We have a huge team at Kingsclere and some have had big problems - it isn't going too far to say Racing Welfare has saved them

We have entered what for many in racing is the most difficult time of the year.

Imagine you're a 17-year-old who has now been working at a Flat yard like ours at Kingsclere for three months. The weather has been great, you've been riding five lots a day and leading up winners. After racing you'll have played football in the evenings, headed out cycling with mates or gone to the gym.

Suddenly you're getting up in the dark, it's freezing cold and wet, you're putting on damp clothes, you're missing your family and it feels like there's nothing to look forward to. As we move closer to Christmas, the financial pressure becomes more significant as well. Put all that together and it's not a great picture.

Things are often made harder by solitude. We are very lucky to have a communal environment at Kingsclere. I encourage people to spend time with each other because I worry about people shutting themselves away in their bedroom and obsessively scrolling through social media. For people who aren't in a good place, it can be a killer. Social media is not good when you're not good. I can't believe anyone feels better for looking on Instagram or Facebook after riding out on a cold, wet day and seeing a photo of a mate in Dubai or Australia.

This particularly rough period only lasts until the end of January but it must feel like an eternity if you're struggling. The point I want to make in this column is that if you work in racing you do not need to struggle alone. Thanks to Racing Welfare, help is only ever a phone call away.

Working in a racing yard can be less enjoyable during the deep winter periodCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

We all know the Injured Jockeys Fund does an amazing job and, quite rightly, it markets itself incredibly well. For Racing Welfare, that's harder to do. Whereas the IJF can tell people about all the jockeys it has helped, Racing Welfare is often looking after people in the strictest confidence. That inevitably makes it less easy for it to talk publicly about what it is doing and who it is helping.

But it really is helping. I know that from personal experience.

We have a huge team at Kingsclere. Inevitably, some of our people have had big problems. It isn't going too far to say Racing Welfare has saved those people.

What do I do when someone tells me they want to take their life? I'm a trainer's wife with no mental health qualifications apart from a mental health first aid course. I can and do offer people a shoulder to cry on and the opportunity to talk, but at times of crisis I need someone who can offer professional help.

In three instances like that, I've called Racing Welfare immediately. One person didn't think they would ever return to a happy place but they are now probably as happy as they've ever been. In a wider sense, there have been some terrible tragedies in and around Lambourn this year. I know there are people who have been given the most enormous help by Racing Welfare.

A lot of trainers have been disappointed with Racing Welfare in the past. That's partly because the charity looks after people on a completely confidential basis. It's also true that, historically, Racing Welfare hasn't always been as brilliant as it is today. We need to send out the message to racing and stud staff that the modern Racing Welfare should be your first point of call if you are feeling low or vulnerable. It won't tell you to go away. It will do everything it can to help, regardless of whether the help that's needed is emotional, practical or financial.

Cyclists head off on a charity mission for Racing WelfareCredit: Racing Welfare

When you're down, starting to talk to someone is difficult, but it's so important to open that communication channel. It's hard for people to admit they are struggling in a competitive sporting environment in which we encourage a 'can do' attitude. It's also the case that not everyone in racing has been taught the best coping strategies. There are plenty of people with wobbles. I'm pleased to say there are also plenty of people who have wobbled but come back stronger.

Racing Welfare can provide a priceless lifeline. What I sincerely hope is that more and more people take advantage of the charity's help. I also hope those it has already helped will now do a small something to help Racing Welfare.

In the coming days a questionnaire will be sent out to beneficiaries who have been supported over the past year. The aim of the survey is to gain valuable feedback. The annual questionnaire is an important tool to help Racing Welfare develop services that are relevant and impactful for people working in our sport. As such, I would ask anyone who receives the survey to take the time to complete it.

We all have bad days and difficult situations. There are times when we all need to be heard and supported. The racing industry is very lucky to have Racing Welfare to do that. It has come a long way in the last five years and will only get better.

Racing and stud staff are invaluable to the industry. We owe it to them to help when the chips are down. Racing Welfare can and does provide that help.

Anna Lisa Balding is married to trainer Andrew Balding. Racing Welfare exists for everyone who works in racing and bloodstock from recruitment to retirement and beyond. To contact the 24-hour helpline, please call 08006300443.

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