British Racing joins up with Active Communities Network to help disadvantaged young people

Racing Together, British Racing’s collective banner for community engagement, are today delighted to announce the launch of a partnership with Active Communities Network (ACN). The official launch of the relationship, which coincides with the announcement of ACN receiving funding from Sport England, is happening at Doncaster racecourse today.
 
ACN works with disadvantaged young people (aged 11-25) in specific geographical hubs across the UK, providing sports based programmes, personal and social development programmes, accredited training and helps to build pathways into employment.
 
Through this partnership Racing will have the opportunity to work with over 1,000 at risk young people in Britain through series of racing education days. This will provide a racing-based social development programme from three beacon racecourses - Aintree, Lingfield Park and Doncaster - with the objective of providing a positive experience for the young people, showing them an alternative path in life and teaching them about the Racing industry and career opportunities within it.
 
The racing education days will involve giving young people a ‘behind the scenes’ tour of a racecourse. They will meet racecourse staff to learn more about what goes into putting on a raceday and about the racing industry more broadly. This will introduce them to a sporting industry that supports over 85,000 full time jobs in Britain, and what these jobs entail.
 
From now until the end of 2016 the three beacon racecourses will facilitate the racing education days, with plans to extend their geographical reach in the future.
 
Hayley Turner, former leading female jockey and ACN ambassador, said:
 
“I am committed to helping young people and promote the sport I love and that brought me so many incredible opportunities. Having recently retired, I am looking forward to working closely with Active Communities Network to support and inspire young people to become more involved with the racing industry and community, especially those from more challenging backgrounds.”
 
To further increase Racing’s engagement in the programme, ACN are also offering an opportunity for members of Racing’s workforce to become accredited, with a vocationally recognised qualification, to work with young people using sport to tackle crime. These Racing industry coaches will then assist in the delivery of the days at the three pilot hubs.
 
Carole Goldsmith, the BHA’s Director of People and Development, said:
 
“This an exciting development for British Racing. Racing has a plethora of top class facilities and career opportunities that, through this relationship with ACN, we will be able to share with ‘at-risk’ young people. Not only will the racing education days provide fun and interest for the underprivileged young people, they will also highlight careers they might have otherwise not known about.
 
“The vocational qualification that ACN are offering to people working in racing provides an excellent chance for personal development for those working within the Racing community. The qualification will allow the holder to work with young people, using Racing to tackle their problems. This will help the local community in the long term, as well as providing nationally-recognised qualifications for stud and stable staff.”