From 01 April 2023, all vehicles used in the transportation of racing greyhounds will be required to be air-conditioned to ensure greyhounds’ comfort and wellbeing as they travel to and from the track. The cargo area of a vehicle must be able to maintain a temperature within a greyhound’s thermo-neutral zone (between 10°C and 26°C).  

To assist trainers to meet this requirement, the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) is today announcing that it will provide trainers with a one-off grant payment of a maximum of £1,000 per vehicle (capped at a maximum of 2 vehicles), per trainer.

The funding can be used in whichever way which best enables a vehicle to meet the requirement. When applying for the grant, trainers are required to choose which of the following scenarios is applicable:

  1. Replacement vehicle (commercial vehicles only) – the grant can be used towards the purchase of an air-conditioned vehicle which is used as the main or secondary vehicle for transporting racing greyhounds.
  2. Purchase hire/leased commercial vehicle – the grant can be used towards the deposit or monthly payments of a newly acquired hire purchase or lease hire air-conditioned commercial vehicle to be used as the main or secondary vehicle for transporting racing greyhounds.
  3. Insulation/repairs – trainers with vehicles that are equipped with fully functioning air conditioning can apply for a grant of up to £1,000 per vehicle (maximum 2) to fully insulate the cargo area to assist in controlling heat transfer into and out of the vehicle. Vehicles with air conditioning units in disrepair may apply for funding towards the repair or replacement of existing air conditioning units.
  4. Extension of air conditioning unit to the cargo area/stand-alone air condition units – the grant can also be used towards the cost of extending the factory fitted air conditioning to the cargo area (tap-in system), or towards the costs of installing a stand-alone air condition unit to the cargo area.  

Duncan Gibson, GBGB Welfare and Integrity Manager, said:

“Thank you to all trainers who completed our air-con survey last month, which enabled us to get a fuller picture of the type of vehicles currently in use.  

“We all know how important it is to keep greyhounds within their thermo-neutral zone. While the majority of trainers already have an air-con system in place, by making this a requirement we can safeguard all greyhounds’ comfort and safety while travelling.  

“Although the new air-con requirement does not come into force until 2023, we were keen to get this new grant process underway so that trainers can begin planning and making any necessary changes to their vehicles. If you have any questions about the application process do not hesitate to get in touch.”  

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