offer a free excursion for their residents. Wolverhampton has also planned a day later this month to give residents in their local postcode six free tickets to afternoon racing.

The teams at Chester and Bangor have committed to Project 1000 within the local community – a thousand hours donated. Their homeless meal initiative is set to make a real impact to those in need on their doorstep.

A collaboration in Scotland by all five racecourses to support Alzheimer’s Scotland is another significant step forward in identifying and using racing’s unique resources to help with real issues in the community. Alzheimer’s Scotland will run their free ‘friends of Dementia’ workshops at each of the Scottish racecourses, which is a first step in them becoming a ‘Dementia friendly’ venue.

Musselburgh is hosting the BHA Roadshow on the 11th and students from the nearby Grammar School will be serving refreshments to attendees on the day. Perth will maintain the strong tradition on these days by organising a litter-picking session within the local area, with incentives for the most industrious litter-picker!

At the BHA’s London office another Careers & Activity Day is being arranged this week for students from a South London school who already work with Racing Together partner Active Communities Network. A full day meeting staff from across the sport’s administration will also involve a session in the Inquiry room and a chance to quiz Chief Executive Nick Rust and his teams.

The BHA staff is also giving back with some much-needed gardening at Age Concern’s centre in Hampstead and some similar hands-on work at Greatwood in Marlborough.

You can keep up with the day on social media using #RTday