Ascot Racecourse philanthropic gesture

Article posted by Coliseum, January 24^th, 2022

Image: Ascot Racecourse

The Ascot Racecourse (UK) is proud to announce a number of initiatives and funding commitments that will provide crucial support for local charities and the wider community in 2022 and beyond.

The ‘Ascot Racecourse’ stated that through the Ascot Racecourse, it supports community and charity program, these commitments will build on the wide-ranging help and assistance provided to many organizations through 2021.

The 70,000-capacity Ascot Racecourse is a dual-purpose British racecourse located in Ascot, Berkshire, England (UK), which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain’s 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races and three Grade 1 Jumps races.

Charity funding commitments continue to grow

The ‘Ascot Racecourse’ further stated that in excess of £25,000 grant funding has already been promised to seven fantastic charities for the year ahead through the Berkshire Community Foundation (non-profit organization in Reading, England). That includes £5,000 to the Renova Trust (Christian faith-based charity) which provides housing to formerly homeless or precariously housed people and ex-offenders.

The Windsor-based charity DASH will also receive £5,000 to help them in their work to provide specialist support to adults and children experiencing mental health issues, modern slavery, trafficking, homelessness, and complex needs associated with domestic abuse.

The Recycled Teenagers Club, parents and children together, Slough CVS (volunteer organization in Slough, England), Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue (primary search resource for Thames Valley Police), and the Adult Dyslexia Centre (non-profit organization in Maidenhead, England) will also benefit from funding.

This financial support follows £3,000 donated in December 2021 to three homeless charities in Bracknell, Windsor and Slough providing critical help across the Christmas period.

Ascot also remains committed to supporting charities within the horse racing industry and through a bespoke Ambassador Programme more than £13,000 was raised for the Injured Jockeys Fund during raceday activities in 2021 despite reduced attendance due to COVID-19 restrictions. The annual Christmas Jumper Day for staff in December raised £250 for Racing to School.

This year, the nominated charity for public donations at ticket purchase will be Thames Hospice and this hugely successful initiative raised in excess of £10,000 for Sebastian’s Action Trust in 2020-2021.

Jane Gates OBE, CEO at Sebastian’s Action Trust, said, “Sebastian’s Action Trust has been incredibly proud to be the nominated charity for public donations at ticket purchase throughout 2020-2021. We are thrilled to receive £10,086.25 and wish to thank the public who have given so generously to our cause through the most challenging of times. We also wish to acknowledge Ascot Racecourse for selecting us as their chosen recipients. This once again reflects the amazing support they give to our charity through donations, sponsorship of events and the collaborative endeavors which help us to give our beneficiaries a little of the Ascot magic every racegoer enjoys when they visit this prestigious racetrack.”

Looking ahead to 2022, Ascot will be offering hundreds of complimentary tickets to members of the emergency services, NHS and the social care sector through the Blue Light ticket scheme.

The scheme will be in place from the first race day of the year on January 22^nd and will include all non-premium racedays with 100 Queen Anne Enclosure tickets available at each fixture through the Blue Lights Ticket website. Additionally, the Tickets for Troops scheme will continue in 2022, offering complimentary tickets to members of the armed forces.

Community engagement continues to grow

The Royal Ascot Cricket Club will benefit from continued shirt sponsorship of £1,500 and the Windsor & Ascot Driving Group will receive £1,850 from various donations linked to the e-Christmas card.

The Royal Ascot Schools Art competition will return in 2022 for the fifth consecutive year and focus on themes of the Platinum Jubilee while the Royal Ascot fashion design competition in collaboration with Samsung returns for a second year.

They will both follow on from a successful launch of the Local Schools Christmas Poem Competition in December 2021 that was judged by Clare Balding and the writer, broadcaster, animal lover, and sports fan took huge delight in selecting the winners across three age categories.

They were Alexander McCullough from Cranbourne Primary School, Toby Spong from Cheapside CE Primary School and Lottie Furst from Charters School.

A video message from Clare Balding was played out at the racecourse during the Howden Christmas Racing Weekend while Alexander and Toby read out their poems from the winners’ podium.

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