RELEASE: People Board secures funding for 2025 programme of activity

24 Apr 2025

• Racing Foundation and HBLB combined grant of over £759,000
• Funding to support new initiatives and ensure continuity for existing programmes
• New Programme Director appointed to oversee strategy implementation
• Investment in new roles to coordinate activity and project delivery

The Horseracing Industry People Board (HIPB) has secured funding from the Racing Foundation and Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) to support the implementation of its agreed programme of activity for 2025.

The funding approval follows the publication earlier this year of Our People, Racing’s Future – an industry-backed strategy to attract and retain a highly skilled and well supported workforce across British racing and breeding.

The Racing Foundation and HBLB have agreed funding grants of £489,929 and £269,438 respectively – a combined contribution of over £759,000 – to ensure the delivery of HIPB priority activities this year.

These grants will support several new initiatives and provide continuity funding for ongoing programmes of work, including:

• A substance misuse pilot – Building on the work of the Newmarket Substance Misuse Support Network to pilot drug and alcohol testing, education and support in training yards and studs. This work is being led by the National Trainers Federation, National Association of Racing Staff and Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association.
• Mentoring training and qualification pilot – Standardising and aligning existing programmes by introducing an industry-recognised standard for training and qualification in mentoring. Training will be rolled out as part of the Racing Staff Development Programme, with skill-sharing opportunities and peer-to-peer support.
• A workforce analysis and forecast – Developing a better understanding of the industry’s existing skills level, with an initial focus on training yards, to more accurately identify and predict development opportunities and industry recruitment priorities.
• Racing Home (continuity funding) – an ongoing project to improve the working lives of parents and carers, with a particular focus on encouraging and supporting women to work and remain working in the industry.
• JETS jockey coaching (continuity funding) – to support the enhanced training element of the jockey coaching programme while the HIPB works with the Jockeys Education & Training Scheme (JETS), British Racing School and the Racing Staff Development Programme to develop an aligned industry approach to coaching and training provision.

Alongside the specific initiatives, the funding will support additional roles in the HIPB programme team, based within the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), with new recruitment into key delivery positions and existing personnel retained to oversee the successful implementation of the three-year strategy.

The bolstered team will be led by newly appointed Programme Director Jon Pett, who will take up his role in early May. Jon has a strong background in sport, having worked in senior leadership and performance director roles at Pentathlon GB, British Cycling and Table Tennis England.

He will oversee the coordination and delivery of the activity identified in the workforce strategy as an immediate priority for 2025, including in the following areas, where work is already underway or soon to begin: 

• Expanding vocational training to equip new entrants into the industry with essential skills
• Reviewing and redesigning the trainer licence course
• Developing a rider development pathway
• Strengthening mental and physical wellbeing support services
• Creating and embedding clearer, more consistent employment standards
• Analysing and building data sets to inform ongoing decision-making.

The funding from the Racing Foundation and HBLB forms part of an overall £4.2 million contribution to wider people-related activity across British racing and breeding during 2025.

Julia Tyson, Chair of the Horseracing Industry People Board, said:

“We are very grateful to the Racing Foundation and Horserace Betting Levy Board for providing this vital funding to support the HIPB’s immediate programme of activity for 2025.

“This is a significant additional investment in racing’s people, which will allow us to deliver new activity and accelerate work already underway, with an immediate focus on supporting those in horse-facing roles.

“I am also delighted to welcome Jon Pett to the role of HIPB programme director. Jon is a highly experienced leader, with an impressive background in sport and a strong track record of workforce programme management and delivery.

“He will work closely with the industry people team within the BHA and industry stakeholders as we implement our strategy and start to make a positive and meaningful difference to the lives of racing’s workforce.”

Tansy Challis, Chief Executive at the Racing Foundation, said:

“The Racing Foundation is pleased to support the Horseracing Industry People Board (HIPB) and its partners with this collaborative grant of up to £489,929. This funding ensures continuity for vital programmes such as the Jockey Coaching Programme and Racing Home, while also piloting new initiatives in mentoring and substance misuse support.

“Supporting these programmes alongside key individuals responsible for delivering crucial elements of the HIPB strategy, in alignment with the British Horseracing Authority, Industry Programme Group and other industry funders, emphasises our commitment to the wellbeing, development and long-term sustainability of the racing workforce.”

Alan Delmonte, Chief Executive of the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB), said:

“The Horserace Betting Levy Board has awarded grants of up to £269,438 for 2025 to support the Horseracing Industry People Board (HIPB) staff costs and the ‘Workforce Analysis and Forecast Project’. The Board has supported the HIPB since its inception and has agreed further support during the implementation phase of the workforce strategy.”

Notes to editors:

1. Our People, Racing’s Future – A Workforce Strategy for the British horseracing Industry is available here, with a summary of the shorter-term priority activities set out on pages 48 – 51.

2. A summary version of Our People, Racing’s Future is available here.

3. The Horseracing Industry People Board’s Implementation Charter, which summarises the delivery plan for 2025, can be viewed here.

4. Jon Pett, HIPB Programme Director. With a strong background in sport, Jon joins the Industry People Programme having previously worked as Performance Director for Pentathlon GB, Head of Para-Cycling for British Cycling, and Head of Workforce Development and Performance Programmes at Table Tennis England. He is a Sport Committee Member at the British Paralympic Association and has previously held consultancy and committee roles with UK Sport, the European Cycling Union and as an Advisory Board Member for the Glasgow 2023 World Cycling Championships.

5. About the Horseracing Industry People Board (HIPB): The HIPB was created in May 2023 by the British Horseracing Authority, with support from the Horserace Betting Levy Board, the Racing Foundation, and reporting to the Industry Programme Group, to create a Workforce Strategy to coordinate and develop a long-term approach to our people. The Board is independently chaired and comprises a strong balance of knowledge, skills and subject-matter expertise from within and beyond the racing industry:

• Julia Tyson, Chair
• Daniel Kübler, Racehorse Trainer, Kübler Racing
• George McGrath, Chief Executive, National Association of Racing Staff (NARS)
• Helene Sharrock, Chief People Officer, The Jockey Club
• John Burgess, Interim Co-Director of Integrity and Regulation, British Horseracing Authority (BHA)
• Neil Robertson, Chief Executive, National Skills Academy for Rail
• Rob Hezel, CEO and consultant, sport and charity
• Tallulah Wilson, Head of International Partnerships, UK Tote Group
• Tom Scudamore, former professional Jump jockey

6. About the Racing Foundation: In 2012 the Racing Foundation was established to oversee the distribution of funds to charitable causes within the racing and thoroughbred industry following the sale of the Tote. Since inception it has awarded over £39million in grants. Equine welfare, racing’s people and ESG are the key areas of focus in its 2025 – 2027 strategy. The Trustees of the Racing Foundation are Julia Budd (Chair), Linda Bowles (SID), Jim Boyle, Louise Kemble, Alice Page, Rishi Persad and Algy Smith-Maxwell. The British Horseracing Authority, the Thoroughbred Group and Racecourse Association are the three joint Members of the Racing Foundation, which is registered with the Charity Commission as a charity under the law of England and Wales (no. 1145297).   www.racingfoundation.co.uk  @RacingGrants

6. About the Horserace Betting Levy Board: The Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) is a statutory body operating in accordance with the provisions of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 (as amended). Its purpose is to assess and collect monetary contributions from bookmakers via a levy, which it distributes for the improvement of horseracing and breeds of horses, and for the advancement of veterinary science and education.