- Chelmsford City Racecourse and Totepool to mark World Mental Health Day on Monday 10 October
- The British Horseracing Authority and Racing Welfare signed the Mental Health Charter in May
- The Charter sets out how the sport can use its power to tackle mental health and the stigma surrounding it.
- British racing is committed to supporting participant’s mental wellbeing
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and Racing Welfare are working with Chelmsford City Racecourse and Totepool to support World Mental Health Day on Monday 10 October.
Racing Welfare and the BHA signed the Mental Health Charter in May 2016, joining the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) as signatories.
The Charter was launched in March 2015 by the Sport and Recreation Alliance, alongside the Professional Players Federation and with support from the mental health charity Mind. The Charter sets out how sport can use its collective power to tackle mental ill health and the stigma that surrounds it. The BHA and Racing Welfare are currently developing an ‘action plan’ which will assist the industry in implementing all of the core tenets of the Charter.
As part of the activities at Chelmsford City racecourse on 10 October, a race has been named in support of World Mental Health Day and Racing Welfare will be in attendance with a stand to highlight the importance of talking about mental health to racegoers and participants.
The overall aim of these activities is to raise awareness of the support available for those in need racing. Racing Welfare provides a 24 hour support line, Racing’s Support Line, for those who work in the horseracing industry. The charity has increased the number of Welfare Officers in the past year, ensuring that all of racing’s workforce has access to support. This is in addition to the PJA’s dedicated mental health support line.
The BHA, Racing Welfare and PJA will continue to work together to help make an industry-wide difference to tackling mental health and the stigma surrounding it through this and future initiatives. It is important that everyone involved in our sport helps raise awareness of mental health issues and the support that is available to participants. All organisations would like to thank Chelmsford City and Totepool for their support.
Notes to Editors
1. The six core areas of the Mental Health Charter for Sport and Recreation are:
- Use the sport to promote good mental health and wellbeing
- Adopt good mental health policies and best practices
- Appoint ambassadors and role models
- Tackle discrimination on the grounds of mental health
- Support a pan-sport platform to develop and share resources and best practice
- Regular monitoring of our performance
2. Racing Welfare’s 24 hour support line can be reached on:
24hr Helpline | 0800 6300 443 | www.support.racingwelfare.co.uk
3. The Professional Jockeys Association’s Mental Health support line can be reached on:
0844 800 6873 (UK CALLS)
+44 (0) 1373 858080 (INTERNATIONAL)
4. Further information about the Jockey Nutrition and Welfare PhD can be found here: https://www.britishhorseracing.com/press_releases/daniel-martin-appointed-to-first-jockey-nutrition-and-welfare-phd/
5. More information about the BHA and Racing Welfare and the Mental Health Charter can be found here:
