Promoting Positive Mental Health: Pontefract on Combatting Loneliness —Talk of the Course Ep 7

In the first of two episodes to reflect on Mental Health Awareness Week, episode 7 of Talk of the Course features Jon Mullin, Chief Executive and Clerk of the Course at Pontefract Racecourse. Jon discusses the Yorkshire racecourse’s work to combat loneliness as part of the BHA-led industry pilot programme on this subject, amongst other initiatives designed to promote positive mental health. Jon explains why the team at Pontefract got involved with the work, the challenges they are trying to address and what has happened so far as part of the pilot. From horses in Holbeck to soup kitchens at the racecourse and events with local care homes, the pilot has seen Pontefract engage with a wide range of local community members, and has helped cement its status as a community focussed racecourse. Finally, Jon explains why it’s so important for racecourses to get involved with projects like this and why sometimes, commercial returns shouldn’t be top of the priority list. The episode culminates in the #QuickFireFive where we learn about the multitude of racecourse dogs in the Pontefract office, Jon’s favourite venue for customer experience beyond Yorkshire and the question on everyone’s lips regarding Pontefract Racecourse’s sweet neighbour, Haribo.   Talk of the Course is designed to shed a light on the best practice emanating from racecourse teams across the country, covering all aspects of racecourse operation. It is written, produced and hosted by the RCA’s executive team. The latest episode is available now to stream via    / @officialthe_rca  , https://open.spotify.com/show/5Xllc7w... and https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... platforms.