Visit from Greyhounds Rescue Belgium

GIN welcomed three officers of Greyhounds Rescue Belgium to Wraysbury on Friday 6th February. They were Josephine, the GRB Chairman, Marc, who is responsible for GRB's accounting and legal matters and Marie-Jane, who is in charge of GRB's membership and administration. The GIN side was headed by Terry, with Carolyn and Geoffrey in support. GRB is an extremely efficient homing group, working for Irish greyhounds as well as galgos and is GIN's biggest homefinder as it finds homes for more of GIN's galgos than any other European homing group. The GRB team had flown over especially for the meeting, with a long list of points to work through.

The main drivers for the meeting were the strength of the Euro, which has increased GIN's costs in Spain by over 30%, difficulties in transporting galgos from Spain to Belgium and the UK and the general economic climate, which both groups feared might depress income and make people less able to offer a home to a galgo.

In spite of the gloomy economic background, the meeting was very positive as new ways to work together and help each other were found. Both GRB and GIN believe they are financially strong enough to see through the downturn in 2009 and by cooperating expect to keep up the number of galgos homed in Belgium. All present felt the meeting well worthwhile and that it had cemented the excellent relationship between the two Charities.