Sheffield-based charity Sheffield Voices took the top spot at this year’s Sky Bet Ebor Festival Community Sweepstake and secured £20,000 to help their cause.

As part of the joint initiative between York Racecourse and Sky Bet, the sweepstake rewards local good causes from across Yorkshire and acknowledges their hard work within the community.

In a race to remember, Frankie Dettori has now won consecutive Sky Bet Ebors, this year riding to victory on Absurde meaning Sheffield Voices took home the £20,000 grand prize. Second place went to Barnsley Hospice with Streetangels York taking third, securing £5,000 and £2,000 respectively.

Sheffield Voices is the learning disability arm of Disability Sheffield – a self-advocacy group that supports people to have a say about issues that affect them. The group has become a centre for community engagement, and they have created projects to support people to connect and engage with them in ways that work better for them. Over the last 2 years, they have created a suite of creative self-advocacy projects including drama, art/sculpture and creative writing which all feed into their new Community Sharing Hubs, ‘We Speak You Listen’. They are spaces that directly connect people who don’t normally have a say or influence in their lives or policy and practice.

Speaking on the race, Kathryn Littlewood, Manager of Sheffield Voices, said: “We are ecstatic to win the Sky Bet Community Sweepstake, it was already an honour to be shortlisted but to win the £20,000 donation is incredible.

“The £20,000 donation with go a long way in supporting our new self-advocacy project for young people, bringing them together and giving them a voice to allow them to make change and live their lives the way they want to.

“We would like to thank York Racecourse and Sky Bet, and of course Frankie Dettori who rode Absurde to victory! It was a lovely day getting to connect with all of the shortlisted charities and we look forward to working together in the future.”

James Brennan, Head of Marketing and Sponsorship at York Racecourse, added: “It was fantastic to see Frankie race to his second consecutive Ebor victory, this time on Absurde. It is always a privilege to host the representatives from the 22 charities shortlisted and we are looking forward to seeing the amazing work they do with the donations they receive.”

Michael Shinners, Racing Odds Manager at Sky Betting & Gaming, concluded: “A huge congratulations to Sheffield Voices, Barnsley Hospice and Streetangels York for placing in our community sweepstake. All of the charities shortlisted in this year’s sweepstake are such wonderful causes and overall it was a fantastic success. Donations from the event go towards funding these causes, and helping build a successful future that benefits the entire region.”

The Ebor Festival Community Sweepstake demonstrates how Sky Betting & Gaming is driving positive change on the ground, aligning with a core pillar of Flutter’s Positive Impact Plan to ‘do more’ for local communities.