Funds were raised via on-course donations and activities such as the sale of official Carnival pins – including the TAB Everest and Golden Eagle – along with saddlecloth auctions from a number of Group 1 Australian Turf Club races.
The eighth round of grants was in addition to the second half of a two-year program with key racing industry bodies the National Jockeys Trust, Australian Racing Christian Chaplaincy and Equine Pathways Australia.
ATC Foundation Chair Angela Belle McSweeney thanked the generosity of racing fans, ATC Members, racing fans and partner organisations.
“The ATC Foundation is very pleased to able to help the racing industry along with organisations around each of our racecourses and the communities they assist,’’ Ms McSweeney said.
“On behalf of the ATC Foundation Board and our Club and Members, I thank everyone who has donated or purchased special merchandise to allow us to continue such important work for so many groups.
“As Chair of the ATC Foundation for the past three years it has been an honour to champion the generosity of the racing industry and the important work our Club’s Foundation continues to do to give back to those in need.’’
A full list of successful applicants in the eighth round of grants are:
| Key Indicators | Charity Name | Amount | Summary |
| Racing Industry
Mental Health |
Horse Aid Ltd | $15,000 | Assisting in retraining and rehoming ex-racehorses which provide unique equine assisted healing programs for serving and ex-serving defence personnel and first responders dealing with mental health challenges from service trauma. |
| Mental Health
Disability Support All racecourses
|
Morris Children’s Fund | $10,000
|
Music Therapy program conducted weekly across the school term by a specialist teacher who works with Special Needs Schools using music as a medium to unlock the students’ hidden potential and capabilities. |
| Canterbury / Bankstown
Disability Support |
Cerebral Palsy Alliance | $15,000 | Funding to support the furniture fit out of the new, world-class disability centre in Roselands. Support would be acknowledged through permanent signage in the centre which will open early 2025. |
| Parramatta
Randwick Mental Health |
Kids with Cancer Foundation | $16,000 | Financial Assistance program funding for 8 x families who have a child aged 0-12 years being treated for cancer at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead or Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick. |
| Randwick
Mental Health |
Lifeline Direct Limited t/a Lifeline Eastern Suburbs – Bondi | $15,000 | Lifeline will support the ongoing psychological safety of 14 frontline volunteers who answer calls from the Bondi centre. |
| Liverpool
Sustainability |
St Vincent de Paul NSW | $10,000 | Liverpool Men’s and Outreach Vans serves disadvantaged communities across Liverpool and Fairfield, currently delivering essential food and staples to numerous clients daily. This pilot initiative aims to transition from providing basic food items to offering high-quality, nutritious meals to those in need. |
| Randwick
Mental Health |
The Humour Foundation | $10,000 | Clown Doctors directly support the mental health and well-being of children in the Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick. |
| Mental Health | Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation | $20,000 | New Mental Health initiative for one weekly clinic with a psychologist for patients undergoing breast cancer treatment. |
| Mental Health | Dandelion Support Network Inc | $10,000 | Funding to support the purchase of essential nursery items such as bassinets, cots, prams and car seats for families in need across Greater Sydney. |
| Parramatta
Liverpool Mental Health |
Learning Links | $17,390 | Learning Links psychologists will work with vulnerable children weekly to address a variety of conditions and concerns including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, anger management and poor social skills in 2 school communities and up to 30 children supported. |
| Parramatta
Mental Health |
The Westmead Institute for Medical Research | $13,430 | Purchase of wearable devices for WIMR’s Brain Dynamics Centre, where researchers are focused on developing more effective science-based treatments for mental health disorders by investigating sleep-wake patterns and circadian rhythms in young people with serious mental health disorders.
|
| TOTAL | $151,820 |
Full details of the ATC Foundation and how to apply for funding can be found here.
AUSTRALIAN TURF CLUB MEDIA CONTACT:
Brett de Vine
0419 613 455