Gallop along to a coffee morning as charity partnership launched in Market Rasen

For 12 months from June, the charity will have a major presence at meetings, with some great events to look forward to.

In the run-up to the official June start, the two organisations are hosting ‘The Great Galloping Coffee Morning’, which will be held at the racecourse from 10am to noon next Monday, April 29.

The venue is providing a room, Jockey Club Catering is donating tea, coffee and crockery, while local cafes – Bramley Bites Tea Room and Nicky’s Nice & Naughty Café Bistro – will be baking cakes for the morning.

Anyone can go along to find out more about volunteering opportunities during the charity year, meet new people, and find out what Age UK Lindsey can offer the over 50s.

Age UK Lindsey’s Chief Executive Officer Andy Storer said: “We are thrilled to become Market Rasen Racecourse’s 2019/20 ‘charity of the year’ and to be previewing this partnership with ‘The Great Galloping Coffee Morning’.

“Horse racing is Britain’s second biggest spectator sport, so this new partnership with our local racecourse will do so much to help raise awareness of our charity and raise vital funds.”

The year officially launches on Friday, June 7 with a race meeting and Jockey Club Live concert with British band ‘Madness’.

Thereafter, Age UK Lindsey will be collecting donations and raising awareness of their services during each racing fixture until May 2020.

One of the highlights of the calendar will be the Age UK Lindsey Family Extravaganza on Sunday, August 4, which is a sponsored day for the charity.

Delighted to be supporting such a local and good cause for the next year, Racecourse General Manager Nadia Powell, said: “The charity does hugely valuable work to help people in Lincolnshire make the most of later life and I am sure our visitors will be most generous in their donations to ensure that their brilliant work continues.”

Thousands of over-50s are supported by Age UK Lindsey every year, from assisting with the completion of Blue Badge renewal forms to successfully obtaining unclaimed benefits.

In 2018, almost 2,000 people were helped to claim benefits they would not otherwise have received.

East Lindsey resident James Scott, 79, has been helped to review his Blue Badge by Information and Advice Service Manager Sue White.

He visited one of the charity’s drop-in advice sessions this week.

He said: “This is a very, very helpful service.

“If it wasn’t here, I would not really know where to go for advice like this.

“The advice offered is very important.

“Everything is online these days and while I can switch a computer on, to be honest some of it frightens me and I am sure it’s the same for others.”

Advice is given at regular drop-in centres in Market Rasen, Louth, Horncastle, Gainsborough and Skegness, with phonelines also open.

For details on all the drop-in centres and other activities log on to www.ageuk.org.uk/lindsey or call 01507 524242.

Sue White said: “As fewer services become available to help people in this way, what we offer here at Age UK Lindsey becomes even more important.”

Over the last 12 months, Age UK Lindsey has provided support services and activities to 50,000 people.

As well as the charity’s 150 staff, it has more than 180 volunteers giving over 19,000 hours of their time a year.

In the last financial year, the charity secured more than £6-million pounds of unclaimed welfare benefits for older people in East and West Lindsey and North Lincolnshire.

To find out more about ways to support Age UK Lindsey during its Market Rasen charity year, email [email protected] or call 01507 524242

For more information visit: www.ageuk.org.uk/lindsey .