Racing Together

Best in Class: Racecourses in their Communities

This free-to-attend webinar explored finalists from the Community Award category at November’s Racecourse Association (RCA) Showcase & Awards. Hear from those closest to the programmes about the why, the how and the impact. The panel was hosted by Matthew Jones from the RCA.Apologies for issues with Debbie's sound in the first half.Meet the Panel:Sarah Drabwell – The Jockey Club (Sandown Park)After a 20-year career in finance, six of those as Finance Director of Epsom, Sandown and Kempton Park, Sarah took the helm of Sandown Park three years ago. Since then, she has worked tirelessly to engage and support the local community, culminating in the launch of the Community Fund for Elmbridge to coincide with Sandown Park’s 150th birthday. This fund provides a focal point for local fundraising and has just made its first awards to four worthy local causes.This initiative earned Sandown Park recognition from the House of Commons, and has also seen profit return to pre-COVID levels, proving that CSR is not a nice to have, but a business fundamental.Sarah is also a Trustee of the British Racing School and is passionate about providing opportunities for young people to achieve their full potential regardless of their background.Debbie Powell – Cotswold Riding for the DisabledDebbie has worked in the equine industry all her life. Having qualified as a British Horse society Intermediate instructor, she went on to manage several equine yards. Teaching, Schooling, and competing for several people up to advance in dressage. Debbie is currently the General Manager at Cotswold Riding for the Disabled, based at Cheltenham Racecourse and is now in her 15th year working for them.   Grant Rowley – The Jockey ClubGrant Rowley is the Strategic Communications Lead for Jockey Club Racecourses. Grant joined The Jockey Club in 2014 after spending three years working as Communications Manager at Liverpool FC where his responsibilities included promoting the Club’s community engagement activity through the Liverpool FC Foundation and managing First Team and Academy player appearances. Grant has led the communications for several Grand National and Cheltenham Festivals and set up The Aintree Community Programme, which has been fortunate to win the ‘Racing Together Community Award’ four times. He is now focussed on delivering the social impact strategy for all racecourses across The Jockey Club and leading on welfare communications as well. Grant has a passion for using sport for the good and enjoys watching and playing all sports, as well as being an avid Liverpool FC fan.

The Power of Community in British Racing 2025

Due to a technical error the first minute of this recording is missing - apologies for any inconvenience caused. This free-to-attend webinar explored the latest news in British racing’s community engagement, social impact and beyond. The panel was hosted by Racing Media Academy graduate Luca Brooks- Edwards.An expert panel reflected on 2025 activity, including the sport’s new Social Impact Strategy, emerging research and industry-leading fundraising and charity partnerships.Meet the Panel: Juliet RedfernWith over 34 years of experience in the equine insurance industry, Juliet has spent the past 17 years leading Markel’s Equine and Livestock team, managing a global portfolio covering bloodstock, breeding, sport horses, and farm liability policies.Juliet also serves as Chair of the Lloyd’s Equine Panel, representing specialist underwriters at Lloyd’s, and is a Trustee of the Injured Jockeys Fund, reflecting her commitment to the racing and equestrian community.John BakerJohn is Chief Executive of Newton Abbot Racecourse and a Trustee of Racing to School, Chairing the Racing Together Subcommittee. As former Managing Director of Aintree Racecourse, he oversaw the development of Aintree’s award-winning community programme, including its partnership with Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and the Aintree Beacon Project with Racing to School.He is passionate about using racing’s platform to drive positive community impact and inspire young people through education.Tom BakerTom is currently the Head of Social Impact at the BHA and has been tasked with developing a social impact strategy for the horseracing industry. Prior to this Tom spent a year as the Head of Social Investment and Public Affairs at The Jockey Club where he helped to enhance and focus the community engagement activity across the group. A lifelong racing fan, Tom previously spent over a decade working in Olympic and Paralympic sport where he most recently developed a social impact and environmental sustainability strategy for Olympic and Paralympic sport in the UK – helping over 50 sports and over 1,000 athletes find their unique role in addressing social and environmental issues and opportunities.Daniel O’SullivanDan is currently the Head of Programme Delivery at the BHA and has been leading on Project Beacon which is British racing’s most in depth piece of customer research to date. It has gathered the views of the British public in order to help the sport develop a customer strategy based on a deep understanding of our fans, both present and future. Prior to this Dan spent 25 years leading business change and transformation programmes across a variety of sectors. As a lifelong fan, he completed the Thoroughbred Horseracing Industries MBA at the University of Liverpool Management School to facilitate moving into working in the industry.Host: Luca Brooks-EdwardsHost Luca Brooks-Edwards is a recent graduate of the Racing Media Academy and works as a Digital Account Manager at CEM Media which supports Raceday TV. Passionate about the sport and its future, Luca is keen to use his platform as a young professional in racing to help inspire others and highlight opportunities for the next generation to get involved in the industry.About Racing Together WebinarsThese popular, free online events for industry professionals focus on a range of community topics discussed by a panel of thought-leaders in their respective fields, both from inside and outside the sport.Racing Together brings together voices to highlight how racing is working collaboratively to deliver community engagement and create social impact. This episode will discuss a range of new and growing initiatives, why they were created and how they came to life in partnership with charities and local communities.

Get involved in Racing Together Community Week

All roads lead to the racing’s largest volunteering effort – Racing Together Community WeekThis episode was a conversation to discuss the huge benefits of getting involved with this year’s  Racing Together Community Week, taking place from 5th–11th May.This episode showcased the power of racing to give back and inspire action nationwide. Our expert panellists shared how their organisations have embraced employee volunteering and how others can get involved, no matter their size or resources.Meet the Panel:– Andrea O’Keeffe – Andrea has been instrumental in developing long-term community partnerships and volunteering action at Jedd O’Keeffe Racing. Through her roles as a Trustee with Racing to School, and working for the British Horseracing Authority and New Beginnings, Andrea has a broad view on the power of racing to help local communities, charities and effective education initiatives. Her insights and passion will help organisations plan to make an impact that lasts beyond this week.– John Gilbert – As Chief Executive of The Racing Centre in Newmarket, John brings a wealth of experience in community outreach and impact, as well as working in partnership with local businesses, charities and schools. John will share community-led examples to showcase how identifying local need and working collaboratively can create lasting change.– Charlotte Russell – General Manager for Go Racing in Yorkshire, Charlotte connects all nine Yorkshire racecourses across a number of initiatives, including community activity and social impact. Their RCA Community award-winning Bowel Cancer Screening Initiative is one of their programmes, and Charlotte coordinates volunteering activity in the region as part of Community Week.The session was hosted by Racing Together, with practical advice and examples of successful projects. Community Week is racing’s national celebration of giving back, with racecourses, yards, charities, and businesses coming together to support their communities through volunteering, fundraising, educational outreach and more. Over 80 organisations engaged with this initiative last year.Lucy Gurney, Community Engagement Manager at Racing Together, said: “This year’s Racing Together Community Week looks set to be another record-breaking year for participation and impact in local communities. It is wonderful to see racing organisations’ enthusiasm to get involved and identifying new and existing charity partners with whom to complete projects in their local area.”Now is the time to get involvedWhether you’re planning your first activity or looking to grow your impact from past years, this episode is your opportunity to learn more, test out your ideas and ensure the Racing Together team is fully behind your efforts next month.Register now and start planning your Community Week activity: https://www.racingtogether.co.uk/events/racing-together-community-day/

Motivation and Method: a standout year for racecourse community engagement

The expert panel discussed the innovative approach of racecourses nationwide to create positive impact in their communities. The panel is hosted by the Racecourse Association’s Matthew Jones with racecourse representatives contributing to the discussion.Panellists formed part of the recent Racecourse Association Showcase & Awards judging process competing in the sought-after Community Award category, won by Go Racing in Yorkshire. Join us at Racing Together Industry Day to hear from General Manager Charlotte Russell to hear more about their Bowel Cancer Screening Programme.This episode discussed the motivation behind these initiatives, why they were created and how they came to life in partnership with charities and the local community.Meet the PanelLewis DonnovanLewis is the Marketing Campaign Manager for Sandown Park and Kempton Park. Lewis has worked in the racing industry for eight years and has worked for some of the industry’s biggest brands. Starting his career at Goodwood Racecourse, before moving to British Champions Series and now The Jockey Club, Lewis has been involved in shaping the customer journey and experience at fixtures such as Glorious Goodwood, Champions Day and the Derby. Lewis also works on community initiatives too. Lewis is a Jump racing fan at heart, and the Tingle Creek Festival is his favourite fixture of the year. Jonathan GarrattJonathan is the Managing Director at Kelso Racecourse. His extensive racecourse management experience encompasses work at Kelso, Cartmel, Worcester and Fontwell Park Racecourses plus central administration with Scottish Racing. During his time at Kelso, Jonathan has led the team to success in the RCA Showcase Awards, most recently winning the public-voted Racing Post Readers’ Award in 2024. Beyond Kelso, Jonathan represents all Small Independent Racecourses as a Director on the RCA Board.Blaithin MurphyBlaithin is General Manager of Wincanton Racecourse, starting as a Customer Relationship Management Executive in 2022 before accepting a place on The Jockey Club’s Trainee General Manager programme. Blaithin held hands-on roles in thoroughbred studs and training yards whilst completing her degree in Equine Science and a Masters in Business Management. She has been involved in equine sports all her life, but horse racing has always been at the forefront and she is passionate about making racing more accessible and reaching new audiences. Blaithin is also a former Women in Racing committee member.Vhari RussellVhari Russell is an entrepreneur who runs The Food Marketing Experts a full-service PR, Marketing and social media agency working in the food and drink industry. Vhari has also created Creating Nature Corridors, which is on a mission to help plant 10,000 trees and hedging plants in the UK and Ireland every year. The charity was started after she lost her brother aged 37 to sudden adult death syndrome. The charity was created to create a legacy that Rory was not able to. The charity has been working for three years and in that time has planted over 32,000 trees and hedging plants in 44 sites. Vhari worked with the team at Huntingdon Racecourse on their recent biodiversity and flood defence improvement project.Sign up to hear about future episodes via the Racing Together website.

National Racehorse Week: a community outreach success story

Host: Sally Lyons (GBR) Panellists: Richard Phillips (Trainer and NRW founder), Fr33dom Zampaladus (Urban Equestrian Academy), Birte Bauer and David Futter (Norton Farm Stud), Kevin and Pam Atkinson (New Beginnings) and Louise Robson (Thoroughbred Dressage)