The prestigious 2023 Markel Magnolia Cup has raised a phenomenal £245,977 for Education Above All’s (EEA), Educate A Child programme.
The all-female annual charity race was conceived over a decade ago, which takes place at the Qatar Goodwood Festival. It was Annabelle Hadden-Wight and mount Ebury, trained by Scott Dixon and owned by Paul J Dixon & John Fox, who were victorious. Hadden-Wight was joined alongside other riders in the race: Caroline Miller, Eliza McCalmont, Elizabeth Prosser, Katie Dorsett, Khadija Al-Bastaki, Laura Toogood, Lyn Comerford, Milica Dušanović, Olivia Kennedy, Roya Nikkhah and Saffron Oliver.
This year’s total means the race has raised over £2.4 million for charitable causes since its inception. Goodwood in indebted to the sponsor Markel, the horse sponsors’ generosity, the brave, courageous women riding and the racehorse trainers and owners who have supported the race, as well as fashion designer Alice Temperley, who designed the jockey silks.
Education Above All is the beneficiary charity, with all net proceeds going to a project in Malawi that provides education and support for children most at-risk of dropping out of primary education through a joint project between Education Above All and CAMFED. The project aims to empower thousands of girls enabling them to overcome barriers to accessing and remaining in school. At the centre of the project is mentorship and local leadership allowing individuals to benefit from quality primary education inclusive of sexual health education, life skills, and well-being sessions, intensive out-of-school support for those facing
the most pressure to drop out, and psychosocial support.
Al Jazi Hasan, International Engagement Manager at EAA commented; “It was an honour to be chosen as the beneficiary of the Markel Magnolia Cup this year and we are delighted to have raised such a large amount of £245,977. We would like to thank Goodwood for the opportunity to raise important funds that will make a huge difference to children in Malawi through our Educate A Child programme.”
Simon Wilson, president of Markel International commented, “Markel is a business that prides itself on having a positive impact on the communities in which we operate and the people whose livelihoods we support, and so we’re truly delighted to sponsor the Magnolia Cup and to help raise such a considerable amount of money for Education Above All. As a father of two daughters, the cause of this fantastic charity resonates with me personally, and I hope that the money raised will help to empower a number of girls to overcome barriers to education and to stay in school.”
The Markel Magnolia Cup will take place on Ladies’ Day at the Qatar Goodwood Festival in 2024, which falls on Thursday 1st August. Applications for the race in 2024 have now closed and riders wishing to participate in 2025 can apply online at https://www.goodwood.com/horseracing/qatar-goodwood-festival/magnolia-cup/ .
For editorial enquiries please contact: Emma Chamings, Goodwood Racecourse Press Office;
emma@jsccomms.co.uk
About the Qatar Goodwood Festival
The Qatar Goodwood Festival is one of the undisputed highlights of the British flat racing season.
Steeped in racing heritage, the first public race meeting took place at Goodwood Racecourse in 1802, and over the decades, the meeting has attracted the very best equine athletes from the UK and around the world.
Affectionately known as ‘Glorious Goodwood’, the world-famous five-day festival is a sporting and social occasion like no other, unrivalled style, superb racing, and hospitality experiences to savour mean it’s not to be missed.
About Markel International
Markel International is a division of Markel Corporation, a US-based holding company trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MKL). Markel International writes insurance and reinsurance business through six divisions and offices across the UK, Europe, Canada, and Asia Pacific. Markel International’s insuring entities include Syndicate 3000, Markel International Insurance Company Limited, and Markel Insurance SE.
Its UK national markets business also provides legal and professional fees insurance cover as well as legal and tax consultancy services. For more information, please visit us at www.markelinternational.com.
About Education Above All
The Education Above All (EAA) Foundation is a global foundation established in 2012 by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser. EAA aims to transform lives through education. We believe that education is the single most effective means of reducing poverty, creating peaceful and just societies, unlocking the full potential of every child and youth, and creating the right conditions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Through our multi-sectoral approach, unique financing models, focus on innovation as a tool for social good, and partnerships, we aim to bring hope and real opportunities to the lives of impoverished and marginalised boys and girls.
EAA is comprised of: Educate A Child (EAC), Al Fakhoora, Reach Out To Asia (ROTA), Protect Education in Insecurity and Conflict (PEIC), and Innovation Development (ID).
About Education Above All’s work in Malawi
Malawi is one of the least developed countries in the world with approximately 320,000 out of school primary-level children who are excluded from education due to barriers including, a lack of resources, poverty and discrimination. Girls face particular challenges.
This joint project between Education Above All’s Educate A Child (EAC) programme and CAMFED will focus on rural districts and children, where schools are chronically under resourced and the levels of poverty and disadvantage are profound. The four-year project will support 40,000 primary-level children who are either at risk of dropping out or currently unable to access school.
About Educate A Child International
Educate a Child International is registered with the Charity Commission (charity 1160869) with a mission to ensure quality education for children who are denied this.
Our support assists out of school children at Primary level in several countries to access a quality primary education. We are also working with leading UK Universities to create fully-funded scholarships for forced migrants.
