Princess Anne opens racing staff centre in Malton

Family members of Jamie Kyne, 17, who was killed along with 18-year-old Jan Wilson in a fire at Buckrose House in Norton, in September 2009, attended the event, which included the unveiling of a special plaque and memorial bench at the facility, run by national charity Racing Welfare, in Old Maltongate.

Jan Wilson, left, and Jamie Kyne, who died in 2009

Jamie's mother, Madaline Kyne, said this was the first time she had returned to Malton since the death of her son.

"People in the area have been very supportive and I think this is a great idea for young jockeys who are perhaps away from home for the first time to provide them with somewhere safe to stay," she added.

"It has been very emotional but I am so glad to be here and to meet Princess Anne."

"Racing Welfare has been so good to me and I feel that this is the right thing to do here in Malton where I know every year, over the past five years, Jamie and Jan have been remembered."

A fundraising campaign was launched by Racing Welfare within the local community following the deaths of Jamie and Jan, with more than £110,000 raised towards the accommodation centre for young people in the racing industry.

The new facility, which is a former solicitor’s office, now houses six bedrooms, a communal lounge, kitchen and bathrooms, alongside the Elm Park Suite, providing a hub for the town’s racing community and an office for the charity’s regional welfare officers.

Additional funding was provided by York Racecourse and Qatar Racing which raised £200,000 in last year's London Marathon.

Malton-based Racing Welfare officer Paul Lodge, who was awarded at the Betfair 2011 Pride of Racing Awards for supporting people who lost everything after the fire, said there had been a growing need for the housing.

"I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in this project," he added.

"It is absolutely amazing and a real asset for the town and surrounding area as well."

Crowds gathered in the town, to greet the Princess.

The Princess Royal said she was delighted to open the new accommodation centre.

"Malton's racing industry is growing and as a result needs to bring in more staff including young people who may not have been away from home before," she added.

"This facility which Racing Welfare has provided is a great model for the future and I wish the residents well in their careers as I do the whole racing population in Malton."

More than 75 guests attended a reception at the Old Lodge Hotel in Malton to mark the occasion including Chairman of Ryedale District Council Cllr Luke Ives, Mayor of Malton Cllr Joan Lawrence and Norton Mayor Cllr Ray King.

Cllr Lawrence said: "It is amazing to see what they have done with the old solicitor's office - it is a wonderful place.

"This is brilliant for Malton and so pleasing that some good comes out of everything."

Cllr King added: "This facility is really special for the area and it is wonderful to see such much support from the racing fraternity."

Racing Welfare, through its housing association, has a portfolio of over 160 properties nationwide, providing houses for young people and those who have retired following a lifetime of service to the racing industry.

The Malton development is the latest in a series of accommodation for young people provided by the charity. In 2009 it completed a scheme in Lambourn, West Berkshire and, in 2010, it opened a property in Middleham that provides accommodation and facilities for young racing staff, similar to those on offer at Old Maltongate.

The Princess Royal is expected to return to Malton later this year to officially open Jack Berry House when building work is completed in the spring.