Gamekeepers’ organisation joins British Shooting Sports Council

The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO) has been elected a member of the British Shooting Sports Council (BSSC), giving working keepers a formal seat at the umbrella body that represents shooting’s associations to Government. The council announced the election on its website this week. For the organisation that speaks for the UK’s professional gamekeepers, membership means the profession’s case on firearms licensing, medical checks and the laws that govern a keeper’s daily work is now made in the room, rather than relayed through others.

What did the council say?

“We are very pleased to welcome the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation as a member of the British Shooting Sports Council,” said Jeremy Hinde, the council’s secretary. “Professional gamekeepers are at the heart of sustainable land management and conservation across the United Kingdom, and the NGO provides an essential voice for those working on the ground every day.”

“At a time when shooting sports and countryside management face increasing political and regulatory scrutiny, it is more important than ever that organisations work together constructively and with a shared purpose,” he added.

Who sits on the council?

The BSSC is the sport’s umbrella body on firearms law and licensing, with a membership taking in BASC, the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association, the Countryside Alliance, the Gun Trade Association, the National Rifle Association, the National Small-bore Rifle Association and nine further associations spanning the disciplines and the trade. Its president is Lord Brady of Altrincham and its chairman is Mark Garnier OBE MP.

Why does membership matter for keepers?

Livia Brynin, speaking for the NGO, said the organisation “welcomes the opportunity to work alongside the British Shooting Sports Council and its member organisations. By working collaboratively, we can better represent the interests of gamekeepers, shoot providers, and the wider rural community while continuing to promote best practice, conservation, and responsible shooting.”

The election lands at a telling moment: the Home Office has promised a consultation on shotgun licensing, the Government’s gamebird review closed on 1 November, and the council is the table where the sector agrees its common lines before meeting ministers and officials. Every keeper holds certificates, runs cabinets and lives with the licensing system day to day, so the profession has as much at stake in the council’s work as any discipline it represents.

What happens next

The NGO takes its place alongside the council’s existing member bodies with immediate effect, and keepers’ interests will now be represented directly in the BSSC’s work on firearms licensing and the legislation that touches the profession.