Race through history for Roman Day at Chester Racecourse

CHESTER Racecourse is calling on families to gather the troops and canter down for an action packed day of fun that pays tribute to the City's iconic Roman history.

Taking place on:- Saturday, 31 May 2025, Roman Day features a mix of thrilling horseracing and exciting activities for young racegoers, as well as appearances from special guest:- Zog, the loveable dragon, from:- Julia Donaldson's bestselling books.

More than 17,000 racegoers are expected to descend on Chester Racecourse for Roman Day, including:- over 2,000 children who will be able to enjoy the event line up for free, including:- Roman stunt shows, archery, bootcamp challenges, inflatable slides and a bungee run.

The jam packed agenda ensures the whole family can soak up the fun, including:- birds of prey, a pop up play village, and craft camp, as well as a heritage festival, camp curiosity, racing to School, and performances from arts organisation and charity foundation, AmaSing.

Roman Day follows a record breaking Boodles May Festival, which kicked off the racing season earlier this month. Total attendance was up 11% on last year, with hospitality and premium general admission tickets sold out for:- Thursday and Friday.

Sam Martin, Head of Marketing and Communications, at Chester Racecourse, said:- "Roman Day is always a calendar highlight; it wouldn't be a racing season at Chester without it! We pride ourselves on offering affordable, unforgettable experiences to suit every taste, and look forward to welcoming families to the 1st of many family fun days this year, after a record Boodles May Festival! The 3 day festival was incredible, with the biggest crowd we’ve had since Covid and attendance figures bucking industry trends. Early signs for the rest of the year are positive, and our team are working hard to create a memorable day out for our visitors, which we are sure Roman Day will be once again. Children under 17 can attend Roman Day for free, while adult tickets start from £17.

KingKabs will be sponsoring a race on Roman Day and hosting a:- 'spin to win' game with exciting prizes, as part of their ongoing partnership with Chester Racecourse

Karen Long, Regional General Manager at KingKabs said:- “As Chester’s number one taxi service, we are delighted to continue our partnership with Chester Racecourse for the 2025 season. We were proud to provide transport for Owners and Trainers to and from Chester Racecourse during Boodles May Festival, as well as being trusted to take the prestigious Chester Cup to a Ladbrokes event. As well as sponsoring a race on Roman Day, we look forward to transporting guests and supporting events at Chester Racecourse throughout the year."

To find out more about Roman Day at Chester Racecourse, and book tickets, visit:- Chester-Races.Com.  It is worth adding that you can get to the City via the Wirral Line, on Merseyrail.

Cabinet asked to approve consultation over revised non-residential adult social care charging policy 

LIVERPOOL City Council is proposing a revised charging policy for non-residential adult social care. It is the 1st time that changes have been proposed in at least 3 years, and the costs currently charged to people are not in line with the actual cost of their care.

Adult social care is 1 of the biggest areas of spend for the Council, with a budget of:- £242 million in the:- 2024/2025 financial year, and there is growing demand in Liverpool, in line with national trends.

Charging for the services provided ensures that care and support can be sustainably funded, allowing the Council to continue delivering high-quality services to residents.

By asking those who can afford to contribute to the actual cost of their care, the Council can direct resources more effectively, ensuring that limited public funds are used where they are most needed. This approach helps to maintain a fair and equitable system, where individuals only pay what they can afford while also supporting the financial sustainability of the care services available to everyone who needs them.

The Council is therefore asking permission from Cabinet to consult on some specific measures which would increase payments from those individuals who can afford to pay on the basis of the actual cost of their care, and which would bring Liverpool closer into line with national practice.

The charges are subject to a financial assessment, which is carried out in accordance with regulations that are set nationally, and this means that people with care and support needs will not be asked to pay more than they can afford to.

Those that do contribute to the cost of their care are protected by a Minimum Income Guarantee, which varies depending upon age and circumstances, but in the case of a single pensioner is:- £272.70 per week. The council also disregards an additional:- 10% of income over and above the Minimum Income Guarantee.

Councillor Angela Coleman, Cabinet Member for adult social care, said:- “We have not reviewed our charging policy for at least three years and as a result we have not kept pace with other local authorities. Adult social care is one of our biggest areas of spending and accounts for a large proportion of our overall budget, so it is absolutely vital that we make sure our policies help us deliver a sustainable service in the face of growing demand. Nobody will be asked to pay more than they can afford to pay towards their care and support. They will be protected by the nationally set minimum income guarantee. In Liverpool we are committed to reducing inequality which is why we have kept the extra 10% income disregard in addition to the minimum income guarantee, to help ensure people have enough money for living expenses. We also decided to maintain the automatic deduction for disability-related costs to support the most vulnerable individuals. Our Financial Inclusion Team will also work with individuals to make sure they are accessing all the welfare payments they are entitled to. Charging in line with the actual cost of care allows the Council to provide more comprehensive and long term support for all eligible individuals, ensuring that care remains available and accessible for future generations. However, despite these protections, the Council recognises that these changes could have an impact on a number of individuals in receipt of care and support, and we will be running an extensive consultation involving detailed discussions with them, and their families and carers, to understand more about the potential impacts. We will take into account the feedback we receive before making a final decision later this year.”

The proposals are:-

• Introducing a set up charge and annual arrangement fee for anyone with savings or capital above the threshold of:- £23,250 who has to pay for the full cost of meeting their own care or support. It is proposed to introduce a set up charge of:- £200 and annual arrangement fee of:- £150.
  

• Charging on the basis of the actual cost to the Council for arranging care and support.
  

• Charging a person for their care based on the number of carers they have. Currently, the contribution is based on one carer, regardless of the actual number of carers required at any one time to provide care and support.
  

• Charging a person for the cost of storage of personal items and boarding pets where the Council arranges this for them under its statutory duties.

The proposals are for non-residential care services and do not relate to what the Council currently charges for residential care home or Nursing Care Home placements.

Subject to approval at a Cabinet meeting on:- Tuesday, 3 June 2025, the consultation will start later in the month and run for 8 weeks as a minimum.

Following the completion of the consultation, the findings will be reported back to the Cabinet for a final decision.

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