Sky Bet Pledges £20k to Charity
Sky Bet has joined forces with York Racecourse to donate £20,000 to local charities. The Flutter Entertainment-owned brand has pledged to raise money for 22 Yorkshire-based charities, foundations and community groups through the Sky Bet Ebor Festival Community Sweepstake. One lucky charity paired with the winning horse could receive the top prize, although all entrants will be gifted at least £1,000.
Last year, Sky Bet renewed its sponsorship deal with York Racecourse until 2028.
©Tom Fisk/Pexels
Everyone’s a Winner
Sky Bet has pledged to donate up to £20,000 to Yorkshire-based charities as part of this year’s Sky Bet Ebor Festival. The betting and gaming operator has teamed up with York Racecourse, which hosts the annual event. The sweepstake style campaign aims to generate much needed funds for local charities.
Charities, foundations and community groups based in Yorkshire are set to benefit from the Sky Bet Ebor Festival Community Sweepstake. 22 good causes will soon be shortlisted and matched with a runner ahead of the race, which will take place on August 26th at York Racecourse.
Good causes participating in the charitable initiative will have to wait until August 24th to find out which contenders they have been paired with. The draw will be televised live, amping up the excitement before the festival. The charity matched with the winner could get its hands on £20,000.
While there is a grand prize up for grabs for the charity that comes out on top, all entrants will take home additional funds to put towards their projects and initiatives. Second and third place winners will receive £5,000 and £2,000 respectively. All remaining shortlisted entrants will each be given a donation of £1,000.
In a further show of good will, Sky Bet and York Racecourse have agreed to gift each shortlisted charity two tickets to the opening day of a 2024 race weekend at York Racecourse. They may use these tickets as raffle prizes or as rewards for valued members and volunteers.
To enter, applicants must fill out an online form by July 28th. They should include background on the work they do in the community and details of the project or activity they would use the money for, if their horse was to win. They must also nominate a spokesperson to speak on their behalf on the day of the race.
Dettori Wins for Sporting Memories
It is not the first time that Sky Bet has partnered with York Racecourse to raise funds for local charities. Last year, The Sporting Memories Foundation took the top spot, gaining a worthwhile £20,000 to support its ongoing efforts. The legendary Frankie Dettori rode Trawlerman to victory, beating Alfred Boucher ridden by P.J McDonald by a slim margin.
Since 2011, the social enterprise has been working with older people to help them reminisce and reconnect through sports and physical activity. Susie Brindley, Partnership Director at The Sporting Memories Foundation, was nominated to represent the charity on the big day. Speaking after the race, she was thrilled at Trawlerman’s win, stating:
“It was amazing to be shortlisted but to win this amount for our charity in such an exciting finish will not only create many memories for everyone who saw the race, but will also make such a difference to all of those we support who are living with dementia, depression, loneliness and any other life-limiting conditions across Yorkshire and beyond.”
The money has helped the charity to build its resources, train more volunteers and support more people who are passionate about sports. The occasion also offered local charities the opportunity to network amongst themselves, with the chance to work together on future projects. Brindley later described the sweepstake as an incredible opportunity to raise awareness of the charity’s valuable work across Yorkshire.
She has encouraged local charities to apply for the Sky Bet Ebor Festival Community Sweepstake for the opportunity to highlight their efforts to a regional and national audience, as well as the chance to win funding that could change people’s lives. York Racecourse’s Head of Marketing and Sponsorship, James Brennan, added the he is looking forward to reading about all the incredible work being carried out by local charities in their applications.
Sky Bet Partnership Extended
Speaking on behalf of Sky Betting and Gaming, Michael Shinners was pleased to reveal that the operator would be collaborating with York Racecourse again. He said that working with communities to have a positive impact on local areas is at the heart of Flutter Entertainment’s ‘Positive Impact Plan’, adding:
“Last year was an incredible success, and it’s great to be working with York Racecourse again this year on the Sky Bet Ebor Festival Community Sweepstake. Not only does the competition allow us to donate money towards local and worthwhile causes, but also provide them with a platform to showcase the amazing work that they do.”
Prospective applicants should note that as Sky Bet must not advertise to children, projects aimed exclusively at individuals under the age of eighteen cannot be accepted. Sky Bet is a long-term partner of York Racecourse, with the pair having worked together for 19 years. Last year, the partnership was renewed until 2028.
The deal sees Sky Bet continue to act as the race grounds sponsor until then, as well as taking on sponsorship of the Ebor Festival. Thanks to the agreement, York Racecourse was able to raise the total prize fund across the festival’s twelve races, fixtures on the Sky Bet York Stakes and the pre-festival Ebor meetings to more than £2.7 million.
The Ebor Festival takes place every year in August. As one of the last major race meetings of the flat season, the four-day festival attracts racing fans from across the UK and further afield. The historical race meeting first took place in 1843, with the running of the Ebor Handicap.
Since then, the festival’s popularity has gone from strength to strength, and is affectionately known by some as the “Royal Ascot of the North”. The festival is named in honor of the Ebor handicap, which is the richest of its kind in Europe.
