A new study has revealed that 79% of parents in the South West believe there aren’t enough low-cost activities available for children during the summer holidays, leading to more children spending fewer hours outside.
In research commissioned by Great British Racing for its ‘Under 18s Race Free’ campaign, it was found that parents in the region are becoming increasingly concerned with the sedentary lifestyle of their children, with 81% of parents wanting their children to spend more time outdoors during the school holidays.
The majority of outdoor activities on offer, however, are considered to be too expensive, with live sporting events highlighted as being particularly pricey – 72% of parents have been put off taking their children to live sport because of the cost of the ticket, while 67% of parents surveyed do not take their children to live sport at all.
Great British Racing ambassador, and parent of two, Tess Daly commented, “As a parent, the school holidays provide the perfect opportunity to spend quality time with your children, yet finding activities that are stimulating, healthy and affordable can be a challenge. As a child my parents went out of their way to take me to live sport and I do the same for my kids now – there’s nothing better than a day at the races. As well as the thrill of the racing, the kids are able to run around in the fresh air and there are plenty of activities for them too, from having their faces painted to meeting race horses.”
Tess recently visited a racehorse training yard to see the preparation that goes into getting horses ready for the races. You can watch this here. It is available to embed below.
Tess is promoting Great British Racing’s unique ‘Under 18s Race Free’ offering through which accompanied under 18s are admitted free of charge to the vast majority of fixtures at Britain’s 60 racecourses during the year, when accompanied by an adult[1]. The South West is home to three fantastic racecourses that will be racing during the summer holidays – Bath; Newton Abbot; and Salisbury, each of which will be hosting its own dedicated family day.
Newton Abbot will kickstart the summer holiday fun in the South West with their Family Day Summer Racing on 21st July, followed by Salisbury hosting a Family Day on 14th August that will include ‘Ticklish Allsorts’, inflatables, face painting and a ‘Crazy Creatures’ tent. Bath racecourses will end the summer holidays on a high with a Family Funday on 15th September that will include crafts and pony rides.
Toby Shaw, Director of Communications and Marketing from Great British Racing added: “We are delighted that through Great British Racing’s ‘Under 18s Race Free’ campaign we can offer children the chance to be part of many live sporting events and experience the unbeatable atmosphere that racing has to offer. Residents of the South West are fortunate to have three brilliant racecourses on their doorstep with family specific fixtures and we look forward families from the South West and across the country joining us for live racing action this summer”.
As well as unmissable action on the track, racecourses provide a range of free experiences for under 18s including pony rides, the chance to meet a racehorse and fairground attractions, making it a great and affordable day out for all the family.
Kids will also be able to set their imaginations racing with the opportunity to go behind the scenes at several racecourses around the UK, stepping into the shoes of those that make every race meeting possible.
Find your local family race day here -under18sracefree.com
