Highland MSP celebrates young shots’ success at Moy
Highlands and Islands MSP, Edward Mountain, presented prizes to young shots at Moy Country Fair, as part of an initiative to encourage more Highland youngsters to participate in country sports.
BASC clay shooting line is a smash hit at Essex international jamboree
Thousands of children grabbed the opportunity to try clay pigeon shooting at a flagship Guide and Scout event in the south of England last week.
BASC’s shooting line proved an immensely popular feature for the thousands of scouts and guides attending the Essex International Jamboree last week. Our team of BASC-accredited shotgun coaches delivered lessons to 10-18 year olds, totalling 555 sessions the first day, 725 the next and 1,005 on the third, with numbers continuing to increase as the week progressed.
The week-long jamboree is the biggest joint event for people in guiding and scouting in Europe this year, held every four years at a 120-acre green-field site at Boyton Cross near Chelmsford, Essex. This year it attracted 8,000 people from across the UK and more than 40 different countries. This included 2,000 leaders and volunteers to make sure everything went smoothly.
BASC head of training and education Dr Peter Marshall, who was at the event to organise the shooting, said: “It’s been a tremendous success and great fun for everyone. The kids have really enjoyed it – and so have the coaches. It’s great to see so many young people having a go at shooting sports, gaining confidence and hitting their first clays. It’s also one of the few jamboree activities where disabled youngsters can take part on equal terms.
“The main reason we are here is to engage with a completely different audience to our usual one. Scouts and guides are not necessarily young people familiar with shooting, but they are keen on outdoor activities. To be able to give them a taste of shooting in a safe, controlled and enjoyable environment is very rewarding for everyone involved. Whenever we have run a shooting line at events such as this, it has always been the one of the most popular activities with the children.
“Many of these confident, aspirational young people will grow up to be the leaders and decision makers of the future in politics, industry and commerce, and we hope they will carry a positive experience of shooting forward with them. We will continue to work with the scout and guide organisations as much as we can. We have secured funding from the BASC Legacy Fund to train up to 10 leaders to become shotgun coaches in their own right.”
Among the young people who queued at the coaching line was Jenson Bottomley from Colchester, who was celebrating his 14th birthday. He said: “It’s been great, I’ve had a really fun day. I’ve been round twice and will probably go a third time. Last time I got five hits out of five, including a pair. I was really pleased with that. I reckon I might take up shooting more seriously.”
Another shooting star in the making was Alastair Schoenherr, 14, from Islington, North London, who scored four out of five on his first ever time with a shotgun. He said: “I wanted to try shooting because it looked really good fun. And it was amazing, it was so cool shooting the clay pigeons out of the sky.”
Emily Sexton-Toft, 15, and her friend Joss Chambers-Coe, 16, from South Essex, also really enjoyed the shooting. Emily said: “I had shot once before, at a guide camp when I was 11, but this was a new experience. I think I’d like to do it as an instructor one day.”
Abbie Schoorl, aged 10 was visibly delighted at her first shooting experience through help of her coach, Mike Pettitt. A member of the Basildon District Guides, Abbie, who has Down’s syndrome, was at the jamboree with dad Gareth. He said: “She really loved it. Now she just wants to do shooting!”
BASC shotgun coach Graham Bucktrout said: “It’s been non-stop, hard work but really good fun and really rewarding. The kids have been super keen, full of beans and there’s been lots of good shooting. Most have broken a few clays and gone away with massive smiles on their faces.”
Girl guiding unit helper Bernie Jones worked with the BASC team, helping deliver safety briefings and eye dominance checks. He said: “It’s been really good. The kids have all been so excited, telling their friends about the shooting and many coming back for more goes. It’s something different that is not only good fun but teaches them useful things like safety awareness, manual dexterity and hand-eye co-ordination. A lot of them are keen to come back at the end of the day to help pick up the fallen clays from the range. We’ll certainly be looking to invite the BASC coaching line back next time.”
Maxine Jones, marketing and media director of Essex International Jamboree said “It’s been great to have BASC onsite to give the young people an opportunity to try clay pigeon shooting. The aim of our event is to offer young people the chance to engage in new activities, develop new skills and give them an unforgettable experience.”
Last year, BASC’s outreach activities saw our teams educating more than 45,000 children and young people about shooting and conservation in 2023. Find out more about our work in this field here.
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