r e n l a d Fundraising
New Beginnings with pupils at the school
Behind-the-scenes careers day at York Racecourse
‘York Racecourse opened a new world to the children’
Nicola Adams, headteacher, Clifton Green Primary School, York (423 pupils)
Y
ork is an affl uent city, but our school is in an area of deprivation, and as a headteacher I’m always
looking for ways of broadening our pupils’ horizons. When our team heard that York Racecourse had a local charity partnership scheme, we thought it could be an opportunity to give the children an insight into a world they would otherwise never have access to. We put in a bid from our Friends of
School Fund, which is a registered charity, and were thrilled to be chosen two years in a row. The partnership includes a cash sum of £1,000, plus the opportunity to shake our collection buckets at one of the race meets, which brings in about another £3,000. But even more valuable are the
experiences the children have had as a result of the partnership. One of the highlights has been the Year 6
pupils dressing up for the Dante Festival, which marks the start of the racing season each year. They enjoy a VIP tour where they can see the jockey Frankie Dettori’s signature on the changing room wall. They don jockey silks, step onto the weighing scales and race each other up and down the track. We also select children to interview the jockeys in the parade ring. I’ve struck up a strong relationship
with the racecourse’s community offi cer, Amy Swales, and we’ve been able to craft the way the partnership works. We wanted to use it as an opportunity for the children to learn about different careers, so we agreed that Year 6 pupils would spend the day meeting the various teams of people who work at the racecourse. The children met the catering
team and learnt how to do silver service; they also spoke to the grounds team to fi nd out how they look after the racecourse environment. The grounds team later visited the school and helped pupils build a bug hotel, and
racecourse staff came in on their volunteering day to put in a new science garden for the school. Every September, an ex-champion
racehorse called Remy visits us from New Beginnings, a retraining facility for former racehorses. The children gather in the fi eld for an assembly with Remy, and then meet him and ask his carers questions. We are also preparing to take 30 disadvantaged pupils to the New Beginnings stables. The partnership with the
racecourse has been so successful that they have decided to make it ongoing. It’s something other businesses could really learn from – working with a local school is incredibly positive publicity. What it’s taught me is to be
cheeky and ask for things. For example, local business Betty’s Tea Rooms recently paid for a coach for the Reception pupils to visit a farm, and a local church is donating money to transport our choir to concerts. There is money out there, but if you don’t ask, you don’t get!
School Fundraising AUTUMN 2025 19
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