As East Lothian’s largest sporting and hospitality venue, Musselburgh Racecourse takes seriously its commitment to working with local communities.
In the last year, the racecourse and its staff have been engaged in a wide range of activities, sponsorships and partnerships with charities and local businesses.
Themed race days which partner with local businesses – like the Luca Ice Cream Family Race Day in July – are a platform to work with sports clubs and charities and to introduce families to the thrill of horse racing.
At this year’s event, Musselburgh Windsor FC offered free football skill session for kids and were able to showcase the club’s 70 year old connection to the Honest Toun, while Musselburgh Food Bank were on-site to accept donations as part of a longer-term association with the racecourse.
At the same race day, children enjoyed more than 500 free pony rides courtesy of a local equestrian yard Tower Farm Riding Stables and 1,200 free ice creams were handed out in association with Luca’s.
The racecourse also teamed up with home builders Taylor Wimpey and Miller Homes to offer free admission tickets to new homeowners as part of a “welcome to the neighbourhood” initiative.
Musselburgh Racecourse Commercial Manager, Aisling Johnston, said: “Musselburgh has a strong sense of community and we want to support the ethos of looking out for each other by providing opportunities for local clubs and charities, and to highlight the important contribution they make to the town as a great place to live, work and thrive.”
Another event saw racecourse staff participate in the British Racing Community Day when they collected litter around the Musselburgh Lagoons, and racecourse staff helped with the testing of affordable cooked meal kits on behalf of East Lothian Foodbank to share with local families.
The racecourse was able to raise the profile of groups like Musselburgh Windsor and Musselburgh Athletic FC and events such as the East Coast Harbour Race by providing free space in the race day programmes, naming races after the organisations, and complimentary tv advertising.
And as part of Musselburgh Festival Week, the racecourse hosts a Festival Day which welcomes hundreds of riders and families to enjoy a wide range of free activities following the traditional ride out.
“It is very rewarding to be working with some of Musselburgh’s best businesses and community groups and we are looking at ways in which we can strengthen those bonds and support the vital work they do,” added Aisling.
“The racecourse is synonymous with Musselburgh and on top of providing a five-star racing and hospitality experience for racing fans, it is important to play a part in the social and civic life of the town.”
Stephen Rafferty is a former crime correspondent at The Scotsman and was a staff reporter for the Daily Record and Edinburgh Evening News. He has freelanced for many of the Scottish and UK national newspaper titles. Got a story? Get in touch - stephen@theedinburghreporter.co.uk
