Kevin McKenna, MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, paid a visit to Central Park Greyhound Stadium in his constituency last weekend to experience an exciting evening of licensed greyhound racing, which included the semi-finals of the Arc Silver Salver, a Category One competition.
During the visit, Mr McKenna spoke with track staff, the track veterinarian, GBGB Stipendiary Stewards and local punters who all explained the transformative impact which robust regulation has had on the sport. He was also shown around the racecourse’s facilities to see first hand the measures in place to protect greyhound welfare – from the veterinary facilities to the kennelling area.
Peter Broadbridge, who represented GBGB at the visit, said:
“It was fantastic to meet Kevin McKenna at Central Park Greyhound Stadium last weekend and show him the high standards of welfare and care which we have in place for our greyhounds. It was clear that he appreciates the importance of the stadium to the local community, both in terms of the employment opportunities and entertainment it provides.
“All of us within the industry know that sustainable, statutory funding would allow us to drive up our standards even further, and we are grateful for Kevin’s support as we strive to secure a statutory levy.”
Mr McKenna’s visit to Central Park was part of Keep Welfare On Track’s ongoing engagement with parliamentarians to encourage them to support a statutory levy on greyhound racing. To support this work, you can get in touch with your local MP directly using our Email Your MP guidance.
Likewise, if you have not already, you can sign the petition to encourage the Government to consider introducing a statutory levy.
