The Countryside Alliance has launched a Good News initiative designed to broadcast the positive effects of shooting to the wider public, via social media.
The Countryside Alliance commented: “Shooting gets people out into the countryside, making new friends, contributing to the economy and doing some fantastic conservation work. But we also know that the vast majority of this activity goes on unseen, and despite all the evidence we believe many of the general public remain sceptical that it goes on at all.”
No matter how big or small the story, the Countryside Alliance will be actively promoting it to as wide an audience as possible. It could be a tree-planting party, a conservation success story, a child going shooting for the first time, or a beater who has given 30 years of dedicated service; if it’s positive news, the Countryside Alliance wants to hear about it.
The first stage of the plan starts with a Twitter feed: @CA_shooting. From this platform the Countryside Alliance will be posting any positive shooting news and highlighting all the positive impacts shooting has on the rural community.
This will be followed by an open blog that allows any members of the shooting community – gamekeepers, beaters, shooters, gundog trainers – to post about the work they are doing and the good things happening in their area.
The final stage of the plan is to host shoot walks, allowing the general public to see for themselves the positive impacts of shooting on the countryside.
Head of Shooting Campaigns at the Countryside Alliance, Liam Stokes said: “Those of us who go shooting know about all the great stuff we do for wildlife and for our communities, and there is some solid evidence out there to back us up. What we have to remember, however, is that for many of the public shooting is an emotional issue, and while showing them facts and statistics is useful, what we need to do now is show them the people who shoot and the actual results on the ground. Shooters of the UK will celebrate everything the shooting community does and help the general public to see and understand the benefits we bring to the countryside.”