Newmarket Launches Community Coronavirus Response

A combined response from business and council leaders as well as members of the racing community has been launched in Newmarket to aid vulnerable residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The largest training centre in Britain, Newmarket is home to 76 training yards and two racecourses, as well as the British Racing School, Jockey Club Estates, Tattersalls and a number of major studs. The Thoroughbred Breeders' Association, European Breeders' Fund and Racing Welfare are among the racing-related bodies with head offices in the town.

At present, the training of racehorses is continuing, though some trainers have already taken steps to turn horses out and furlough staff through the government's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. The breeding season is also continuing largely uninterrupted but under strict conditions. Many of the country's leading stallions stand at studs close to Newmarket, including Dubawi (Ire), Pivotal (GB), Frankel (GB), Kingman (GB) and Sea The Moon (Ger).

An economic impact study published in 2014 estimated that the contribution to Newmarket and the surrounding area from the horseracing industry to be £208 million, creating direct full-time employment for around 3,300 people.

The collaborative approach from The Jockey Club, Godolphin, Newmarket Town Council, West Suffolk Council, Discover Newmarket, and supermarket chain Tesco, includes ensuring deliveries of food and supplies to those in need of support in the local area. The fleet of buses owned by Discover Newmarket is being used in this effort being undertaken by a team of volunteers.

“Everybody in our community has been affected in some way by the COVID-19 outbreak but there are those for whom the coming weeks and months are going to prove extremely difficult,” said Amy Starkey, Regional Director of The Jockey Club's East Region. “All of us at The Jockey Club take our responsibility to our community very seriously and it has been incredibly heartening to see my colleagues joining together with our partners across Newmarket to find the most effective ways to help.”

She added, “We were conscious that we wanted to help the whole community, and Tesco have also come in to help by sponsoring some of the boxes and paying for the fuel. It's amazing the offers of help that we've had and it's great to see what some people are volunteering to do to help during this time.”

Ordinarily at this time of year, Starkey and her colleagues at Newmarket Racecourses would be gearing up for their opening fixture of the season, the three-day Craven Meeting, which is one of a number of high-profile meetings to have been lost so far in the current shutdown in Britain, which is set to run until at least the end of April. The first Classics of the British season are currently set to be run during Newmarket's Guineas Meeting on May 2 and 3 and though plans are being made by the British Horseracing Authority to resume racing behind closed doors at the earliest possible date, there is likely to be further upheaval to the racing programme beyond the current suspension deadline.

With pubs, hotels and restaurants closed temporarily, many local businesses are also being hit hard at a time when they could usually expect to benefit from increased trade related to the racing and sales.

Rachel Hood, the Mayor of Newmarket who is also married to champion trainer John Gosden, said, “There has always been a wonderful sense of community in Newmarket, a town that brings people together not only from across our own country but from all corners of the world.

“I am delighted to see that during these testing times, Newmarket Town Council and West Suffolk Council are working collaboratively with our town's key industries and employers to ensure those least fortunate among us are not forgotten as we face up to our temporary new reality.

“We are all incredibly grateful to our industry partners and community organisations who have worked tirelessly to set up this much needed support of those that require it within our community.”

While Racing Welfare, the charity which supports the British racing workforce, has its headquarters in Newmarket, its remit is nationwide and it has already stepped in to help more than 300 people with issues relating to the coronavirus crisis between Mar. 17 and 27. Put in context, the charity routinely helps 48 people per week on average, so the current surge in calls for its service amounts to a more than five-fold increase.

Simone Sear, Racing Welfare's Director of Welfare said, “We have already seen a significant number of people getting in touch for help following the Covid-19 outbreak. This has included people who are self-employed, on zero-hour contracts or casual workers who may have been laid off.  We are in a good position as we already have a good infrastructure in place and a strong welfare team from across our offices. Their skills will come to the fore in light of the challenges we are facing.”

She added, “We are focusing our COVID-19 response around three main strands of work: information, advice and guidance; community support to prevent loneliness and isolation; and grants to relieve immediate financial hardship. Calls are still being taken via our regional office numbers during the day and our 24-hour support line is available outside of office hours. I would encourage anyone who needs support to get in touch with a member of the team, we are geared up and ready to assist.”

The Racing Welfare 24-hour national helpline number is 0800 6300 443, and Newmarket residents in need of help during the crisis can call Newmarket Town Council's helpline on 01638 667227.