Kindred, through its Unibet brand, has recently announced an investment in #GoRacingGreen; a horse racing project that aims to make racing accessible to those who suffer from mental health problems, with the significant backing from the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and the Racecourse Association (RCA).
The announcement has been met with tremendous positivity from within the betting and racing industries. This ground-breaking initiative came 'hot on the hooves' (excuse the pun!) through 32Red’s (a brand within Kindred Group) new model of sport sponsorship that benefits both sport and communities and firmly establishes Kindred as leading the way with a better model of sports sponsorship.
Tackling mental health is at the core of Kindred’s commitment to become the sponsor of choice for sporting organisations and their communities and reinvent sponsorship so that it benefits places and societies. #GoRacingGreen works with racecourses to introduce small changes and additions around the course which can help those with invisible illnesses enjoy a day at the races. These include sensory guides and invisible access statements that aid those potential new racegoers in deciding whether to even venture out to racecourses in the first place.
In summary, with our investment and help it means that:
-
Racecourses at which Unibet sponsor are contracted to ensure key operational staff undergo mandatory mental health awareness and Dementia Friends training sessions prior to race sponsorship
-
#GoRacingGreen are provided with a quiet space that those with invisible illnesses know they can visit on the day, prior to them planning to come to the course
-
Donating 1 in 3 Unibet adverts (both digital and physical) to #GoRacingGreen to help promote key messages
-
Working together throughout the year to deliver an industry-standard ‘kitemark’ with agreement from BHA & RCA
-
Enables #GRG to organize racehorse stable visits for those who would normally not be able to attend such places
The investment means #GoRacingGreen can continue to build on their fantastic work since they started the project in 2019. I personally attended the training session undertaken by Newbury racecourse, our first sponsorship under the new association, and saw first-hand what a fantastic scheme this is. Our partnership with #GoRacingGreen shows that a new model for sports sponsorship is possible.
Debbie Matthews started #GoRacingGreen by blogging about her struggles with mental health and her involvement with horses. Now, the project makes racing accessible to all. Debbie says: “This investment is a fantastic boost for the #GoRacingGreen project, and I am delighted to be working with Kindred through its Unibet brand. Working in partnership with them, we can now expand the programme and reach many more people with mental health problems across the racing community in the months ahead.”
