Redressing the balance
Over the summer BASC Ladies Shooting was rebranded to BASC Women in Shooting to modernise our language and align shooting with other sports.
Get information on the legal shooting season for mammals and birds in the UK.
Learn about our current conservation projects and how you can get involved.
Comprehensive information and advice from our specialist firearms team.
Everything you need to know about shotgun, rifle and airgun ammunition.
Find our up-to-date information, advice and links to government resources.
Everything you need to know on firearms law and licensing.
All the latest news and advice on general licences and how they affect you.
Victoria Chesters-Sutcliffe reflects on a two days packed with field sports at the BASC Ultimate Women’s Event, which took place in Bedfordshire.
Contrary to recent weather conditions, the 5-6 October granted a little miracle, bathing Childerley Sporting in Bedfordshire in glorious sunshine of the two days. It was the perfect tone-setter for the inaugural Ultimate Women’s Event.
The Ultimate Women’s Event did exactly what is said on the tin. Fourteen women spent two days in the field learning new skills, practicing existing ones and sharing knowledge with each other. All this in an environment which fostered friendships and encouraged questions.
BASC staff, alongside Paul Childerley and his team, were on hand across both days to provide the best possible education and tuition, with the highest level of safety at all points.
Although one of the requirements for all attendees was to hold a shotgun certificate, everyone’s experience varied greatly, which only added to the positive atmosphere.
In a super-quick 48 hours, we shot four simulated drives, spent time on the range shooting both rim-fire and centre-fire rifles, took part in a simulated deer stalking exercise, learned larder skills, watched a butchery and cooking demonstration around firepits, and tried some amazing game dishes. Oh, and then there was a 150 driven day!Â
Everyone attending was strong in an area, but those areas were different for everyone. Whether it was giving Paul Childerley a run for his money when it came to butchery, working a team of gundogs in the field, or being a qualified shotgun instructor, the range of skillsets was diverse. This made for a lot of discussion and freedom to ask questions, and the conversations that took place fostered a sense of community.
A standout point was just how engaged everyone was, and that those there seemed to be visibly enjoying themselves at all points with smiles everywhere!Â
From conquering apprehension about shooting a rifle, seeing your neighbour shoot their first bird, or mastering getting up on sticks – there were plenty of moments to savour for everyone involved.Â
The event was branded as ‘ultimate’ and it was just that. It was filled with women who embraced every challenge and stepped out of their comfort zones. They supported each other, didn’t judge, learnt lots of new things, helped each other and had a great time in the process.
Lois Pettitt, BASC regional operations coordinator and a key figure in bringing the event together, echoed my thoughts, saying: “This initiative really highlights the value of BASC Women in Shooting events. The last two days have helped the women here to enhance their existing skills and knowledge, allowing them to continue their shooting journey with confidence. It was a great thing to be part of and the atmosphere has been so positive and supportive.”
But… these qualities are not unique to BASC events. Shoots and people involved in field sports across the country embody this mantra because to survive we must grow and encourage others to take part – we all know they’ll love it.
If you would like to learn or experience something new, BASC runs a suite of courses and events. Find out more here.
You can also find out more about BASC Women in Shooting by visiting our dedicated pages here.Â
Â
Over the summer BASC Ladies Shooting was rebranded to BASC Women in Shooting to modernise our language and align shooting with other sports.
BASC member Jim Old took the Game Shooter Certificate course – read his account of how he got on over two enjoyable and informative days.
BASC is one of nine leading rural organisations which have joined the new Aim to Sustain partnership.
Sign up to our weekly newsletter and get all the latest updates straight to your inbox.
© 2024 British Association for Shooting and Conservation. Registered Office: Marford Mill, Rossett, Wrexham, LL12 0HL – Registered Society No: 28488R. BASC is a trading name of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under firm reference number 311937.
If you have any questions or complaints about your BASC membership insurance cover, please email us. More information about resolving complaints can be found on the FCA website or on the EU ODR platform.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.
Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.
Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!
More information about our Cookie Policy