In the latest episode of GBGB Stories, GBGB Corporate Affairs Director Abbie MacGregor sits down with Romford Greyhound Stadium Manager Karen McMillan to discuss the vital role greyhound racing plays in supporting employment and creating opportunities for people from all backgrounds, particularly young people entering the workforce.

As manager of Romford, named GBGB’s inaugural Track of the Year in 2025, Karen oversees a workforce of more than 100 employees and helps deliver race nights for thousands of visitors each week. During the conversation, she reflects on her career journey, the challenges and rewards of managing one of the sport’s leading venues, and the importance of creating opportunities for the next generation.

Like many greyhound racing venues across the country, Romford provides valuable first-job opportunities for young people. More than 1,000 people aged between 16 and 25 are employed across licensed greyhound racing in a diverse range of roles, from kennelhands working directly with greyhounds, to positions in hospitality, stadium operations and administration.

The conversation comes at a time when tackling youth unemployment and economic inactivity has become a major political priority. With more than one million young people currently outside employment, education or training, GBGB believes industries that provide accessible, locally based jobs and clear pathways into work should be recognised as part of the solution.

Karen also discusses the evolving nature of the industry and the opportunities available within it, highlighting how greyhound racing continues to support diverse career paths and provide long-term progression for people working across the sport.

The episode concludes with a message of support for greyhound racing from Peter Bedford MP, who highlights the contribution the sport makes to employment, local economies and communities across the country.

Commenting on the episode, Abbie MacGregor said:

“Greyhound racing provides precisely the kind of opportunities politicians say they want to create: local jobs, practical training, routes into employment for young people and genuine career progression for women.

“Karen’s career demonstrates what those opportunities can become. She has worked her way through the industry over three decades to lead one of Britain’s best-known greyhound stadiums. 

“We are also extremely grateful to Peter Bedford for his political support and for recognising the contribution greyhound racing makes to employment and local communities. At a time when more than one million young people are outside employment, education or training, sports such as ours are clearly part of the solution.

“Those campaigning against greyhound racing too often speak as though a stadium could simply disappear without wider consequences. The people employed there become an afterthought, if indeed they are acknowledged at all.

“Greyhound racing is sometimes discussed as if it consists only of the few minutes during which the greyhounds are on the track. This episode reveals everything surrounding those minutes: skills learned and shared, opportunities created and local institutions sustained by people who are proud of what they do.”

Watch the full episode of GBGB Stories featuring Karen McMillan and Peter Bedford MP below.

 

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