Mental Health Awareness Week: the support Racing Welfare offers

The campaign, run by the Mental Health Foundation from Monday 11th to Sunday 17th May, has chosen Action as its 2026 theme, and for Racing Welfare, action has always meant the same thing; starting a conversation! Not a big, formal, difficult conversation. Just a chat, a check-in, a moment of honesty with a colleague, a friend, or someone you trust. That is where change begins.

Behind every raceday, there are people working harder than most will ever see.

Early starts, relentless pressure, the weight of responsibility and often, very little space to say that they are not coping. Racing is an industry built on resilience, on getting on with it, on showing up regardless. But that culture, for all its strength, can also be the thing that stops someone from reaching out.

This Mental Health Awareness Week, Racing Welfare wants every single person working in British racing and breeding to know one thing: you do not have to stay silent. And to mark the week, Racing Welfare has partnered with Equine Productions on a powerful new short film.

It follows a raceday that will feel instantly familiar to anyone working in the sport. Racecourse staff navigating packed schedules alongside the demands of family life, the relentless pace of a busy racing day, and the anxiety and overwhelm that can quietly build beneath the surface.

It is a mirror held up to an industry that gives everything and does not always give itself permission to struggle.

As a visible show of community and support from an industry that is taking mental health seriously, look out for green ribbons worn by racecourse teams, representing support, hope and the fight against stigma.

Racing Welfare is also pleased to announce an improved support line, making it easier than ever for anyone in the racing and breeding workforce to access confidential, compassionate help when they need it most. Whether you are struggling yourself or concerned about someone else, support is available.

Throughout the week, the charity will be sharing guidance on recognising the signs of poor mental health, in yourself and in those around you, and signposting to the full range of services available to racings workforce.

For those ready to TAKE ACTION, Racing Welfare offers heavily subsidised mental health training, including accredited Mental Health First Aid England courses open to anyone working in the sport.

Racing never stops. Neither should the support available to the people who make it happen

Action starts with a conversation. Start yours today.

To access support or find out more, call the Racing Welfare support line on 0800 6300 443.

Follow Racing Welfare on social media throughout Mental Health Awareness Week using #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek.