Newmarket Charitable Foundation Seeks Full-Time Director to Drive Next Phase of Development.
The Newmarket Charitable Foundation seeks a dynamic and dedicated Director to lead the charity’s next phase of development.
The Director will take the lead role in driving initiatives to unlock and deliver transformation to make Newmarket a truly fabulous place to live, work and visit.
Dr David Hall has been playing a part-time consultancy role in developing the Charity since its inception in January 2022 and its success in identifying opportunities for such transformation. The Foundation is now in a position to recruit a full-time Director to provide sustained leadership. This role presents a remarkable opportunity for an individual motivated to create a lasting impact on the town’s development.
David describes some of the fantastic initiatives underway with the Foundation. The Charity currently spearheads a range of projects, including:
Fundraising Events and Grants for Great Causes
We have held regular fundraising events, generating a considerable fund that fuels grants supporting impactful causes across the town. These initiatives provide benefits across the board – to individuals, groups, and organisations, but all with the same aim of enhancing residents’ lives.
Our notable events in the last twelve months have included the Geoff Hurst Dinner, Christmas Dinner funding and home delivery with the Day Centre, and Summer Walk, and will include the upcoming “Santa Dash” in December.
This year, the Foundation is also privileged to be a beneficiary of the highly popular and spectacular “Presents Galore” Christmas Fair in November. Tickets are already available and can be purchased through presentsgalore.org, priced at an early bird offer of £6, which finishes at the end of August. Your support for this event contributes to local, remarkable charities.
The Foundation has disbursed grants totalling £27,000 to 20 worthy causes within the town and neighbouring villages. These grants have supported requests such as support for warm hubs, club sporting equipment, training needs and refurbishments and repairs to community group facilities.
A “Cost of Living Fund” of £10,000, supported by a further £2,000 donation from the Town Council, has provided twenty-nine small grants totalling £9,000. These grants have helped individuals and families grappling with the escalating cost of living and have been delivered in partnership with Reach (debt counsellors) and Open Door (food bank and broad support). The Foundation has recently supplemented this fund with an additional £3,000.
In partnership with the Newmarket Equine Hospital and Rossdales Veterinary Surgery, the Foundation has granted £8,000 each to the Pony Academy. This funding expansion enables the academy to extend its excellent work to weekend classes, enriching children’s mental health and well-being, as well as offering the opportunity to learn new skills.
Vision for the Town’s High Street
We all know that High Streets across the UK have struggled for some time, competing with the magnetic draw of significant out-of-town retail developments and the explosion in online offerings. High Streets/town centres need to accept the new world and re-imagine themselves to create a fabulous showcase for the town, building on their unique assets.
Newmarket is no different – currently with the highest % of vacant retail units in towns across the whole of West Suffolk. We need a town centre that boasts world-class racing experiences and is an enticing place to live and a significant tourist attraction beyond race days. To achieve this, we need an injection of fresh, expert perspectives and thinking. We will be working closely with key stakeholders to develop an actionable vision for the future of the High Street as a hub for the community.
Cinema Development
After successfully introducing the Mobile Cinema to the town in February and gauging community interest through a comprehensive survey, the Foundation and partners will continue our efforts to establish a local cinema. Undoubtedly, the appetite is there for the cinema – a crucial element of that vision for the High Street – with over 12% of the population completing Charity’s questionnaire and an overwhelming 97% of respondents crying out for that cinema!
Co-working and Entrepreneurial Support
Adapting to the evolving work dynamics where remote working is now the ‘norm’, the Foundation has collaborated with MENTA, an East of England organisation specialising in co-working spaces and business support. Our partnership aims to bring flexible co-working facilities to the town centre, accommodating individuals and existing organisations hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. With this initiative, we aim to optimise vacant retail spaces within the town centre.
Bridging the Skills Gap
Identifying skill gaps among residents of all ages, the Foundation collaborates with partners to offer affordable access to training within the town. A key focus of this activity is to enhance employability skills, with the Foundation fostering relationships with local employers to actively support skills development.
NextGen Career Inspiration
On October 19th, the Foundation hosts the NextGen Careers Expo at the Newmarket Academy. This event provides students with the opportunity to explore diverse career avenues, inspiring and elevating aspirations within the community’s youth. The Expo will feature participating organisations showcasing various career opportunities, encouraging engagement, and opening doors for students.
Neurodiversity and Inclusion
Collaborating with the same local businesses and schools, the Foundation is committed to understanding neurodiversity among young people in Newmarket. Through these partnerships, we aim to create career pathways to support and leverage the unique talents of those with autism, ADHD, and dyslexia.
Mental Health & Wellbeing Support
Acknowledging the growing need for mental health and wellbeing support, amplified by the post-pandemic landscape, the Charity is actively exploring opportunities to develop partnerships to provide a central support mechanism within the town.
So as you can see there is a lot on and a considerable amount we can achieve by working together and supporting everyone in the town. This new role requires someone who shares a vision for a thriving Newmarket and wants to seize the opportunity to steer the Foundation towards new horizons with energy, enthusiasm, resilience, and passion.
For further details of the Director role, contact [email protected]
