TWO Barnsley charities are saddling up this weekend as they look to become the latest local organisation to benefit from the Sky Bet Ebor Community Sweepstake.
York Racecourse, in partnership with Sky Bet, has unveiled the 22 charities which are set to take part in the race tomorrow - and Barnsley Foodbank Partnership and DIAL Barnsley are among the frontrunners.
The organisation matched with the winning horse will be awarded a £20,000 donation to support their work, with second and third place receiving £5,000 and £2,000 respectively.
All other shortlisted groups will still benefit, each receiving a £1,000 contribution towards a designated project or community initiative.
Barnsley Hospice finished in second place in 2023 and BIADS finished in sixth last year - but there’s hope that this year one of the two Barnsley charities will cross the line in first.
DIAL Barnsley is a local charity that provides information, advice, and support to disabled people, their families, and carers in Barnsley.
Their goal is to help individuals live independent lives by offering services that address their specific needs and aspirations.
DIAL was established in 1985 and there’s hopes that tomorrow’s race will be a nice birthday present.
Nicola Walker, the business development officer, is looking forward to heading to the racecourse.
She told the Chronicle: “We applied in July but we didn’t think much of it.
“It’s our 40th birthday this year so it would be the perfect present.
“It’ll be a good way to celebrate.
“The money will be a big help.
“It’ll go towards our core services.
“We’re guaranteed £1,000 but if we were to win and get £20,000 it would be amazing.”
And DIAL work closely with the foodbank - so they both see it as a win-win for the town.
“We do a lot of work with the foodbank so it’s really good that we’re both involved,” Nicola added.
“It should be an exciting day.”
Fundraising officer at the foodbank, Andy Gaskell, added: “We're thrilled that Barnsley Foodbank have been shortlisted as one of only 22 charities for Saturday's Sky Bet Ebor Community Sweepstake at York Racecourse.
“We'll be using our shortlisting to shine a light on the work of the Barnsley Foodbank in our local community in tackling poverty and food insecurity.
“We are encouraging our supporters to not only back our sweepstake horse, but back us by donating to 'Barnsley Foodbank's IN IT, TO WIN IT' campaign.
“It's a fantastic bonus to have hometown hero, Callum Simpson, representing us as an ambassador for the Foodbank as part of ITV Racing's Ebor Festival coverage from York's showpiece race day of the calendar year.”
