MP Bedford backs sport’s contribution

PETER BEDFORD is the latest member of parliament to back UK greyhound racing and what it provides for society, citing the industry’s contribution to employment, local economies and communities across the country.

Speaking on the latest episode of the GBGB Stories series produced by corporate affairs director Abbie MacGregor, the Conservative MP for Mid Leicestershire and current shadow minister for work and pensions said: “One of the things that many people don’t realise that greyhound racing provides is opportunities for young people.

“There are over a thousand young people between the ages of 16 and 25 that have used the industry to learn a skill, develop their careers and earn their own money.

“And that really matters because not everyone wants to have an academic career.”

Bedford, who attended this year’s Derby final at Towcester, added: “Many people are practical and they want on-the-job training where they can learn, earn, and build those transferable skills for careers for the future. And greyhound racing provides just that.

“From the kennels to veterinary care, hospitality, and the media, there are a range of skills and careers that many young people can enter following a grounding in the industry. And that’s a contribution we should be proud of.”

Commenting on the episode, MacGregor said: “Greyhound racing provides precisely the kind of opportunities politicians say they want to create: local jobs, practical training, routes into employment for young people and genuine career progression for women.

“We are extremely grateful to Peter Bedford for his political support and for recognising the contribution greyhound racing makes to employment and local communities. At a time when more than one million young people are outside employment, education or training, sports such as ours are clearly part of the solution.

“Those campaigning against greyhound racing too often speak as though a stadium could simply disappear without wider consequences. The people employed there become an afterthought, if indeed they are acknowledged at all.”

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