Warwickshire Hunt hosts community event with charity coffee morning
The Warwickshire Hunt opened its doors to the wider community this week, hosting a charity coffee morning that brought together farriers, vets, landlords, livery yard owners, point-to-point trainers, jockeys and local businesspeople, all in aid of the hunt and the Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance.
The event formed part of a nationwide "Hounds in the Community" week, organised by the Future for Hunting campaign, which aims to showcase the role trail hunting plays in rural life across the country.
It coincided with the Warwickshire children's meet, giving families the opportunity to follow hounds and explore the local countryside.
Sam Butler, of the Warwickshire Hunt, said: "We were delighted to be able to host this here in Warwickshire. We are all hugely proud of our local community and the vital role played by members of the hunt in contributing to it, including raising money for charities such as the air ambulance.
"We are part of the fabric of rural society and events such as this are a clear demonstration of our commitment to fostering a strong and vibrant rural life, bringing together people from all over the county."
The British Hound Sports Association (BHSA) estimates that trail hunting contributes more than £100 million directly to the rural economy nationwide, with millions more in indirect economic and social benefits.
The coffee morning comes at a sensitive time for the hunting community. The government has signalled its intention to consult on a potential ban on trail hunting, a move that campaigners argue represents a fresh attack on countryside life.
The BHSA and the Countryside Alliance have joined forces to launch the Future for Hunting campaign in response, organising events across the country to, in their words, "demonstrate hunting's contribution to rural communities".
Anti-hunt protesters say that trail hunting is just a 'smoke-screen' to get around the hunting ban, with foxes still being killed by hounds. They believe hunt organisations need to be "held to account" and that the hunting ban should be tightened to include trail hunting.
George Bowyer, BHSA campaign manager, said: "Hunts all up and down the country have organised a wide range of events, from charity days to coffee mornings, all with the aim of clearly showing the huge and valuable contribution made by hunting to rural life.
"At a time when the countryside is under continuous attack, this is another example of the wrong priority at the wrong time by this government. We are calling on everyone, not just those directly involved in hunting, but anyone who values the contribution we make, to stand with us and make your voices heard."