Inaugural Young Participants Forum A Great Success

With more and more Younger participants becoming a part of the industry in recent times, Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) believed those men and women deserved the opportunity to express their opinions and share their ideas, so last Thursday the inaugural Young Participants’ Forum was held in Sydney.

The event gave Young people from the industry - owners, trainers, officials and other stakeholders including GRNSW staff - the chance to bring along their ideas, suggestions for innovation, and feedback on how greyhound racing in NSW is performing.

The forum was well attended and GRNSW will now take the feedback and additional information on board and look at what can be implemented or worked on within the industry.

“We are very conscious that Young people are a key to the industry’s future, and that is never lost on us,” GRNSW Chief Executive Officer Tony Mestrov said.

“Part of our latest Strategic Plan was to engage with the Younger people in our industry, and this was a good forum to be able to do that.

“We are constantly hearing that our engagement with the 18 to 35-year-old demographic is significant, so our team wanted to bring together men and women in that age group and hear their thoughts on our industry, and give feedback on what we are doing well, what areas we can improve on, and how they see the future of the industry in NSW.”

The forum brought together a wide and diverse range of participants, who were not only able to voice and give their ideas and feedback, but listen to presentations from members of various departments at GRNSW.

Asked if there was one thing which stood out for him, Jaycin Campbell of CG Syndications said: “Everything that goes on behind the scenes at GRNSW. They do a lot more than a lot of participants would actually acknowledge or see. 

“It’s good to see we have got good people in charge and the industry is definitely moving forward from all the figures that were outlined.

“It was a really good day and good to see a lot of Young faces in the room, some new participants and participants I have been friends with for a few years in the industry.

“It was good to get a bit of feedback and new ideas circulating from everyone coming through the industry in this inaugural forum.

“(Attracting Young people into the industry) it’s basically what our CG Syndication is all about. We felt there was a bit of a gulf in the market where Young people and new people in general had no idea how to get involved in greyhounds so we are trying to give them the best opportunity to get involved in a greyhound and get it to the track and hopefully win a couple of races and have a lot of fun in the meantime.”

Adam Crouch, who with his father Andrew trained inaugural Million Dollar Chase runner-up Jamella Jet, said he was a little unsure of what to expect at the forum, but walked away impressed.

“I was really impressed with it,” he said. “To be honest I was a bit skeptical coming in and I didn’t really know how it would go, but I left there thinking there were some really good points brought up and a lot of very articulate people giving their thoughts and ideas on the industry.

“It was good to be able to put questions out there as to why this is being done and why that isn’t being done, and it was good to have the opportunity to be able to talk through things that may or may not make the industry better.

“I think the forum has got potential to be something really good moving ahead.”

Up and coming Young trainer Jorja-Louise Howard said the day was a great opportunity to listen to ideas of like-minded Young people.

“It was great day and I took a lot out of it,” she said. “I think it was a really good initiative to get a group of Younger participants together and get their input about how we can make the industry even better.”

The Dubbo Greyhound Racing Club secretary Courtney Norbury was also in attendance and she plans to take many of the ideas floated on the day back to her club.

“There is so much stuff we can zero in on for our future meetings,” she said. “A lot of things are running through my mind and I will get the feedback back to my boss.

“It was great to have so many people here just throwing around different ideas to keep the industry moving forward in such a positive light - just new ideas to get things happening, to get people involved in all different areas of the industry, whether it’s racing or administration.”

Karly Rowe a third-generation participant in the industry, is an owner and trainer, and also does works work at some racetracks on raceday.

“I took a lot of information away and met a lot of great people involved I wasn’t aware of,” she said. 

“I got a lot of great information and I was happy to put in my input as well, and really start to see ways that not only myself, but how all of Young participants can thrive in this industry and make it so much better, seeing how much more we can really add on, and really give to the industry, and what we can all do to work together.

“To see and hear that so many people who want to come in and experience it for themselves and play their part, is really exciting and heartwarming especially for myself having grown up in it.”

GRNSW is planning on making the Young Participants’ Forum an annual event.