Racing Welfare

Racing Welfare is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1084042).

Racing Welfare exists to enhance the wellbeing of people from the thoroughbred racing and breeding community, providing support throughout and after their working lives, and to relieve poverty and sickness and injury among people employed or formerly engaged in the horseracing and thoroughbred breeding industry and their dependants. Its objects limit its services to that group, which it estimates at some 30,000 people. Its programmes include Financial Assistance and grants, Information, Advice & Guidance, Services for young people, Occupational Health Service, Mental Health Services, Careers Advice, Training Service, Housing and Racing's 24/7 Support Line. The annual report gives its annual giving as £79,000.

Priority Areas

Racing Welfare supports the wellbeing of people who work, or have worked, in British horseracing and thoroughbred breeding, and their families. It offers guidance and practical help to stud, stable and racecourse staff and people in associated professions, from recruitment through retirement. Its grants are mostly made to individuals in need, usually paid directly to a service or product supplier to improve wellbeing; stated purposes include relief of poverty, sickness and injury, education and retraining, and goods and services that aid health and wellbeing. A small number of grants go to charitable organisations offering services to people who work in, or are retired from, horseracing. Its broader work also includes advice, health services, training, housing and community support.

Themes

• Poverty relief
• Sickness and injury
• Education and retraining
• Health and wellbeing

Geographic Focus

Worldwide.

Individuals apply through Lightning Reach: register and complete a profile, select British Horse Racing and Thoroughbred Breeding in the work history, then complete and submit the matched application and provide supporting evidence. A person who has ever held a UK jockey’s licence and has not already spoken with a welfare officer is asked to contact Racing Welfare before starting.

Application windows:

• Home Energy Grant: Opens on 5 January, closes on 31 March, or before if allocated funds are exhausted.

Who can apply:

• Racing Welfare Grants
  • Individuals must be able to demonstrate a substantial experience of paid work in the racing and thoroughbred breeding industry. This will require five years verifiable employment in the industry in a seven year period. Individuals with fewer than five years will be eligible if aged 16 to 24 years or if the application follows an accident at work.
  • Individuals must not have been out of paid employment in the industry for more than five years, except where this follows injury, ill-health or retirement from paid work.
  • All statutory entitlements and benefits must be claimed.
  • Individuals or households must not have exceeded the maximum grant of £3,000 in total in any five year period.
• Home Energy Grant: All applicants must complete a needs-based assessment. Statutory benefits and entitlements must be applied for first. Ongoing welfare support should be in place where financial difficulty is identified. If not currently working, applicants must have been employed in the racing industry within the last 6 months, or have a minimum 5-year work history in racing (unless under 25).

What to send:

• Racing Welfare Grants
  • Proof of benefits received.
  • Financial information.
• Supporting evidence.