Over £30,000 raised for Racing Welfare in 2023

Following a second year of working together as official partners, the ROA and Racing Welfare continue to develop an even stronger relationship which unites racing’s owners and the people who work behind the scenes to make our days at the races possible.

Throughout the course of 2023, the partnership has seen ROA directly contribute £30,495 to Racing Welfare through various initiatives, sponsorship and events, helping the charity continue to be there for racing’s people as demand for their services continues to grow.      

The events season kicked off in April, with the ROA and Racing Welfare joining forces for an Aintree lunch for the first time. In previous years, each organisation would host separate events but combined efforts this year, which saw 450 guests gather in the Hospitality Pavilion on the Thursday of the Grand National. The success of the event will see it replicated for 2024.

The ROA also fielded teams at Racing Welfare sporting fundraisers, firstly in May at the charity’s annual Woburn Golf Day which saw them play 18 holes on the famous Marquess course. In July, ROA staff members Louise Norman and Ruth Diver were among almost 100 people to take on Racing Welfare’s Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge. Despite most of the group not completing the final two peaks on safety advice with threatening thunderstorms and lightning strikes, they still completed a gruelling hike of around 20 miles, covering challenging terrain and more than 3,000ft of ascent in less than favourable weather conditions. A varied group of individuals took part, from racecourse and racing yard employees to members of the media and racehorse owners, with many participants commenting on the positive benefits of connecting with other like-minded individuals during the challenge.  

New for 2023 has been the development of a monthly auction, with a variety of money can’t buy lots sourced by Racing Welfare available exclusively to ROA members. Bid to Give launched in July and at the time of writing has already raised in excess of £10,000 through lots sold, which have included Glorious Goodwood and Aintree packages, golf and bespoke tailoring and millinery packages.   

Finally, the year concludes with Racing Welfare’s Northern Racing Awards and Epsom Owners’ and Trainers’ Awards. These annual events celebrate the successes of those racing communities at glittering black tie ceremonies, and as in previous years, ROA has supported the event through providing headline sponsorship.

In addition to raising awareness of Racing Welfare’s services, the total raised through the partnership over the past two years is now in excess of £50,000 in vital funds for racing’s people. To put it into context, that sum could enable Racing Welfare to provide:

• Approximately 225 courses of physio treatment, or;
• A welfare officer for 15 months, providing direct support to individuals and workplaces in racing’s communities, or;
• A full decorate and recarpet 10 units of Racing Homes accommodation, which provides safe, affordable housing to young people aged 16-24 just starting their careers in racing, and the retired racing community.