Nescot students to be 'Racemakers' at Epsom Derby

A team of students from Nescot will be involved at the internationally-renowned Derby meeting on June 2nd-3rd, as part of a strengthening relationship between the racecourse and the local community.

The students will take up roles as 'Racemakers', similar to the ‘Games Makers’ at the London 2012 Olympics, assisting with welcoming and directing spectators, building the unique carnival atmosphere and assisting with any questions.

The news was announced as Epsom Downs Racecourse hosted students from Nescot at The Spring Meeting on Tuesday April 25^th to thank them and champion the importance of working alongside the local community.

Students from Nescot have been working alongside The Jockey Club on a new Beacon Project since Autumn 2022, in which 21 students have been working on set projects at the racecourse to aid with their studies and understand more about the racing industry and the career opportunities it presents.

Julie Kapsalis, CEO and Principal at Nescot, said: “This is an exciting project, and a great opportunity for our students to learn more about the industry and to get practical experience that will help to prepare them for their careers.

“We hope this is the beginning of a strong partnership with Epsom Downs Racecourse, and we’re looking forward to working more closely with them.”

Jennifer Fasad, Travel and Tourism lecturer at Nescot, said: “The Beacon Project has helped to give our students practical experience and improve their transferable skills.

“At Nescot we work hard to give our students real-life work experience, practical projects and trips and visits, because we know it’s much more meaningful for them to learn by seeing, doing and experiencing things themselves, rather than by reading a book in a classroom.

“The students have really enjoyed the project, and it’s helped them to think about the next steps in their careers by showing them the opportunities available to them in the racing industry. Working with businesses and the community is important to us as a college, and we’re really enjoying the opportunity to partner with Epsom Downs racecourse.”

Nescot student Ella Spillane, who took part in the Beacon Project, said: "We had never done anything like this before, so it was great to come to Epsom Downs and see how it all worked.

"We've been really lucky with the trips we've been on and working on the projects last year and then attending The Spring Meeting has been great."

On the opportunity to become racemakers, Jennifer added: "This is an amazing opportunity from The Jockey Club and Epsom Downs for the students to be involved in such a big meeting.

"It is a great idea and to involve the students from the college and I know they will be really excited.”

Nescot student Daisy Barber, who took part in the Beacon Project, said: “We all learnt a lot from the project. It was a great way to develop our communication skills and our customer service, which is really important for the travel and tourism industries.”

James Crespi, General Manager of Epsom Downs Racecourse, said: "We are delighted to be partnering with Nescot as part of our increasing work with the local community.

"It has been fantastic to host the students for The Spring Meeting and we can’t wait to welcome them in an integral role for the two days of The Derby in June, and we hope this is just the beginning.”