The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) is pleased to announce a new partnership with Van Ninja Leasing (part of Dawsongroup PLC) to support trainers in purchasing or leasing vehicles that meet the new 2023 air-con requirements.

From 1 April 2023, all vehicles transporting racing greyhounds must be air-conditioned and able to maintain a temperature of between 10°C – 26°C in their cargo area. This new measure being introduced by GBGB will ensure the comfort and safety of all greyhounds travelling to and from the track during all weather conditions.

Van Ninja will be offering three vehicles within the Vauxhall range as part of the partnership: the Combo, the Vivaro and the Movano. They will be offering discounts to GBGB licensed trainers on the vans, which all come with air conditioning that meets the upcoming requirements and are ideal to fit DEFRA approved travel cages.

As part of the partnership, Van Ninja will also be offering a donation towards GBGB’s welfare initiatives on any vehicle sold on a business lease through this partnership.

The discounted rates will be available from January 2022. For more information or to register your interest, please contact Van Ninja on 0330 122 0102. A demo vehicle will be visiting stadia in 2022 and a schedule of these visits will be published in the GBGB calendar in due course.

This partnership is in addition to GBGB’s TAF Transportation Funding, which is on offer for trainers to use in whichever way best enables their vehicle to meet the new requirements. The funding is in the form of a one-off grant payment of up to a maximum of £2,000 per vehicle, per trainer (capped at a maximum of 2 vehicles).

To support trainers buy comprehensive cover for their vehicles, GBGB is partnering with A Plan Insurance – one of the largest van insurance providers in the UK.  They will be offering special rates for trainers with modified vehicles. A-Plan will also be offering a donation towards greyhound welfare for each policy. Trainers can contact A Plan on 01635 879 910 .

Mark Moisley (GBGB Commercial Director)

GBGB Commercial Director, Mark Moisley, said:

“We are pleased to be working with two companies that share our values on animal safety and who are enthusiastic to support our sport. With 

two companies that share our values on animal safety and who are enthusiastic to support our sport. With the help of GBGB’s vehicle grants, the new partnership with Van Ninja will provide an excellent option for trainers looking to replace or upgrade their existing vans.  

“We are having a demo vehicle kitted out with travel cages and this will be visiting the tracks in 2022 to showcase what’s on offer.”  

Peter Harnden, GBGB Trainers’ Practitioner Director, said:

“I have long thought that, as a sport, we should explore the benefits of group purchasing so I am pleased that we have brokered this new partnership which should enable trainers to make savings. I am yet to see the full breakdown of costings for the vans, but I hope this is the first of many partnerships of this kind.”  

Richard Turner, Head of Sales at Van Ninja Leasing, said:

“We are excited to be partnering up with the GBGB and working with their trainers to get a great deal on their commercial vehicles. We are also thrilled to be offering a donation for greyhound welfare as our way of giving back to these fantastic athletes.”  

Oliver Thompson, Business Development Executive at A Plan Insurance, said:

“Insuring a modified, adapted or specialist van is not always easy, so we are delighted to have negotiated special rates for vans used by greyhound trainers. We are pleased to be working with the sport and supporting greyhound welfare.”  

More information about GBGB’s TAF Transportation Funding and an application form is available via the GBGB Trainers’ Portal on the website. If you have any questions regarding the application process, please contact GBGB on 020 7822 0900 or email: [email protected]