Universityof Northampton researchers conduct wide ranging survey into
economic and social effects of the sport on moorland communities
Professor Simon Denny and Tracey Latham Green of the Institute for Social Innovation and Impact at the University of Northampton have conducted a new study into the economic and social effects of integrated moo rland management including grouse shooting on moorland communities.
The report ‘What Impacts does Integrated Moorland Management, including Grouse Shooting, have on Moorland Communities? A Comparative Study’ conclude d that grouse shooting forms part of a ‘complex web’ of integrated moorland management practices, with significant economic and social benefits to the people who live in areas associated with these practices.
In all, moorland communities were found to ben efit economically from grouse shooting both directly through increased tourism to the regions and employment for gamekeepers and other estate staff as well as indirectly, through estates’ investment in conservation and the facilitation of stewardship schemes which benefit local farmers.
The direct economic benefit is estimated to be £67.7million per annum. The indirect benefit to the country is thought to be as high as £2 billion.
Survey respondents reported a higher than average level of job security, despite being interviewed in the midst of the Covid 19 pandemic.
Estate owners were also found to attach a great sense of importance to conservation, with 76% of estate owners stressing the importance of peat restoration and carbon sequestration. The researchers concluded that this dedication to conservation significantly improved tourism to moorland areas, as well as helping to protect communities against the potentially devastating effects of flooding and
wildfires.
Grouse shooting was also found t o have a pronounced effect on the social networks of moorland communities, with residents reporting a greater sense of community and a connection to the areas in which they lived.
Ms Latham Green explained:
“Areas of upland England managed for grouse s hooting were found to have strong and vibrant communities, with upland, moorland residents expressing a stronger sense of belonging to the area they live in comparison with nationally available data…Statistically, residents in these areas were found to hav e lower levels of loneliness than the national average and those that took part in grouse
shooting across a range of roles, not just as ‘shooting guns’, were found to have higher levels of well being measured using the short Warwick Edinburgh mental well being scale than the national average.”
The study highlights how this sense of belonging can in turn have a significant impact on the entire UK economy, with loneliness costing an individual up to £6,000 over a ten year period 1.
Residents in areas where grouse shooting is practiced also reported higher than average levels of physical fitness, with 69% of survey respondents regularly completing 150 minutes or more of moderate exercise. The researchers report that a lack of physical exercise cos ts the UK £7.4 billion per year 2
“It is therefore important that these strong, rural communities are maintained and this study has found grouse moor management is part of an integrated system of activities in these areas, which the evidence suggests is vital to the sustainability and long term health and well being of the communities concerned,” Ms Latham Green concluded.
Overall, the authors of the study emphasised the importance of the economic impacts of grouse shooting if moorland communities were to “thrive and not simply survive”. They also expressed their pleasant surprise at the social impact of the sport in fostering deep rooted connections within communities.
Their advice to policy makers is to carefully consider the social and economic impacts of any policy that would affect the ‘complex web’ of integrated moorland management, which includes grouse shooting, at the start of the policy formation process.
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ENDS
About the authors:
Simon Denny, BA, MA, PhD, is an independent researcher and an external associate of the Institute for Social Innovation and Impact, which he set up in 2013. He previously served as Executive Dean for Research, Impact and Innovation at the
University of Nor thampton and in 2010 was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion.
Tracey Latham Green, BA, MBA, DMS, is a PhD student at the Institute for Social Innovation and Impact at the University of Northampton, where she has submitted and been examine d on her PhD ‘Understanding the Social Impact of Participation in Driven Game Shooting in the UK’. Formal completion of her PhD is due in Autumn 2020.
Notes to editors:
Contact:
Jenny Wilson at contact@c4pmc.co. uk for additional information.
The Uplands Partnership is a campaign group made up of: BASC, CLA, National Gamekeepers Organisation, Countryside Alliance, Campaign for the Protection of Moorland Communities and The Moorland Association.
The National Gamekeepers Organisation Official Blog 