Racegoers dug deep as they attended a special day held to raise funds for a youth project that helps some of Cumbria’s most disadvantaged young people.
The first meeting of the jumps season at Carlisle Racecourse doubled up as a day of fundraising for The Rock Youth Project.
Hundreds of people gathered at The Swifts Restaurant for a reception organised by financial advice company, Rachael Bell Wealth Management.
Practice principal Rachael Bell said: “The Rock is our charity of the year and the race day was a way of generating much-needed funds for them, whilst catching up with our clients, friends and associates in a fun and informal setting.
“It very much felt like we were back with old friends, some of whom we had not seen in person for almost two years due to Covid.
“We enjoyed fantastic racing, food and hospitality and managed to raise an amazing amount of money for The Rock, a charity that is so important to some of the most deprived areas of Carlisle.
“I’d like to say a huge thank you to all of our guests for their generosity and to the racecourse team for making the day such a special one.”
The race day was the sixth annual event to be held by the team at Rachael Bell Wealth Management, with a number of previous events raising much-needed funds for the company’s charity of the year.
It began with the reverend Alun Jones, who founded The Rock in 2010, explaining to guests the charity’s mission and the context of the help it provides to young people against a backdrop of communities where levels of crime, drug abuse and violence are high.
He said: “We give these young people a chance. We give them a place to go; a place where they can feel safe. The areas in which we operate have some of the highest levels of crime and deprivation in Cumbria.
“Families choose between heating or eating. Sometimes they have no choice at all and go without both. One of the things we do to help is to put money on their meter cards, but The Rock is about so much more.
“We need support. We need help, so that we can help more people. Our base is crumbling. The buildings we use are vermin-infested and we have a dream of creating a new, modern and safe space for these young people.
“We can only do that with the help of businesses, our wider community and the generosity of others, so thank you for your support.”
The total raised on the day was £7,358, which will go directly to The Rock.
Molly Dingwall, general manager of Carlisle Racecourse, said: “It was such a pleasure to see everyone having fun and enjoying themselves whilst raising money for a fantastic cause in The Rock Youth Project.
“Rachael Bell Wealth Management have been long-standing supporters of Carlisle Racecourse and it was wonderful to welcome them back on course.
“The jumps season at Carlisle is always special and it was a wonderful start with Brian Hughes getting a double on the day and increasing his lead in the Jockeys Championship. Here’s to an exciting season.”
