This weekend I received an email inviting me to invest in a share of a race horse syndicate. The days when I would have found this odd are behind me. The Cotswolds are, after all, horse country and their signature horse racing event, The Cheltenham Festival, is only a month away. What was different about this invite is that it was for a charitable cause, specifically Help for Heroes, which provides assistance to injured soldiers. For every £5,000 share bought, £1,000 is donated to the charity.
Were it not for the fact that husband and I recently siphoned all our spare cash into another investment, I would have been tempted. A week or so ago we became official owners of a single share of a London musical. It took some last minute coaxing to get husband to take the plunge, but, with the help of dismal interest rates on savings accounts, I managed to convince him that greasepaint and footlights were as legitimate as a six-month CD. I, on the other hand, required no persuasion. I was raised on a steady diet of West End musicals, from Kismet to The King and I. I tap danced my way through my eleventh year to the accompaniment of the original cast recording of 42nd Street and, if challenged, am fairly certain could still sing the lyrics to Cats and Annie from beginning to end. I even liked Starlight Express.
I don’t really expect to get much back from our West End investment. I’m in it for the vicarious thrill and figure it can’t be much worse than the stock market or property in recent years. But should our musical ship come in, I’ll make sure to donate something to Help for Heroes. In the meantime, should you be in the market for a race horse for a good cause, you can buy your share here: http://www.kimbaileyracing.com/help_for_heroes_partnership.html.