The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity once again teamed up with ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and RAF Benevolent Fund as official nominated charity partners for Royal Ascot 2021.
The charities normally are supported on the Friday of Royal Ascot, raising in excess of £20k in bucket collections. With COVID meaning that the races were held being closed doors in 2020 and the race series being a COVID “test event” with reduced capacity, Ascot Racecourse generously allowed the charities to collect over all 5 days of Royal Ascot. The week saw changeable weather, with brilliant sunshine some days, and torrential rain on others. Never-the-less the race goers enjoyed the spectacle of Royal Ascot. Uniformed volunteers from the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and RAF supported charity staff and volunteers, collecting an amazing £36,245. In addition to this Royal Ascot will be making a donation from the sale of certain foods and beverages and hampers, together with 1% of the Friday sales of concessionaires. The charities will also receive a share of the profits of The Britannia Stakes race via the Betting and Gaming Council, generously donated by key bookmakers.
Hilary Hesbook, National Volunteering and Community Engagement Lead for RNRMC said:
“The monies raised will make significant compensation for the loss of income caused by Covid cancellation of multiple events over the last year and will hugely benefit the beneficiaries of the service charities. We are incredible grateful to Ascot Racecourse for their ongoing support of the Armed Forces, to the Betting and Gaming Council and to all the volunteers and racegoers, without whom these funds would not have been raised.
