ABOUT THE TRUSTThe Australian Trainers’ Trust (‘The Trust’) was launched in September 2015.
The drive to establish this Trust was twofold. Firstly, the ATA recognized only too well, and often first hand, the toll this profession could take on trainers. Serious illness and injury was a common experience, with the outcome for many stress, anxiety, family breakdown and financial hardship, or worse, a permanent disability from injury or a lingering illness like depression. Secondly, there did not exist a single, nationwide industry sponsored fund with the ability to assist Trainers financially, where there was a pressing need to do so.
Against this backdrop, the ATA set about gathering support from a number of bodies, for the express purpose of establishing a Trust. After much lobbying, the Victorian State Government together with Racing Victoria stepped forward and bought into the ATA’s vision, with each offering a grant to allow the Trust to be established.
In terms of operation of the Trust;
- The Trust will provide those deemed most needy amongst the ranks of the trainers with a medium whereby they can source financial support where they meet the “prescribed criteria”
- The “prescribed criteria” for those making an application is:
- A trainer has suffered serious injury, a serious illness, or death
- This in turn, creates a situation where the trainer and/or his immediate family incur serious, financial hardship. Where this hardship exists, it will be deemed to be “necessitous financial circumstances”.