ODDS-ON TO TOP THEIR CLASS

Racing to School charity on the march to reach its 250,000th participant

It was in 2001 that the first groups of schoolchildren participated in the new Racing to School education programme, writes chief executive John Blake.

Those initial 1,000 pupils were the charity’s guinea pigs for an initiative that offered a free trip to a local racecourse and a new slant on bringing the maths curriculum out of a walk and up to a gallop.

By year end, 23 years on, the charity will reach a record 17,000 young people.

Through the vision of founding chair, Rhydian Morgan-Jones, the charity has held true to its mission to inspire young minds – approaching 250,000 of them by the Spring of 2025.

Most of our young people are meeting the sport for the first time when they join the Racing to School team at a racecourse, stud or trainer’s yard. It’s often the same with their teachers and carers, who take the energy of a different and colourful day of activity back to school for follow-up learning.