At Chester Racecourse, we are committed to giving back to our community and the wider nation. In 2023, we facilitated collections for charities, many of whom are selected by race day sponsors, take place on exit from the racecourse. The generosity of our guests attending race meetings this year has resulted in more than £23,000 being raised for various local and national charities. We are immensely proud of our community's generosity and grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the betterment of our society.         

The charities that benefitted from guest donations during the season are: Age UK, HFT, Hope House, Hospice of the Good Shepherd, KidsBank Chester, Maggie’s, Marie Curie, North West Air Ambulance, Platform For Life, Racing Welfare, Riding for the Disabled and Tom’s Trust.

We have received some lovely letters and emails from the charities, informing us of how the funds will be put to vital use.  Here are just a couple of examples:       

KidsBank Chester:  We raised an absolutely incredible £3231.75!

As this cost of living crisis bites every penny will be spent on items for our families living in poverty. This could be clothing, safety gates, high chairs, prams, nappies & toiletries, duvets & bedding or many other essential items. 

Maggie's: £1544.40 raised!

I wanted to give you an idea of how we use funds like this - for example, it costs £1200 to facilitate a support group for a whole year, so that people with cancer can meet others that are going through similar things and find advice. So fundraising opportunities like this are so important to us – so thank you so much for giving us this opportunity.

We are hoping to continue this into our 2024 racing season and raise as much as we can to support those in need!