SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Employees of Sky Betting & Gaming got their hands dirty this week when they volunteered at New Beginnings – a charitable organisation in York where former race horses are rehabilitated and re-homed.
For the fourth year running, 22 members of the team spent time mucking out stables, repairing and painting fences, grooming horses and undertaking general yard duties.
New Beginnings, in Hanging Grimston, currently cares for more than 20 horses at its yard.
The Sky Bet team organised raffles and, during July’s Go Racing In Yorkshire Summer Festival, a ‘Magnificent Seven’ tipping competition. Seven racing personalities, including leading trainer Richard Fahey and Sky Sports’ horseracing expert Alex Hammond took part to raise money in the bid to help New Beginnings continue with their charitable endeavours.
Fiona Gribben, one of the volunteers from Sky Betting and Gaming, said: “We’ve built a great relationship with New Beginnings, so much so that our visits have become a much-loved and enjoyable annual outing for the team. What’s more, we’ve spent time fundraising in an effort to help support them in the delivery of New Beginnings’ outstanding facility for retired horses.
“It’s really motivational to see the horses happy and enjoying life after racing and the team feel privileged to be part of, even just for one day, such an amazing organisation which is why the team are back year-after-year to support them.”
Kevin Atkinson, director at New Beginnings, added: “We really value the support Sky Betting & Gaming provide us; they’ve done an amazing job in assisting us with our most time consuming jobs and tasks. This year they have excelled themselves with their fundraising efforts. We can’t thank them enough. This really does mean a great deal to us and will go a long way to support what we do. We are having our first ever Open Day this year on 13th September, the team from Sky Betting and Gaming have helped get the yard and stables ready, along with making signs that will be used to direct people to us, we truly appreciate all the work they do for us”
