BASC gives city children a taste of the countryside

BASC has helped give hundreds of city children a taste of the countryside.

BASC representatives spoke to children and teachers at a farm run by the charity Farms for City Children about wildlife management and the role of the gamekeeper.

BASC has given more than 200 young visitors to Wick Court, near Frampton in Gloucestershire, an introduction to game management and explained the importance and benefits of trapping certain pest species.

BASC South West officer Sam Walker said: “The children had little or no knowledge of shooting sports. To get the opportunity to show those from a non-shooting background what we do, explain why we do it and describe the benefits associated is so important and very rewarding. The children ask the most fantastic questions and really take onboard everything they hear. Hopefully they will take away some of the information and remember it later on in life.”

Wick Court offers children from urban areas across the country an opportunity to live and work together for a week at a time on a farm in the heart of the countryside.

One of the main aims of Farms for City Children is to teach children about farming, the countryside and food production.

Heather Tarplee, the Farm School Manager at Wick Court, said: “The children have all really enjoyed their “Gamekeeper Walk”, looking for signs left by the wildlife around the farm, learning about pest management and control, and even learning how to pluck pheasants for the table.  The experience has added an extra dimension to their experience of rural life during their visit here.”