OUR AIMS
The BGA is the only Professional Membership Grooms Association in the world. This is what we plan to do ...
Vision statement: “All Grooms being recognised as part of a respected and skilled profession, playing an essential role in the care and success of the horse in all its many activities.”
Mission statement: “The British Grooms Association exists to enhance, promote and support the careers, working conditions and reputation of grooms both as individuals and as part of a respected profession.”
Aims:
• To offer dedicated support and advice to grooms
• To increase groom’s skills recognition and job status
• Achieve modernisation of grooms’ working conditions
• Build a sense of community in the grooms’ population
• Stabilise the recruitment and retention issues in the equestrian workforce
Objectives for 2010 -
These are our plans for 2010. Some do depend on funding, but we will do our best to make all of the below happen...
AIM 1: TO OFFER DEDICATED SUPPORT AND ADVICE TO GROOMS
Objectives:
• Deliver 'Grooms SOS' via website and telephone hotline recording all enquiries.
• Make members more aware and confident that they can use this service via current member communication streams.
• Develop SOS section on website further to include letter templates for easy download eg. Resignation letter and sickness note
• Develop a 'Professional Section' on the BGA Website. To include a comprehensive guide to becoming a freelance groom, including templates for accounts,case studies top tips and contracts for their services. CV section which includes advice on how to write a CV and turn a horsey CV into one which can be used in any industry job application.
AIM 2: TO INCREASE GROOM’S SKILLS RECOGNITION AND JOB STATUS
Objectives:
• Promote the benefits of the Equine Skills CV for employers within their businesses via the BGA website and increased PR, including the use of case studies.
• Increase media surrounding grooms and their unique skill level.
• Build a portfolio of experienced BGA members and promote them to the media to increase the awareness and recognition.
AIM 3: ACHIEVE MODERNISATION OF GROOMS’ WORKING CONDITIONS
Objectives:
• Equestrian Employers Handbook (EEH)– launch and promote this excellent guide to how to employ staff. Linking with all BEF Members Bodies and others to achieve increased sales.
• Highlighting good employment practice – via BGA website and case studies – link these to the media surrounding the EEH. Monitor number of downloads of contract information from BGA website.
AIM 4: BUILD A SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN THE GROOM’S POPULATION
Objectives:
• Membership levels – increase membership from 750 to 1000 by end 2010.
• Continue to develop the Area Reps group.
• Strengthen links with BEF Member Bodies (especially- ABRS, BHS, BD, BE, BSJA) to build membership promotion and recruitment rates.
• Tackle attrition via increased DD take up and a devised stronger renewals process.
• Promotion of BGA – continue to advertise the BGA in Horse and Hound, but also increase the awareness of the Association in other equestrian media via a structured media campaign for the duration of 2010.
AIM 5: CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE STABILISATION OF THE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION ISSUES IN THE EQUESTRIAN WORKFORCE
Objectives:
• Research – with support from Lantra, conduct the first ever research project into grooms and equestrian employment trends.
• Other industry partnerships – Secure the issue of grooms and the recruitment and retention of the equestrian workforce built into the BEF’s Strategic Review. BGA is given responsibility for some of the actions of Aim 4 of the BHIC Horse Strategy.
• 2012 equestrian legacy – continue the developmental work with the HOOF Project, ensuring that the ‘working with horses and career as a groom’ options are built and promoted.