BEF Council Members backs ‘Good Employment’ initiative

Thursday 15 November 2018

BEF Council Members backs ‘Good Employment’ initiative

Members of the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) Council have today backed an initiative created by the British Grooms Association and the Equestrian Employers Association to support those who are working in the equestrian industry.

The Memorandum of Agreement aims to deliver a shared vision for the equestrian industry through safeguarding those who work within the sector, promoting the values of dignity and respect.  

Malcolm Wharton, Chair of the BEF Council says; “The British Grooms Association and the Equestrian Employers Association have been making great progress in the work they have done around education and support, to grooms and employers, but it was important to ensure the whole federation was involved to make a collective step-change. We will be working collaboratively to support this initiative by promoting good employment practice and embracing equality and diversity to ensure the equestrian industry is a good place to work.”

Lucy Katan, Executive Director of the British Grooms Association adds; “This initiative marks a significant moment in time, where the phrase ‘that’s what happens in the horse world’ is abolished. The revolution is here; together we can make this a positive transformation for equestrian businesses, the workforce and the horses in their care.

In October 2017 the BGA revealed in their Grooms Minds survey that 81% of respondents were not happy in their workplace, with 76% citing that they had been bullied, or received derogatory comments whilst at work. A subsequent survey from the BGA indicated that there was a high number of grooms leaving or considering leaving the equestrian industry.

Members of the BEF Council will commit to adopt principles of the initiative which include; respect, integrity, fairness and equality.  

This announcement marks the start of the inaugural Good Employment Week which runs from 15 – 22 November 2018.

For more information and tools, for both grooms and employers, visit the Equestrian Employes Association Website.

 

The British Equestrian Federation

The British Equestrian Federation (BEF) is the National Governing Body for horse sports in the UK. The BEF represents the interests of 2.7million riders, drivers and vaulters in Great Britain via its 19 independent member bodies.

BEF Council

The BEF Council is made up of representatives of the BEF’s 19 independent Member Bodies, 15 members and four associate members. It is chaired by an elected chair who need not be an appointed representative of a member, and shall not be the board chair or commercial director of a member.

For more information on the Council click here.

British Grooms Association (BGA) and Equestrian Employers Association (EEA)

The British Grooms Association is the professional association for people that work with horses. They provide support, advice and education to those working in the equestrian industry. The Equestrian Employers Association is the organisation that supports employers in the equestrian industry.

For BGA/EEA media enquiries, please contact Liz Daniels - liz.daniels@britishgrooms.org.uk

Grooms Minds

The BGA Grooms Mind project was launched in 2017 on World Mental Health Day and was created with the aim of identifying the specific issues associated with mental health within the industry. As part of the project, the BGA set up a survey to discover whether there were any issues affecting people working in the equestrian industry. 

 
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