October - Oct 12, 2023
Today 12th October, we felt our first frost and scraping of the windscreen after a prolonged period of warmer than usual conditions. It can be a relief to get “back to normal” can’t it, however that is manifested.
Normality can be interpreted in many ways – The new school term or job which inevitably means adapting to a totally different environment, thrilling and slightly terrifying at times. I heard Billy Connolly talking about his battle with Parkinsons disease to day – falling over, struggling to remember his dog’s name – a new normality for him, which is unwelcome, frustrating and frightening at times. We experience life in all its forms, whether new life, new partner, new job or long term with any of those and much more. I went to a funeral last week where the farmer had lived within three miles of his birthplace all his life. Many jobs though involve moving constantly and being a keeper/stalker/ghillie can involve any and all of those options; opportunities and changing circumstances which can cause a major change.
Coping with change can be overwhelming as well as exciting and depends on so many factors, from what you are used to, who you have around you to support you and your own propensity to adapt.
Our Student Support Programme exists to help young people adapt and make the most of their opportunities, in a new job, very often a new location. Our health initiatives exist to help anyone in the gamekeeping community and our financial support packages exist to help anyone manage and make life the best it can be within the parameters given. Being a friend is sometimes enough and we have just posted the last of our little poems/treats for October dropping in letterboxes all over the UK.
The Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust is here to help in any circumstance whether these are health issues, jobs, relationships or just life! We constantly hear people say “oh we did not know you helped with that”, and “we had not thought of contacting you about that”. We also hear people say we can’t share anything for fear of anyone knowing about our problem. We are here to help whatever is worrying you and in confidence. This is the biggest barrier – trust. Please know you can trust the Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust whatever it is. We know we are a small and connected community which can be a huge advantage and something to be enormously proud of but which can also inhibit ability to reach out for fear of “people knowing about it all”
There is no circumstance which someone has not experienced before, so never feel you are the only one but equally don’t feel that you are alone and we/others don’t understand. Sharing a problem helps to normalise a difficult issue and an opportunity to put it all in proportion.
Our “Check in with a Mate” campaign continues and we know it makes a difference to know that people care and you are not alone – whatever you are going through and nothing is too trivial if it is affected your ability to cope and live life to the best it can be.
The sun is out now and the day is looking bright – let’s make the most of what we have and “Check in with a Mate” today.
Thank you