Six sensory bags for children branded in the colours of each jacket used in greyhound racing have been introduced at Newcastle and Sunderland Stadiums, thanks to a thoughtful owner.
Craig Armstrong of Slingshot Greyhounds – which owns rising stars Slingshot Poppy and Slingshot Gazza – donated 12 inclusion packs for both tracks to offer to parents of children on race days.
The packs include headphones and a selection of sensory toys which help children to calm feelings of overstimulation in a busy environment. Parents and carers can use the packs and their contents free of charge by collecting and dropping them off at the entrance point to both stadiums.
It comes after research found one in six children has a sensory issue, which makes it hard to learn and function when overstimulated.
Making greyhound racing appeal to everyone is a key priority for Craig, who started owning greyhounds in 2023 when teaming up with retired footballer turned trainer Brian Fairbairn.
“For greyhound racing to grow, it is imperative the sport appeals to people of all backgrounds and ages,” said Craig.
“It was with great pleasure to present Newcastle and Sunderland Stadiums with six sensory bags for children who might be experiencing our sport for the very first time this Christmas.
“A quality and memorable first experience counts for everything, which is the theory behind our inclusion packs.
“Not all children will be comfortable with the buzz and energy that is generated trackside before, during and after a race, or at any sports stadia when competition is taking place for that matter.
“We’re in greyhound racing for the long haul and want to see it flourish, initiatives of this kind will only help achieve that.”
The donation comes ahead of the £20,000 Premier Greyhound Racing All England Cup at Newcastle which begins on December 11 and climaxes with a sparkling finals night on Saturday, December 27.
Sunderland meanwhile is hosting racing every Friday night and Sunday daytime during December, excluding Boxing Day.
Joanne Wilson, Regional General Manager at Arena Racing Company, added: “Craig is greyhound racing through and through, and we thank him for this donation.
“The inclusion packs have already been a hit with our junior kennel hands and are available at the turnstiles for parents to use with their little ones at all of our fixtures.
“Christmas is a particularly busy time for the teams at Newcastle and Sunderland, so this gesture couldn’t be more timely.”
A full list of fixtures during the festive period at both Newcastle and Sunderland Stadiums is available via each track’s respective website.
