ABOUT
The National Gamekeepers' Organisation Educational Trust was established in 1999 and is a UK Registered Charity, number 1076923.
As the name suggests, its founding body was the National Gamekeepers' Organisation (NGO). But the NGO Educational Trust is an independent charity, with separate Trustees who are bound by the Charity Commission to conduct their work in a balanced and factual manner.
Forty-nine out of fifty people say they have never met a gamekeeper. Public knowledge of gamekeeping is very low and entirely dependent on what is reported by the media. We want to present the true facts about the profession. We particularly want the young to know what gamekeepers do.
Our Aims
Our aims are published with the Charity Commission and are as follows:
To educate the public, particularly schoolchildren and their teachers, in matters to do with:
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the wise and sustainable use of natural resources
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the observation of wildlife and biodiversity
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the protection, improvement and restoration of wildlife habitats
Furthermore we aim to improve their understanding and appreciation of the role that Gamekeepers play in countryside management.
What We Do
The NGO Educational Trust is involved in a wide variety of activities, including:
EVENTS
We deliver learning experiences for schools and young people. From looking at food chains to exploring the importance of the Countryside Code, we have immersive activities which support the National Curriculum and enable youngsters to learn about our countryside.
We can provide display material, activities and knowledgeable Education Officers (often gamekeepers) to engage visitors of all ages at country shows and community events..
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
An important part of the work we do is to produce classroom resources which support the National Curriculum. We worked with a team of independent consultants to develop resources with English and Welsh schools in mind.
Try our Key Stage Navigator here.
We also host many other off-curriculum materials from a range of sources. Our on-curriculum materials, including guided presentations, worksheets and lesson plans are also available through the Times Educational Supplement website.
ADVISING GAMEKEEPERS, LAND MANAGERS & TEACHERS
If you’re a land manager or gamekeeper keen to offer a learning experience for schools or colleges, drop us a line. We’re happy to provide guidance and advice on how to plan and deliver safe, age-appropriate activities that engage, educate and meet the needs of your local learning organisations.
If you’re a teacher or tutor looking to use the countryside as a classroom, we can help you develop safe, engaging, curriculum-linked activity.
Meet The Team
We are very proud of the people who deliver amazing work for the NGO Educational Trust. Our Trustees and Education Officers have our aims heart and work hard to increase understanding and appreciation of wildlife habitats and the people who provide them.
Our Trustees
Tony Rolfe – Chair of Trustees, Gamekeeper
Richard Bailey – Vice Chair of Trustees, Gamekeeper & Peak District Moorland Group Co-ordinator
Geoff Garrod - Head Keeper at Audley End Estate
Matt Goodall – Head of Education, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust
Anna Hare – Education Officer, Countryside Learning
Gary Richardson – Chief Executive, Countryside Learning
Ruth Kerr is our Administrator, providing administrative and education support and co-ordinating our work.
Education Officers
Our Education Officers are people across England and Wales who help us deliver our aims with the public. They engage with school pupils, youth groups, community organisations and the general public at a range of events across the country from Estate Days for schools to country shows.
Some of our Education Officers deliver work regularly for us, some once or twice a year. We provide resources, risk assessments and support, whatever the event. If you would like to talk about being involved in this valuable work, or about delivering an activity at your shoot/estate with our support, contact us via our contact form.
To talk to us about attending your event, please contact us via our contact form.
SIR JACKIE STEWART, O.B.E
I was very proud to be invited to be a Patron of The National Gamekeepers' Organisation Educational Trust.
I have had a strong and long association with gamekeepers, ghillies and stalkers that I considered to be one of the most important ingredients in my life. I am the grandson of a gamekeeper who was Head Gamekeeper for the late Viscount Weir, whose land for shooting was near Eaglesham in Scotland. My Father brought me up to shoot and fish and much of my early days were spent "under the wing" of my Grandfather. One of life's true gentlemen, with wonderful dignity, presence and yet firmness that gamekeepers can have, so that is why the family did not have any land.
My early shooting was created through my Father having a clay pigeon trap that we used in the field at the back of our house. This only began when I was 14 years of age, but my passion for shooting developed quickly and I won my first trophy that same year. From then on there was no looking back. I was driven around Scotland going to clay pigeon shoots from the Borders to the North, whether it was the Western Highlands or on the East coast.
I was to go on and shoot for Scotland, where a large proportion of the team was made up of gamekeepers, all with a good eye and great company to be with. Impressive years for a young boy growing up. Iwent down to England and Wales a great deal for shooting before I was old enough to drive a car. I stayed on shooting competitively until I was 23 years of age by then, shooting for Britain as well as Scotland. They were the most important learning years of my life in many ways, mixing with some of the best people that you could find.
I have never lost the enjoyment and appreciation of what role gamekeepers play in rural Britain. The. country would be a poorer place without them and the job they do is enormously important for the environment. Some of the wisest people I have met during my life have been gamekeepers, so I am very proud of my family stock and to this day have never stopped learning from keepers and getting an immense of pleasure from being in their company. That is why I am extremely proud to support The National Gamekeepers' Organisation Educational Trust as a patron.
Our Patrons
THEIR GRACES THE DUKE & DUCHESS OF BUCCLEUCH & QUEENSBERRY
Richard, 10th Duke of Buccleuch and 12th Duke of Queensberry, KBE,FRSE,DL succeeded his father to the Dukedoms in September 2007.
Born in 1954, educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, he is married to a fellow Borderer, Lady Elizabeth Kerr.
They have 4 children, Louisa, Walter, Charles, and Amabel.
The Duke took over as Chairman of the Buccleuch Group of companies from his father, but he has been deeply involved in management of the historic family estate businesses, heritage properties and art collections from an early age.
Caring for the irreplaceable Buccleuch countryside and its rich history is a labour of love for the Buccleuch family and Group. In a legacy passed down through generations, the Duke sees himself as a steward of the magnificent estates; a protector of times past and present; a guardian for the future.
Our Friends
Here at the NGO Educational Trust we are blessed with a number of like minded organisations that are committed to raising the awareness of countryside issues not only with the public, but more importantly with the youth of today.
We are very grateful to our friends for their support for the work we do as an Educational Trust and also for the contribution they make to our Educational Hub, providing educational material to inform and motivate people to care about how our countryside is managed.
Organisation | Description |
|---|---|
National Gamekeepers' Organisation | Parent body representing Gamekeepers |
The Gamekeepers Welfare Trust | The Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust is dedicated to helping gamekeepers, stalkers, ghillies & their family members through a range of circumstances. |
Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust | The leading UK charity conducting scientific research to enhance the British countryside for public benefit. |
LANTRA | Training and skills learning |
TES Teaching Resources | TES Teaching Resources is where teachers share and download free lesson plans, classroom resources, revision guides and curriculum worksheets. Includes NGO ET material. |
Countryside Classroom | A great source of teacher and student friendly learning material. Also hosts the NGO ET resources. |
Eat Game | Eat Game informs people about local and natural produce that has been harvested or hunted, encouraging the sustainable, best practice use of a natural food. The site also contains amazingly tasty recipes using this natural resource. |
BASC | The British Association for Shooting and Conservation promotes sustainable shooting practices, offers comprehensive advice, training and education programmes, implements conservation initiatives and safeguards the interests of shooting at Westminster, in the devolved parliaments and in Brussels. |
Countryside Learning | The mission of the Countryside Learning is a simple one. It is to educate, inform and inspire children, parents and teachers, so that they can enjoy and appreciate the countryside while having a greater understanding of the wide range of issues surrounding it. |