It is with immense pleasure that we, the committee and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), release the 40th Anniversary London Ball Brochure.
This is my second year as Ball chairman. A year ago, I wrote that there had never been a more vital time for people to show their commitment to the cause. It was true then, regrettably it is even more true now. The two central tenets of the GWCT are that land managed for game delivers benefits for wildlife more widely, and that if you want to have a real affect, you need to work at landscape scale. The former has been proven and demonstrated time and time again, the latter is best exemplified by GWCT-inspired Farmer Clusters. In these, a group of farmers come together, decide what wildlife they would like to see more of, then do something about it.
There are more than half-a-million hectares of Farmer Clusters in England, with more coming onboard the whole time. Those who oppose all of this would have us believe there is no benefit, ignoring the fact that if no-one pursued game in this country, we’d likely have fewer waders, fewer hedgerows, fewer people planting trees, fewer songbirds and overall, less biodiversity in our countryside. Inconvenient truths indeed.
The London Ball would not have been made possible without the support of our amazing donors and sponsors. Our heartfelt thanks go out to Eight Vodka, Hook Norton Brewery and Mainbrace Rum.
Fantastic lots to bid on
We have an amazing array of auction lots for you to peruse - please take a look at www.gwctlondon.org.uk where you can view each lot and bid online.
It is also with great pleasure that we announce the new GWCT London Ball artist, Clare Brownlow who said: “I am so honoured to have been asked to be the GWCT’s London Ball artist. I have grown up shooting and was given my first gun at the age of ten for Christmas. My father taught me how to shoot and respect the quarry and our surrounding wildlife. My husband Charlie and I are doing the same with our two small boys. It’s so important to have an organisation that scientifically analyses the state of our wildlife and the effects that our field sports have on our environment so that we can protect both fields sports and our beloved nature for future generations.”
To see more of Clare’s work, please visit: https://www.clarebrownlow.co.uk/. Clare has generously offered to donate 10% to the GWCT from orders made on her website by using the promotion code “GWCT40x”.
Finally, I am hugely grateful to my fellow committee members, who have worked tirelessly to make the ball a memorable evening and have received unstinting support from GWCT’s Eleanor Usborne. I would also like to thank Sarah Hartley and Joanne Hoareau from my team.
Thank you for supporting our wonderful charity at such a vital time.
David P J Ross
The GWCT London Ball Chairman
