EDUCATION is VITAL

Julien R. Carey (Letters, 7 June) may have a point but in fairness he might also not be aware that one part of the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO) has, for the past 18 to 19 years, been quietly doing just what he suggests. For all those years, the NGO Educational Trust has been present with interesting and interactive displays at a mixture of schools’ educational days and days for the public such as village shows. At none of them would you say that the people attending are “onside”, for want of a better expression.

We have spoken to thousands of adults and children about the countryside and the part that gamekeepers play for its benefit. Most people take our message on board and come to understand the benefits that gamekeepers and country sports play in conservation. We also stream quality educational resources for teachers directly into the education sector. These are available free to download at www.gamekeeperstrust.org.uk.

The more people who make the effort to contact and speak to anyone who may not understand our way of life the better. The one thing that the sporting world is really good at is talking to itself, which is not always the best for the future of our sport and way of life.

To paraphrase a well-known quote: “Ask not what your flagship organisations can do for you, ask what you can do for your flagship organisations”.

B. Hayes, ngo educational trust