F EATURE FOCUS ON CHARITY
Community Hub in December 2016, which has provided a long-term focal point for all community activity. As part of Education and Enterprise, in early 2015, Racing to School, in partnership with Aintree Racecourse began a unique pilot scheme called the ‘Aintree Beacon’ programme. The pilot engaged ten local primary schools and one secondary school, Maricourt School, to plan and deliver a series of educational activities that used the context of racing and the facilities of the racecourse. The programme offers a fresh learning activity to pupils from Year 5 through to Year 13. Initially a two-year pilot, the Aintree Beacon project has been running for six years engaging with thousands of children across Liverpool. Within the Health and Wellbeing theme, Aintree also has a special relationship with Alder Hey Children’s Charity, which is the official charity of the Randox Grand National. This relationship includes an annual jockeys’ visit, with 2012 winner Neptune Collonges, to the hospital on Ladies Day. It also includes a recent initiative, the unique 41st runner of the Grand National, which is annually given to a special child
celebrate and promote the work of the charity during The Festival TM . WellChild became the official partner of The Festival and The Gold Cup. Several million people watched The Festival supporting WellChild broadcast on ITV, and WellChild was mentioned in the media 1,173 times in relation to The Festival. WellChild received an estimated £200,000 in donations and more than £100,000 in branding opportunities directly through the partnership, including donations from racehorse owners and from the wider public. The partnership was a huge boost to the charity’s profile. The project has become the catalyst for future collaboration between WellChild and the Cheltenham and continuing community engagement in years to come. At Aintree, the Community Programme was set up in 2014 to use the power of horseracing and the Randox Grand National to inspire positive action and experiences for the community. Since then the programme has been shaped into three themes; Education and Enterprise, Community Engagement and Health and Wellbeing. Aintree also launched the innovative and state-of-the-art Peter O’Sullevan
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