Frequently Asked Questions
Supported and funded by
The research is being supported by a partnership of 24 shooting, conservation and countryside management organisations, including BASC as lead partner. These organisations have formed a project steering group to guide the research. Some of these organisations are partners who are supporting the research financially. These are:
Game Farmers’ Association
British Shooting Sports Council
GunsOnPegs
The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation
The Moorland Association
Scottish Land & Estates
United Kingdom Practical Shooting Association
British Association for Shooting and Conservation
Countryside Alliance
Country Land and Business Association
British Game Assurance
Scottish Country Sports Tourism Group
The Gun Trade Association
Other organisations are supporting the research in different ways, for example by sharing the survey with their members, or sitting on the project steering group to guide the delivery of the research. These supporting organisations are:
About the research
The project has seven primary objectives:
1. Gather data to produce estimates of the scale, nature and impacts of shooting in the UK, across all types of shooting activity – from live quarry disciplines such as rough shooting, pest control, driven game, deer stalking and wildfowling, to target shooting disciplines such as clay shooting, small/full-bore rifle shooting and airgun field target.
2. Using recognised and robust methods, assess the economic contribution to the UK in quantitative terms, including tourism and downstream/supply chain impacts (e.g. cartridges, gundogs, accommodation).
3. Evaluate the environmental contribution to the UK in quantitative terms, to cover conservation work, habitat management and wider environmental contributions like pest and predator control.
4. Assess the social contribution to the UK in quantitative terms, to cover mental wellbeing, physical activity, social relationships, community benefits, local business, conservation motivations, skills/apprenticeships, and education.
5. Assess the distribution and value of game meat in economic and supply chain terms – from how game enters the food chain to types of game meat and its economic and business value.
6. Produce data that can be used to compare changes in key statistics over time (where the methodology allows).
7. Produce objective, robust evidence that can withstand public scrutiny.
Underneath these objectives sit other more detailed requirements and topics of study, such as shoot practices and land use.
The research is being undertaken by a consortium led by Cognisense.
The project team have between them extensive experience in running complex research projects. Together the team will deliver robust, reliable, and objective research.
The research team was appointed following a national and impartial tender process. The process was overseen by the project steering group, which is made up of representatives from all the partner and supporter organisations. The steering group appointed a smaller sub-group of representatives to engage in the tender process and act as a selection panel. The tender process was initiated in 2020, with interviews in early 2021. The process was run with fairness and equality in mind, and applicants were assessed using structured and transparent scoring systems. Cognisense received an incredibly high score at both the application and interview stage of the process and was subsequently awarded the contract. Throughout the tender process, the panel tested the ability of the applicants to deliver a robust and objective piece of research, and was impressed with the winning contractor’s professional, impartial and rigorous approach.
Taking part in the research
This is an important piece of research that aims to deliver independent and robust facts and figures that underpin the importance of shooting, updating and expanding on a previous report produced by PACEC and published in 2014. Click here to see that research.
This piece of research will help us build a picture of the economic, environmental and social value of shooting in the UK. The report published in 2014 proved indispensable to showcasing and defending shooting’s worth and it is now time to revisit and update this research.
The Value of Shooting survey is now closed.
The survey link was widely promoted by the partner and supporter organisations on webpages, social media and in the shooting press. All members of partner and supporter organisations were also invited to take part via email.
It is important that the project identifies and reports facts about the very large numbers of people, from all backgrounds and circumstances, that take part in some form of shooting. You will not be asked for your name or address. You will be asked for your gender, age, county, occupation, and approximate income. This information will be used by the researchers to explore demographic trends in the data to better understand the average national characteristics of shooters. Complete anonymity is guaranteed at all times. All data will be treated in the strictest confidence and analysed on an aggregated basis only.
Unfortunately not. We can’t collect information from under 16s through the survey due to best practice rules surrounding the collection of survey data from minors.
The survey closed on 30th September 2022.
The results will be made available in summer 2023.