Cancelled South Shropshire horse racing event appeals for donations
Organisers of a cancelled horse racing event are appealing for donations to cover costs.
Due to take place on Saturday (April 4), the annual Bitterley Races Ludlow Hunt Point-to-Point event has been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
As a means of recovering preparation costs, organisers are asking those who were planning to attend to consider donating the value of a ticket via a crowdfunding page.
A spokesperson said: "Bitterley Races is an enormously important local event in South Shropshire, providing great entertainment to thousands of local people and generating important money into the rural economy around Ludlow.
"The decision to cancel was as a result of the formal announcement from the national Point-to-Point authority that all remaining fixtures for the season will be cancelled as a result of the Covid-19 situation.
"A substantial amount of costs have been incurred in the preparation, organisation and run-up to this event. To avoid losing this important fixture which we all enjoy so much, these costs need to paid for.
"Therefore the Bitterley Races Committee are asking that if you’d planned to attend the day and/or the after party (£10 each), to please consider donating the cost of the tickets as if you were still going.
"This would be really appreciated and would go towards helping to offset non-refundable costs already incurred, and help make sure that Bitterley Races is not lost in 2021, but is back better than ever.
"Our hope is that a large proportion of the people who regularly attend Bitterley Races will buy their tickets – if 400 people buy a £10 ticket or £10 after-party ticket, this will enable us to cover the costs."
So far, the donation page at gofundme.com has raised £1,431 of a target of £3,000.
The spokesperson added: "The Bitterley Races Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their ongoing support, whether that be through sponsorship, advertising, or plans to attend this year’s event, and with your support we will be able to look forward to a very successful race meet in 2021."
