The Countryside Alliance is at your service. With 105,000 members and a further 250,000 supporters, it is one of the best known campaigning organisations in Britain today. The Alliance won Political Personality of the Decade at the prestigious Channel 4 News Political Awards. With this high profile comes extra clout which truly helps when it comes to promoting and protecting your shooting rights.
Specialist teams
Political
The Alliance has a vastly experienced political team which has exceptional contacts in Parliament and across all levels of government. Legislation is scrutinised and politicians are lobbied by dedicated experts specialising in a wide range of rural issues. The Alliance works in the UK and abroad on a continuing stream of issues that threatens shooting in different ways such as cost sharing, game rearing restrictions, coastal access, animal by-product orders and lead shot.
Media
Since its inception in 1997, the Countryside Alliance has built up an unrivalled reputation in the national and regional media as an effective rural campaigning organisation. Through the daily work of the media team, it is these contacts that have established the Alliance as a market-leader. The Alliance regularly takes part in a wide range of TV and radio interviews on shooting matters as well as providing regular comments and articles for the wider print and online media.
Campaigns
Working with the media, political and regional sections, the campaigns and policy team is charged with achieving the stated aims of the Alliance as approved by the Board. The Deputy Chief Executive and director of our political, media and campaigns team is Robert Gray, former editor of both Shooting Times and Shooting Gazette.
Regions
The media, political and campaign teams are supported by a network of experienced regional staff. Regional directors in England and Wales work closely with a web of volunteers to ensure that the Alliance’s voice is heard at every level whilst Scotland and Ireland have their own dedicated national teams.
Technical support – shooting
Members can receive expert advice on a wide range of shooting and firearms matters by phone or email. There is also a free legal advice line. The Alliance has produced a suite of essential information for shooters, including risk assessment guides, gun safety leaflets and Shooting Club Directories. We also play a major role in the continual revision and improvement of the Code of Good Shooting Practice in conjunction with other shooting organisations.
Why our campaign for shooting is unique
Promoting shooting on your behalf
The Countryside Alliance’s unique selling point is that our campaign is centred on changing public attitudes towards shooting. This is based on groundbreaking research into public opinion. No-one else has done this.
Focus groups, polling and extensive interviews revealed why the public would support shooting. Here are three reasons why.
• Game is eaten
• Tens of thousands of jobs at stake in key rural sector
• If it is accessible to all, not just ‘toffs and royalty’.
Our work has identified six different types of people, from ‘strong supporters’ to the ‘untouchables’. We plan our campaigning activity safe in the knowledge that we are striking a chord with the public. It is targeted for maximum effect and therefore we do not waste our members’ money. All donations for shooting are invested back into the campaign.
Protecting shooting on your behalf
The Countryside Alliance also acknowledges that shooting does not face an outright ban – yet. However, we strongly believe that your lawful rights to shoot are being eroded. This is wrong and we want to work harder to help you continue to enjoy shooting. So, our work is for you and your friends but it is also for the next generation, the children and grandchildren who may never get the chance to enjoy what we have experienced if we are complacent.
Only recently, 10% of MPs in the House of Commons recently signed up to a proposal to ban driven game shooting. There are regular threats to shooting whether through restrictions on the guns we use, the ammunition we fire, the birds we rear, the land we use or our very presence in the countryside we love.
Many animal rights groups continue to campaign daily against shooting, whether on the street, through your local newspaper or in parliament. They are well funded and determined. The same has to apply to the Countryside Alliance. For us to campaign with the same or better intensity, we need your support. Click here to join the Alliance and defend shooting.
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