Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) has announced the formation of its inaugural Young Participants Advisory Panel.
In late 2024, the organisation reached out to younger participants and those with a stake in the industry asking for expressions of interest in joining the Panel.
Following an extensive process, seven men and five women, each under the age of 30, were invited to join the Panel.
“If we don’t closely look to, and prepare for the future, there will be no future,” GRNSW Acting Chief Executive Officer Wayne Billett said.
“The women and men of the next generation are the future of our industry, and like many sporting organisations, at GRNSW we understand the importance of giving them a voice and ensuring they not only become involved in all aspects of the industry and our organisation, but have a role in the decisions made which will ultimately impact themselves and other younger participants.
“Consequently, we decided that we needed to hear and listen to the voices and thoughts of our younger participants and provide them with a platform to contribute to the overall development and sustainability of the industry through their input, contributions, and perspective.
“We were overwhelmed with the calibre of young candidates who expressed interest, and are delighted with the make-up of the inaugural Panel.
“We want to do all we can to attract more younger people to our industry and believe this is another step towards achieving that.”
Among the objectives of the Panel are:
- To nurture and foster youth engagement within the industry;
- Provide a platform for young participants to liaise and network;
- Identify and promote skill development, training and education programs;
- Develop initiatives and policies that cater to the needs of young industry participants, and;
- Explore measures to improve opportunities and increase participation of younger participants.
The Panel - which met for the first time on Wednesday and will meet at least three times a year - is made up of young participants involved in one of more of the following aspects of the greyhound industry within NSW:
- Breeding and Whelping/Rearing;
- Training;
- Owner or syndicate member;
- Club Administration (volunteer or paid);
- Regulatory body employee (GWIC);
- Rehoming and/or Pet Preparation.
The inaugural GRNSW Young Participants Advisory Panel members are: Will Griffiths, Brandon Field, Hayley Searl, Holly Taylor, Saxon Thomas, Taylah Wheildon, John Woods, Jacob Betar, Trent Bradley, Karly Rowe, Keely Hogg and Harry Roozendaal.