The co-authors of the recent open letter to the GBGB, trainer Phil Milner and owner George Sell, have put together a working group to represent industry stakeholders in the forthcoming discussions with the board.
The group is made up of passionate greyhound people with racing’s best interests at heart, and have been selected for their broad range of experience and knowledge, as well their respected standing in the sport.
The working group consists of the individuals below (published in alphabetical order by surname), with more additions to come shortly:
• Paul Blake, editor, Greyhound Weekly
• Tony Brealey, owner, Coppice Racing
• Jade Browne, assistant trainer, Adachi Racing
• Claire Conley, breeder/owner/rearer
• Matt Dartnall, trainer/breeder
• Callum Field-Mullins, kennel hand
• Kevin Hutton, trainer/breeder
• Tom Heilbron, trainer
• Nathan Hunt, trainer/breeder
• Phil Milner, trainer/breeder
• George Sell, owner/syndicate manager
Jade Browne said: “I’m delighted to be given the opportunity to join this group to hopefully help make a positive impact for the future of the sport. I believe that all trainers, kennel hands, breeders, owners and other stakeholders need to unite to help drive positive change.”
George Sell said: “We are very grateful to the members of the working group for committing to help us achieve our common goal – to make real and lasting improvements to the sport we all love. We envisage the initial meeting with the GBGB as a chance to establish our position and schedule a series of further meetings to discuss each of the points on the letter in detail. Selected members of the working group will then attend those meetings to represent us based on availability, experience and skill set. We’re especially pleased that, while we have some hugely respected names in the group, we also have some young greyhound professionals on board, as we’re keen to discuss how racing can attract and retain young talent, while establishing a meaningful career pathway for those who enter the sport.”
“We hope to start talks with the GBGB in mid-May, and are speaking with them to finalise a date for the first meeting,” added Phil Milner. “Forming the working group is the next step in our goal of achieving improvements to the sport through constructive and open dialogue. We’re delighted to have such a wealth of experience and knowledge to call upon, and there are likely to be a couple more additions to the group too. We will continue to keep stakeholders informed of developments through the greyhound racing media and social channels. We also welcome any input and suggestions from stakeholders.”
Both Phil and George recognise the need to formalise this group – to give it a name, committee, website and communication channels to keep stakeholders informed about developments arising from the discussions.
If you would like to get in contact with feedback, please email GBGBopenletter@hotmail.com
