NEWMARKET HOUSING GIVING YOUNG PEOPLE A LEG UP IN THE RACING INDUSTRY

Leaving home at a young age to start your career can be daunting, but Racing Welfare aims to help with that transition, with the provision of safe and affordable housing specifically for 18-24-year-olds entering the racing industry.

Racing Homes, Racing Welfare’s housing provider, wants to raise awareness of the current vacancies it has at MacDonald Buchanan House in Newmarket which comprises of 18 recently renovated, fully-furnished flats for 18–24-year-olds, and comes with the added benefit of support from a project support officer.

Two young people already benefitting from the safe and affordable accommodation provided by Racing Homes, and keen to share their experiences to encourage others to apply, are Louanna Lean, 21, an apprentice farrier and Cody Cooke, 21, a groom, both of whom work in Newmarket and the surrounding areas.

Louanna, who is an apprentice farrier with Mulqueen Farriery, works from a base at William Haggas’ yard as well as with other trainers including Harry Eustace and James Horton. She has one more year of a four-year apprenticeship to complete, and as well as working in and around Newmarket, she also goes to college in Warwickshire as part of her studies.

“I’ve lived there [MacDonald Buchanan House] since February 2024 and I can’t fault it. It’s great to have my own space, as before I moved here, I was renting rooms from private landlords, so I didn’t have much space to myself and I had to move many times because the houses were sold.

“It was hard to settle and make friends but living here has helped me in many ways. It has helped me gain confidence in being able to live by myself without the need of other people. It’s helped me learn to cook for myself and look after myself better. Rachel [Racing Welfare Young Person Project Support Officer] has also been a great help when I’ve been in situations where I’m in need, and the weekly room check helps me keep on top of the cleanliness side of things. If anything needs fixing, she is on to it straight away and overall, I can’t recommend the place enough,” she added.

Home for Louanna is in Kent where her mum lives, and she says the support she receives from Racing Welfare means so much to her family. “It’s tough being away from home and learning to live independently, but it helps my mum to know I am being looked after,” she said.

Racing Welfare has also supported Louanna with a financial grant to help pay bills, something which is of particular benefit to young people in the horseracing industry on apprenticeship wages.

In contrast, Cody has been a tenant at MacDonald Buchanan House since March 2023, having previously lived in tied-accommodation as part of her job, which she had to vacate after being made redundant. Cody is soon to move out of MacDonald Buchanan House, to move in with her partner.

Cody said: “I’ve loved living at MacDonald Buchanan House because I’ve been surrounded by friends and living so close to town too has been great. The support I’ve had from Rachel [Racing Welfare Young Person Project Support Officer] has been brilliant. I was diagnosed with Autism and ADHD at the age of six and tasks like organisation and budgeting have been really difficult for me, so Rachel has helped me with council tax payments and making sure I keep my accommodation clean and tidy. The skills I’ve learnt will definitely help me as I move out and become more independent.”

Rachel Carson, Young Person Project Support Officer, said: “Louanna and Cody are doing so well and it’s great to see them growing in confidence and becoming more independent. That’s one of the things I love about working at MacDonald Buchanan House and supporting the young people – seeing them develop and flourish as they’re starting out. By providing help with gaining life skills for young people as we do, we know that people will be more prepared for independent living when they move on from here.

“Finding stable, suitable housing can be tough – not to mention expensive, particularly in the private rented sector. MacDonald Buchanan House offers a great stepping stone for young people needing somewhere to live so they can work in the industry and we would encourage any young people or their employers to get in touch about how we can help.”

MacDonald Buchanan House currently has vacancies. If you or someone you know is aged 18-24, working in the horseracing industry in or around Newmarket and seeking accommodation, please contact Racing Homes on 01638 560 763 or homes@racingwelfare.co.uk