The Woodcock Club moves to the NGO

A new home for a historic club

The Woodcock Club is to change hands from Shooting Times to the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO), marking a new chapter for one of British shooting’s most distinguished institutions.

Originally established in 1949 as the Bols Snippen Club, named for its Dutch liqueur sponsor, the club had attracted more than 2,000 members by 1970. Shooting Times acquired it in 1983 and has run it ever since.

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The demanding membership test

Membership carries a single, demanding qualification: a right-and-left at woodcock before two witnesses, without lowering the gun between shots. Members receive the coveted club badge, featuring the woodcock’s four pin feathers.

In recent years the club has become a champion of woodcock conservation, raising thousands of pounds for GWCT research through its black-tie dinner and auction at venues including the Savile Club in Mayfair. Past auction lots have ranged from ferreting days to stalking, while guest speakers have included leading figures in game research and sporting art.

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A natural fit with the NGO

The NGO’s mission to support gamekeepers and conserve wild quarry makes it a natural home for the club. For membership enquiries, contact info@nationalgamekeepers.org.uk.