British horseracing has a strong reputation for supporting its wide range of charities, which work to support its people, horses and to invest in its future.
Formed in 2023, the Racing Charities Group (RCG) is committed to sustainable programmes that offer measurable impact to both beneficiaries and the sport.
The group was devised as a voluntary forum to champion and communicate racing’s investment in education, training, community activity, including equine welfare.
Current members include:
- National Horseracing College (NHC)
- The British Racing School (BRS)
- Scottish Racing Academy (SRA)
- Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF)
- Racing Welfare
- Jockeys Education & Training Scheme (JETS)
- Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) (representing the horse welfare sector)
- The Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (TBA)
- The National Stud
- Racing to School & Racing Together
In 2022/23 the RCG had a combined income of £22.7m. The Group’s aim is to collaborate with each other and with funders, including the Grant Maker’s Network, to support mutual objectives and to inform and unite future strategies.
Sector Insight
As of June 2024, there are c170,000 charities operating across England and Wales. A Charity Commission report released in April 2024 highlighted that smaller charities (those with less than £1m annual income) reported the greatest drop in income from local or national government grants, which fell from £8.2bn to £7bn across all charities in 2022.
At the Civil Society Summit in January 2024, Keir Starmer promised to reset the relationship between civil society and the government.
Following the general election in July, Lisa Nandy, Labour MP for Wigan and a former charity worker, was appointed as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with a brief that includes charities.