23rd August 2018
Scottish Racing’s first Dementia Friends session held at Hamilton Park
As a follow-on from Scottish Racing’s support of Scotland’s Dementia Awareness Week in June this year alongside the charity Alzheimer Scotland, a first ‘Dementia Friends’ information session has been held at Hamilton Park Racecourse with staff taking part.
Richard Lyle MSP attended the information sharing day as a supporter of the Alzheimer Scotland partnership. Mr Lyle sits on the Cross-Party Group on Scottish Racing and Bloodstock Industries at which Racing Together’s Eleanor Boden provided an update on community activity taking place across Scotland.
Scottish Racing has embraced the work of Alzheimer Scotland and has committed to stage Dementia Friends information sessions at all its courses. The sessions are interactive and will enable racecourse staff to increase their understanding of dementia. Dementia Friends outlines the small ways in which everyone can help support those living with the illness and their families.
With over 90,000 people living with dementia in Scotland and the number on the rise, the work at Hamilton Park is the first step in a new partnership between Scotland’s national dementia charity and Scottish Racing.
Eleanor Boden, Community Engagement Officer for Scottish Racing, said: “This is an exciting development in the partnership between Scottish Racing and Alzheimer Scotland and I hope racecourses in England see this as a blueprint for future collaborations on making racing venues as inclusive as possible.”
Further activities are planned including the attendance of the Alzheimer Scotland Memory Bus at racecourses. The Memory Bus will offer attendees the chance to reconnect with people with past events.
Anne McWhinnie, Dementia Friends Programme Manager for Alzheimer Scotland, added: “We were delighted to host the first of many Dementia Friends information sessions for staff at the Hamilton Park Racecourse, as part of our wider engagement with the Scottish Racing communities.
“Our new Dementia Friends have all committed to making the small but vital changes that will help people with dementia to feel understood and valued in our communities. This is a crucial step towards building a Dementia Friendly Scotland, where nobody should face dementia alone.”
If you have any questions about dementia and of the services available in your area call Alzheimer Scotland’s 24 Dementia Helpline on 0808 808 3000 or visit the website at www.alzscot.org.
DATE: 25th May 2018
Student Sponsorship Deal Is A Winner For Musselburgh Racecourse
Musselburgh Racecourse has hailed a student sponsorship scheme an outstanding success after appointing a marketing graduate to a full-time role.
Like many modern businesses, the East Lothian track is inundated with requests from students for lengthy work placements which due to cost and capacity they are unable to fulfil.
An approach by Edinburgh Napier University student Maiti Stirling was at first rejected but an innovative sponsorship deal was struck with Maiti’s father Colin to co-fund the placement.
Mr Stirling, the owner of Foulrice Park Racing in Yorkshire, agreed to support a three-year deal which would assist other Edinburgh Napier University undergraduates to benefit from the experience of working at the racecourse.
Following the agreement, third-year events management student Rebecca Morrison has completed a six-month stint in which she played an important role in the day-to-day operations of the track, and now Catriona Kendall is taking up the reigns as the third Napier undergraduate to benefit from the sponsorship.
Musselburgh Racecourse senior operations and commercial manager, Sarah Montgomery, said she hoped other businesses would support similar sponsorships to enable student to take up placements.
She said: “We get approached all the time from university students desperately looking for opportunities but for most businesses it is unrealistic to expect them to fund 6-12 month placements. Colin Stirling’s initiative was most welcome and allowed us to take on Maiti and then Rebecca, and both have been invaluable in helping with the day-to-day running of the racecourse.
“It would be excellent if other businesses followed Foulrice Park Racing’s lead, not just in the racing industry but across all sectors, and this would help undergraduates complete this important part of their degree course.”
Edinburgh Napier University manages the application process and each appointment is made based on interviews and suitability. The racecourse is flexible about the type of roles each student fulfils and tries to match a workflow which suits individual interests, strengthen their CVs and assist with applying for jobs on graduation.
Sarah Montgomery added: “Both Maiti and Rebecca made a huge impact and we are grateful for their contribution. They worked with us through our really busy planning period in the lead up to our most successful race days, the Edinburgh Gin Edinburgh Cup and our sell-out Stobo Castle Ladies Day.
“We are now delighted that Maiti has joined us in a full-time permanent role and to welcome on board Catriona as our third Napier University placement. We hope with continued support from Foulrice Park or other businesses that this will be a programme we can support for many years to come.”
Colin Stirling of Foulrice Park Racing, said: “From both my observations as an employer and the direct experience with both my children, I am a huge advocate of the benefits of meaningful work placements as part of a student’s education. It helps both the personal development of the individual and significantly improves their attractiveness to employers when they graduate.
“It is evident that universities which offer placements as part of their courses often struggle to gain the involvement of employers to deliver the programmes. We were therefore delighted to work together with the team at Musselburgh Racecourse to come up with a plan to jointly fund the 3-year scheme to support Edinburgh Napier’s Business School.
“The two placements completed so far have greatly benefitted both Rebecca and Maiti and the racecourse and I hope this success will inspire other employers to consider similar support to Napier or other universities in their locality.”
Lynn Waterston, the lecturer at Edinburgh Napier’s Business School with responsibility for marketing, hospitality and events undergraduate placements, said:
“Degree courses with a work placement element require a lot of commitment from employers, so it is fantastic to see a sponsorship initiative like this succeed not only in giving students valuable experience, but also in terms of the benefits that our placement students can bring to our partner organisations.”
Visit Scotland confirm Scottish Racecourses provide a quality day out
- RCA announces results of 2016 Quality Assured Racecourse Scheme
- Scheme accredited by VisitScotland for eighth year
- All Scottish racecourses recognised as ‘good’ or better
For the eighth year running, every racecourse in Scotland has been rated as ‘good’ or higher, by VisitScotland.
The Racecourse Association (RCA), in partnership with VisitEngland and VisitScotland, has announced the top racecourses in England, Wales and Scotland for 2016 through the Quality Assured Racecourse Scheme.
The scheme allows VisitScotland to benchmark racecourses against other attractions, ensuring that standards of customer experience remain high in the face of competition from other sporting and leisure venues.
The national tourism board provides a rating on the racecourses as a quality day out, taking into account efficiency and friendliness of customer service, cleanliness of facilities as well as speed, quality and efficiency of the racecourse operation.
Ayr and Musselburgh retained their five star ratings, the highest grading awarded by VisitScotland. Musselburgh continued to excel by also being ranked within the top 10% of all attractions in Scotland.
Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland said: “We are delighted that both Ayr and Musselburgh racecourses have not only retained our highest accolade for quality – 5 stars – but have also won so many RCA Excellence Accolades. The awards are a true testament to the brilliant work being done by teams at racecourses to create a wonderfully unique and enjoyable experience for all.
Scottish Racing Manager, Delly Innes, said: “All of our Scottish Racecourses have demonstrated that they offer a fun, exciting and value for money day out when compared to other attractions. We are very proud of the service that all the racecourses offer and this is backed up by the results from VisitScotland.”
Scottish Racecourses delivering real benefit to local communities and charities
RACING TOGETHER has produced more evidence why Scottish racecourses always finish first past the post.
Throughout Scotland, a huge amount of community engagement work is going on across the five racecourses and every one has been vo
ted a sure-fire winner.
A recent survey carried out by the Racecourse Association, a partner of Racing Together, confirmed that racecourses north of the border have increased support within their communities through a variety of partnerships and initiatives.
From educational days for students to employment opportunities for local people, volunteering schemes and charitable initiatives, Ayr, Hamilton Park, Kelso, Musselburgh and Perth are finding more ways than ever to give back to communities through their association with the sport of kings.