Education to the fore at Countryfile Live

Henrietta Rutgers of the CA Campaigns Team writes: "Blenheim Palace played host to the first Countryfile Live show last week and what a four days it proved to be. With huge gate numbers causing well documented traffic problems on the first day (Thursday 4th) we wondered if anyone would brave it on Friday. Thankfully these problems were put to bed for the rest of the duration of the show and it certainly didn't seem to affect the swathes of general public who flocked through the gate. We felt that Countryfile Live would attract a different crowd to the usual Game Fair/Agricultural show and therefore it was our time to capture those people who may feel indifferent towards us and our campaigns. Taking this into account we designed an education-based stand featuring a different pack of hounds each day, a children's quiz, fly-tying and used it as a promotional tool for country sports and our campaigns. The majority of people were genuinely interested in and accepting of the part that country sports play in protecting and preserving their countryside. As our Shooting Campaign's Liam Stokes commented: 'the public are open minded and interested in what we do. The Twitter noise and petitions are not representative.' Thank you to everyone who helped on our stand and to Countryfile Live for providing us with the opportunity to reach a wider audience."