After pledging support for licensed trainers during the current pause on racing, the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) has today made the first of its industry-wide welfare contributions – totalling just over £240,000 for the month of April.

Over 500 trainers across the country will benefit from this first welfare pay-out, which goes to the heart of GBGB’s mission to safeguard the welfare of greyhounds. With trainers, many of whom are self-employed, beginning to feel the impact of racing’s temporary suspension on their incomes, these contributions aim to provide for the essential welfare needs of greyhounds in the short term.

Until racing can safely resume, this monthly payment, which equates to £15 per greyhound, is being made for every greyhound in licensed kennels – crucially, not just for current racers, but also puppies and retirees. In addition to this, the majority of tracks have also announced their own vital contributions to help attached trainers through the lockdown period.

For further support, GBGB has also directed those working in the sport to information on the government’s financial assistance packages, which now includes support for the self-employed as well as businesses.

Likewise, during this difficult and unprecedented period GBGB Stipendiary Stewards continue to work closely with each of the kennels within their remit to provide help and advice, wherever it is needed.

Duncan Gibson, Welfare and Integrity Manager at the Greyhound Board of Great Britain, said:

“This is obviously a worrying time for our licensed trainers who are working incredibly hard to continue to give their greyhounds the very best care at kennels up and down the country. With the cessation of racing impacting quickly on cash flow across the sport, we are pleased to be releasing the first of these monthly contributions today to safeguard our greyhounds’ welfare.

“While planning is underway to make a safe return to racing as soon as we can, we know that our emergency welfare payments need to be sustainable for whatever period of time racing is suspended. We are very grateful to stadia for making additional contributions which will help relieve the short-term financial burden on trainers.

“Like all industries, there will no doubt be some hard times ahead, but it is vitally important that the whole of the greyhound community pulls together and supports one another during this period. At GBGB, we are focused on delivering whatever support we can to our trainers, and our staff are maintaining regular contact to ensure that assistance is available where required.”