Go Racing in Yorkshire’s award-winning NHS Bowel Cancer Screening initiative to expand nationally

An innovative partnership between the NHS bowel cancer screening programme and Go Racing in Yorkshire, which won the prestigious Racecourse Association (RCA) Showcase Award for Community in 2024 is the focus of a powerful new video launched today.

The initiative is now being prepared for national reach, with the RCA working closely with Go Racing in Yorkshire and the Harrogate & District NHS Trust.

The video introduces this ground-breaking initiative that uses the vibrant setting of Yorkshire’s nine racecourses to raise awareness and increase uptake of bowel cancer screening, particularly among harder-to-reach groups. Combining health messaging with the excitement of race days, the campaign brought vital information to thousands of racegoers in a familiar and trusted environment.

This partnership, praised by the RCA and the independent RCA Showcase Awards judging panel as an outstanding example of community engagement in British racing, was developed in collaboration with regional NHS teams and racecourse management. It featured on-course messaging, staff training, and community outreach, including talks and pop-up information stands at fixtures throughout the racing calendar.

Lydia Brown of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said: "This partnership has shown the power of creative thinking in public health. By meeting people where they are – in places they enjoy and trust – we’re breaking down barriers to life-saving screening. The video captures not just the success of the campaign, but its potential to be replicated across the country."

The video includes interviews with participants, NHS leaders, and racecourse staff, and illustrates how sport can serve as a powerful platform for public health messaging. With early signs of increased engagement and screening uptake, the programme is now being considered for expansion across more British racecourses in the coming year.

Charlotte Russell, General Manager of Go Racing in Yorkshire, added: "We’re incredibly proud to be part of something that’s not just innovative, but also life-changing. Winning the RCA Showcase Award for Community was a wonderful recognition – and now we want to build on this success and share the story with a wider audience through this video."

The video is now available to view on the Go Racing in Yorkshire, Racing Together and Racecourse Association websites and communications channels in a full and highlights version.

Thanks to the template created by Go Racing in Yorkshire and the relationships built across NHS Trusts throughout Yorkshire, the RCA is liaising with racecourses to share the blueprint for this award-winning model with the view to offering screening information and signposting nationwide at Britain’s racecourses.

Paul Swain, Head of Raceday Experience & Communications at the Racecourse Association, said: “Go Racing in Yorkshire’s partnership with local NHS Trusts to offer bowel cancer screening at racecourses has been rightly heralded as a game-changing initiative.

“I’d encourage anyone to take a few minutes to enjoy this video to understand how simple it is to host at a racecourse, and hopefully we will see racecourses across Britain offer a similar service with their NHS partners in due course.”