Racing Welfare announces Return to School Grants

Racing Welfare has announced that it will be providing Return to School grants to racing industry families, applications for which are being accepted from 28th July 2020. The grants are kindly being funded by the John Pearce Foundation and The Racing Foundation, utilising Racing Welfare’s infrastructure and grant making expertise to distribute the funds. The Return to School grants, which will be awarded at £100 per child up to a maximum of 4 children per family, aim to ease the financial burden on families during what can be an expensive time of year.

Purchasing back to school essentials such as uniform, P.E. kit and educational equipment can put strain on family budgets. The grants are available to anyone currently working in the thoroughbred racing and breeding industry who has dependent, school-age children (4-18 years) and meets the eligibility criteria.

To be eligible for support, parents must be working or be self-employed in the industry for a minimum of one year, or have lost their job or work or be on furlough, within the last year. Furthermore, they must be living on or below the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Minimum Income Standard and be in receipt of Child Benefit. The window for grant applications will be open until 30th September 2020 (or sooner if all available funds are used before this date).

Racing Welfare has streamlined its application procedure to allow for grants to be processed as quickly and efficiently as possible. The charity’s team are ready to take enquiries about eligibility and receive applications and can be contacted directly via their regional office numbers. These lines are manned from 9am – 5pm, Monday-Friday and are as follows:

For the North of England and Scotland call:

Malton: 01653 696 869

Middleham: 01969 624 123

For the South and West regions call:

Lambourn: 01488 670 034

For the Eastern region call:

Newmarket: 01638 560 763

Alternatively please call Racing’s Support Line which is available 24hrs a day, 7 days per week on 0800 6300 443. Racing Welfare expects high call volumes in light of the availability of the grants and so ask people to be patient when getting in touch to apply. A 24hr live chat service is also available via the charity’s website www.racingwelfare.co.uk.

Racing Welfare’s Director of Welfare, Simone Sear, commented:

“Returning to school can put huge financial pressures on families. We know that the cost of school uniform and equipment is increasing and for some families that can mean they are struggling to cope and find themselves cutting back on other essentials. In particular this year there have also been additional pressures caused by the outbreak of the Coronavirus.

I am really pleased to announce our Return to School grants which we hope will reduce the strain on parents and families in our industry at what can be a difficult time of year. The application process is very straightforward and confidential so please get in touch with our team to find out if your family could benefit.”

Know someone who might benefit from these grants? Please share this info and get all the details on the Racing Welfare website.