FROM THE HUNT SABOTEURS—VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN BY SOME OF THE HUNTING COMMUNITY

View this email in your browser Hi, Supporter HUNTING AND VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN In March 2026 the BBC reported that ministers had declared a national emergency in response to the epidemic of violence against women and girls. The report also stated that “the UK government has pledged to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.” Violence, misogyny and sexism have always been prominent within the hunting community, with overwhelming cases against female hunt saboteurs. We recently shared a series of social media posts highlighting this - but the sad fact is that there are still hundreds more instances that could have been shared. For example, after sabs scuppered a days hunting for the Northern Counties Mink Hounds, Charles Dent viciously targeted a female sab, causing damage to her head and neck. Charles Dent, previous chairman of Timothy Taylor brewery attacked a female sab after the Northern Counties Mink Hounds were caught illegally hunting by sabs. In November 2024 a lone female sab from Mendip Hunt Sabs was thrown to the ground and repeatedly punched in the head and kicked while she lay on the ground. The frenzied attack took place after the sab had gone to investigate a suspected dig out of a fox by the Mendip Hunt terrier men. As well as physically assaulting the sab the thugs stole her camcorder and body camera. Avon & Somerset Police took no further action, despite them claiming in their framework that violence against women and girls is a “forcewide priority.” Thugs from the Mendip Farmers Hunt. Over the past few seasons West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs (WMHS) have been documenting worrying and disturbing behaviour from hunt supporter Harry Sawyer. At the beginning of last season, he pushed a female saboteur, who was holding a placard, to the ground. The same saboteur that he has repeatedly harassed and attempted to intimidate by following her to the toilet and making false accusations about her to Warwickshire police, wasting their time. In February 2026, Sawyer purposely blocked WMHS vehicle on a public road. He then proceeded to assault a female sab by pushing her in the back before grabbing her arm and twisting it up her back. When asked a few weeks later if he thought women constitute as people, he struggled to muster a coherent answer. Around a year ago Warwickshire Police said this in response to the national report on Violence Against Women and Girls, “Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is an unacceptable, preventable issue that blights the lives of many, and we have always taken it seriously in Warwickshire.” Harry Sawyer has been continually harassing and assaulting female sabs, so what are Warwickshire Police doing about it? In 2024 Simon Tomlinson, polo enthusiast, Beaufort landowner and friend of King Charles, viciously threw a female sab to the ground. This is the same Simon Tomlinson who had previously been handed a community resolution by Wiltshire Police for driving a quad bike at sabs on a public right of way. In 2023 Wiltshire Police announced their plans to improve the way they respond to violence against women and girls with their initiative entitled ‘Listening Circles.’ This was forged from feedback whereby almost 50% of women asked said they didn’t report a crime of violence against them as they felt they would not be taken seriously, or because of past experiences with the police. Despite this feedback and Tomlinson’s history of erratic violence, Wiltshire Police did not charge him for the attack on the female sab. Simon Tomlinson viciously pushed a female sab to the ground but Wiltshire Police decided to take no further action. Just last week Fred Ford, a rider with the Blackmore & Sparkford Vale Hunt (BSV) was found guilty of assault by beating. Ford, who is a regular rider with the BSV, Portman Hunt and the Devon & Somerset Staghounds, pinned a female sab to a gate while she was trying to access a public footpath. Even when the sab was on the phone to the police Ford continued to tighten his grip on her, until another sab was able to intervene. Furthermore, Fred’s son Charlie Ford, who is the huntsman for the Dorset & Somerset Bassetts, was recently found guilty of illegally hunting a hare. It appears that violence is a family tradition for the Ford’s. Fred Ford pinned a female sab against a gate before proceeding to tighten his grip on her. He was found guilty of assault by beating and ordered to pay costs totalling £1574. The HSA recently reported on the Albrighton & Woodland Hunt huntsman Paul Larby, and whipper in Phillipa Ward, who viciously attacked a Shropshire Wildlife Monitor in an unprovoked attack, leaving her eye severely swollen and bruised. The seemingly endless list of these kinds of attacks from hunters towards female sabs keeps increasing season after season. The volume of physical attacks reported on are shocking and deeply worrying, and this does not include incidents of verbal abuse where sexualised, misogynistic and threatening language is used to try and intimidate sabs, although this does also come hand in hand with physical attacks. For example, the attack by Cottesmore Hunt steward and butcher Gwilym Owen, who body-slammed a female sab to the floor then proceeded to stand over her whilst she knelt in the mud trying to get up. Another hunt member, Dean Cripps looked on laughing, whilst commenting that “Gwilym looks as though he’s enjoying being pleasured over there”. When the sab got back to her feet she was then thrown back down onto the floor. Cottesmore Hunt thugs get their kicks by throwing female sabs into the mud and making sexualised and misogynistic comments. The very nature of hunting is violent and sadistic and as we’ve seen recently from footage at the Coniston Foxhounds dig-out and the Stowe Beagles hare kill, young people, quite often children, are present at these hunts, exposing them to and normalising violence. Furthermore, the misogynistic language used towards female sabs, which is often laughed at by other hunt members, makes it appear acceptable to speak to women in this manner, setting a precedent for the younger generation. Students from a Buckinghamshire private school, which is home to the Stowe Beagles, congratulate each other as a hare is ripped apart by hounds. In response to a recent document collated by the HSA in relation to violence against female saboteurs author Carol J Adams gave the following statement; "Some of the thug-like actions against women hunt saboteurs remind me of the behaviour of ICE agents in the United States. These immigration agents, militarized under Trump into lawless action, have mostly escaped prosecution for attacking protestors. Like ICE agents, hunters and their supporters use misogynistic language when referring to women (‘cunt,’ ‘bitch,’etc). Sociological studies of violence suggest that objectifying language helps to create distance between the attacker and the victim, enabling them to see women as less than human.” 'Trail hunting' does not exist, but what does is the sickening violence within this community. Whether it is towards animals; wildlife, hounds and horses, or towards other people. There is a widely recognised correlation between those who abuse animals going onto commit violent offences against humans, with animal abuse being cited as an indicator of future violent offending. In a world where wildlife is hounded, hunted and torn apart, often in the presence of children and young people, violence towards humans comes hand in hand. ‘Trail’ hunting is not only a smokescreen for illegal hunting; it continues to facilitate the violence that hunts inflict upon those exposing it and stopping it. Join the Hunt Saboteurs Association! Support our vital work by becoming a member. Join The HSA Spread the word! Please share our news Share via email Facebook icon Instagram icon Twitter icon Logo Copyright (C) 2026 Hunt Saboteurs Association. All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from Hunt Saboteurs Association. Our mailing address is: BM HSA, London, WC1N 3XX, U.K. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

FROM PROTECT THE WILD. ROB POWNALLIS OPPOSING FARAGE AS A FOX.

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Front cover of Britain’s most read paper Things we love to see! ROB POWNALL JUL 10 READ IN APP We just got the front page of the Metro. A fox, on the cover of Britain’s biggest paper, making the exact argument we’ve been making for years: Farage isn’t anti-establishment, he’s pro fox hunting, and those two things cannot both be true. Metro is the biggest paper in the country. 2.5 million people read it every day. That’s how many saw this today, for free. A full page ad in Metro costs upwards of £45,000. The front page alone would cost a quarter of a million. We got both, plus a full feature inside, without paying a penny, because the story stood up on its own. The inside piece let me say it straight: “You cannot get any more establishment than Farage, who supports fox hunting. How can you claim to be this man of the people, while supporting pastimes that involve ripping apart animals?” That’s the whole campaign in two sentences, printed in the paper more people read on their commute than anything else in Britain. Then the Telegraph ran it too. Never thought I’d see the day. They went back through Farage’s own words from Boxing Day, when he said you might as well ban walking dogs in the countryside because Labour were “authoritarian control freaks” for moving to ban trail hunting. They laid out Reform’s manifesto commitment to protect country sports, and Braverman defending the loophole in the Commons. That’s not us saying it. That’s the Telegraph, printing the paper trail in their own words. LBC and the BBC have picked it up since, both having to actually explain why a bloke in a fox costume is standing against Farage. Every time they do, hunting’s back in the conversation. That timing matters. The government’s just come out of its consultation on ending trail hunting and is deciding right now how far to go. Every headline like this is a reminder that this issue is toxic, that the public’s paying attention, and that finishing the job properly is the popular thing to do, not the risky one. On the vote splitting point, because people keep understandably raising it: I got 18 votes in Makerfield. There are now close to a dozen candidates standing in Clacton. I am not asking anyone to vote for me. I’ve said that from day one. This was never about winning a seat. It’s about making sure that every time Farage tries to sell himself as the outsider, someone’s stood there in a fox costume reminding the country he’s spent his career defending the hunt. None of this happens without people backing it. If you want British wildlife staying in this conversation for the rest of the by-election, become a monthly donor Donate to Protect the Wild SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

IS THIS THE END OF GUGA AS A ‘PRIZED DELICASY’. IT’S CRUEL IT SHOULD BE OUTLAWED

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Government watchdog rules Guga hunt is inhumane This is the beginning of the end for the Guga hunt. DEVON DOCHERTY JUL 8 READ IN APP This may be the most significant development in the fight to end the Guga hunt yet. The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) has concluded that it is “unaware of a humane way” to kill Gannets during the Guga hunt. In a letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs, SAWC Chair Professor Cathy Dwyer set out the results of the Commission’s review into the animal welfare aspects of the hunt, which involves up to 2000 Gannet chicks being killed on the remote Scottish island of Sula Sgeir every year. It’s done for nothing more than a cruel tradition, with the bird’s flesh eaten as a “prized delicacy.” SIGN THE PETITION SAWC concluded that there is no reasonable way to ensure Gannet chicks are spared unnecessary suffering as they are captured from their nests and killed by blunt force trauma. But the Commission’s concerns extended far beyond the moment of death. They recognised that the hunt subjects Gannets to fear, anxiety, and distress caused by human activity. This includes the fear experienced by chicks as they are captured and handled by hunters, and the distress of parent birds forced to witness their chicks being removed and killed. They warned that prolonged disturbance can lead to nest abandonment, leaving chicks to starve. As for the impact on other breeding seabirds who share Sula Sgeir with the Gannets, the Commission highlighted that disturbance is one of their greatest conservation threats. SAWC consulted the Humane Slaughter Association during their review, and we'll let their conclusions speak for themselves: The current method raises serious welfare concerns at every stage, not just stunning/killing: capture, restraint, and handling, would all cause significant distress. It is difficult to reconcile the current procedure with NatureScot’s own licence condition that birds should be killed humanely, especially if one considers every action from the point of capture to be part of the killing process. The Scottish SPCA also objects to the killing method and remains opposed to the Guga hunt on animal welfare grounds. That's three of the country's leading animal welfare authorities all reaching the same conclusion: the Guga hunt is inhumane. Why is this so significant? This marks the first time that advice against the Guga hunt has come from a Government-appointed body. SAWC are not campaigners or an outside animal welfare organisation. They are the Scottish Government’s independent advisory body on animal welfare. The Commission is made up of leading experts in veterinary science, animal welfare and animal behaviour, whose role is to provide independent advice to Scottish Ministers on animal welfare policy. Since petitions against the hunt began gathering momentum last year, the Scottish Government has maintained that it has no plans to outlaw the hunt and gave repeated assurances about humane killing. Now, their own experts say that humane killing simply isn't possible under the conditions on Sula Sgeir. They cannot disregard this. As we alluded earlier, another reason this is so significant is that one of NatureScot’s key licence conditions is that birds “must be killed immediately and in a humane manner.” There is now robust evidence this condition cannot be met, fundamentally undermining the basis on which any future licence could be granted. How can NatureScot grant a licence requiring humane killing when the Scottish Government’s own advisors say humane killing is impossible? They can’t. Not this year. Not next year. Not ever. This should be the end of the Guga hunt. This ruling not only paves the way for NatureScot to reject this year’s licence, but for the Guga hunt to be outlawed completely. What can you do? Here’s where you come in. The most immediate threat to the Gannets is this year’s licence being granted, and that’s down to NatureScot. We need thousands of people contacting NatureScot to make sure these damning new findings can't be ignored. The experts have spoken, and it’s time to listen. EMAIL NATURESCOT We have an easy e-action tool to help you email NatureScot it under a minute ⬆️ We’ve now changed the wording of that email to acknowledge the new development. Some of you had problems sending the email and received an invalid address error. We’ve done everything we can to fix this, so please try again. If you have already sent an email, you may wish to leave a comment on NatureScot’s Facebook or Instagram posts to remind them to stop the Guga hunt. SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

AMY OF MARINE CONSERVATION TALKS ABOUT THE BIG SEAWEED SEARCH

Big Seaweed Search, rockpooling guides and positive ocean news View in browser Marine Conservation Society logo Donate Join Shop Learn | News | Good Fish Guide Different species of seaweed are picture in a rockpool The Big Seaweed Search returns Get involved from 27th July - 2nd August Credit: National History Museum Hi John, Thank you to everyone who joined us for our World Ocean Week celebrations last month. It was brilliant to see thousands of you get stuck into our activities and events and we hope you enjoyed connecting with our marine environment and like-minded ocean enthusiasts. This month, we’re celebrating the 10th anniversary of our Big Seaweed Search partnership with the Natural History Museum. From the 27th July – 2nd August, citizen scientists from across the UK will be heading out to the coast to record the different types of seaweed present, and we’d love for you to join in! This free, fun activity is suitable for all ages and you can find all the resources and training you need on our website. Go seaweed spotting > Summer means there are plenty of opportunities to explore the coast and the wonderful marine life living there. Learn how to identify species in rockpools with our video guide, write a letter to our ocean for our latest campaign, or give yourself a good dose of positive ocean news. Let's dive in. Staff member Amy is smiling at the camera wearing a light pink jumper. Amy Digital Channels Manager A small yellow sea slug is pictured on the surface of a rockpool, surrounded by seaweed Credit: Samara Skyrne What wonders will you discover? Rockpooling guides From tiny crabs to spiky anemones, there’s a whole world of marine life waiting to be discovered in rockpools. Our videos take you through how to safely explore these fascinating pools and offer top tips to spotting what's living beneath the waves. Let's go rockpooling > Durdle door is pictured from a nearby cliff. The blue waters sparkle in the sunshine as the sea laps over the white sand Credit: Grace Westgarth Share your hopes for our ocean Post to the coast Write or draw a message to our future ocean, sharing your hopes for healthy seas. This simple, creative activity is a great way to connect with the ocean and think about how we can help protect it for future generations. Your entry can be a word, letter or drawing and the whole family can get involved - the deadline is 24th July. Submit your entry > A small yellow sea slug is pictured on the surface of a rockpool, surrounded by seaweed Credit: Rob Stillwell It's not all doom and gloom Positive ocean news With our latest oyster deployment underway in South Wales, a new water pollution monitoring scheme and a photography exhibition to celebrate marine life, the past month brought some more good news for our seas. Celebrate ocean wins > Facebook logo Threads logo Instagram logo LinkedIn logo Bluesky logo Contact Us General 01989 566017 info@mcsuk.org Membership membership@mcsuk.org Beach cleans beachwatch@mcsuk.org Fundraising fundraising@mcsuk.org The Marine Conservation Society is the UK charity dedicated to protecting our seas, shores and wildlife. Marine Conservation Society | Company Limited by Guarantee (England and Wales) No. 2550966 Registered Charity No. England and Wales No. 1004005 | Scotland No. SC037480 VAT No. 321 4912 32 Registered Office: Overross House, Ross Park, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 7US. Scottish Office: CBC House, 24 Canning Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8EG. Contact us | Privacy policy | Unsubscribe

PROTECT THE WILD—NATURE SCOTLAND—PROTEST AND ALL ABOUT GUGA AGAIN

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more We Protested Outside NatureScot as their Board Discussed the Guga Hunt This morning, we were there. DEVON DOCHERTY JUL 2 READ IN APP This morning, we were there. As NatureScot’s Board gathered to discuss the Guga hunt licence application, we were outside their headquarters - with placards, megaphones and Gannet suits, reminding them that they have the power to stop this hunt, and the responsibility to do so. Yesterday, we asked you to email NatureScot’s Board ahead of the meeting. Thousands of you took the time to make your voices heard - and we wanted to represent them in person. We’re so grateful to the incredible people who showed up to support us today and stand up for Gannets, despite it being so early in the morning on a weekday in the Scottish Highlands! For too long, decisions about the Guga hunt have been made quietly behind closed doors. It’s about time that changed. Whether they agreed with us or not, at least they couldn’t ignore us. But today’s protest wasn’t just about putting pressure on NatureScot. It was also about raising awareness of a hunt that far too few people know still happens. It’s already generated significant media coverage, and we’re expecting to feature on STV News at Six this evening. Every interview and article is another opportunity to expose the Guga hunt to thousands more people. What happened at the meeting? Not much. The Board had set aside 40 minutes to discuss the process for assessing the Guga hunt licence application. In the end, the discussion lasted less than eight minutes, and not a single Board member asked a question. To be clear, the Board wasn’t deciding whether to grant the licence today. They were being given an overview of the licensing process, the legal framework NatureScot must follow, and an insight into the scientific review that is currently being conducted. Perhaps they were reluctant to comment while they’re still awaiting the results of that review. Even so, I’d hoped to hear a little more engagement from the Board. This is, after all, the process that will ultimately determine whether hundreds of baby Gannets get to live or die, and their silence on that is concerning. What’s next? NatureScot’s Board will meet again in early August to discuss the results of their new analysis and decide whether or not to grant the licence to kill. We’ll let you know as soon as the results of that review are available and when we have a concrete date for the decision next month. In the meantime, we’ll be scrutinising every development, continuing to make the case for Gannets, and doing everything we can to ensure NatureScot makes the right decision. P.S. Some of you reported an “invalid address” error with our email tool. That’s now been fixed, so we’d really appreciate it if you could re-send your email to NatureScot now! EMAIL NATURESCOT Adopt a Gannet - Power the fight against the Guga hunt! If you’re reading this, you’re probably already part of the movement to end the Guga hunt. Whether you’ve signed a petition, emailed NatureScot, shared our campaign or joined us at a protest, thank you. But if we’re going to win, we need the resources to keep fighting. Every investigation, animation, protest, report and media campaign is only possible because people like you chip in a few pounds each month. ADOPT A GANNET If you’re able to, please consider symbolically adopting a Gannet with a monthly donation. As a thank you, we’ll send you one of our limited edition soft Gannet plushies - a reminder of the birds you’re helping to protect, and of the campaign you’re helping power until Britain’s last seabird hunt is finally brought to an end. SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing

AN INTERESTING NOTE FROM ROGER FROM BIRDLIFE INTERNATIONAL

View email in browser Hi John, I'm Roger, a BirdLife International supporter, and I’m doing a Supporter Takeover email today to share why this work matters so much to me, and why I hope it will matter to you too. I still remember the moment I saw the Rarotonga Monarch in 2009. It was one of those rare experiences that stays with you. Seeing such a beautiful bird filled me with wonder, but also with a deep sense of how precious and fragile these species are. Later, when I read about other monarchs that urgently need help, I felt I could not simply admire birds and hope for the best. I decided to support the Fatu Hiva Monarch because I wanted to do something real to help protect birds whose future is far from secure. For me, this work matters because too many birds are disappearing, for too many reasons. That can feel heartbreaking. But it also reminds me how urgently BirdLife International’s work is needed, and how much hope there is when people choose to act together. Supporting BirdLife International feels like a way of showing up for that beauty, that life, and that chance to protect it while we still can. What inspires me about being a supporter of BirdLife International is that, together, we are not standing by while species vanish. BirdLife is bringing people together across countries and continents to protect birds, the habitats they depend on. That kind of commitment gives me hope, and it is why I am proud to support this work and to share this message with you. If you are like me and you have been thinking about supporting BirdLife International, I would encourage you to take that step today. Please make a donation if you can. Birds need our help now, and they need it at both a national and international level. Every act of support matters, and every gift is a sign that these remarkable birds are not being left behind. Have your donation doubled to give birds a lifeline And if you already give, like me, I hope you might also reach out to friends and family so that, together, we can support BirdLife International in every way we can. Thank you for caring and for giving me a chance to share this message with you. Best wishes, Roger (a fellow supporter of BirdLife International) P.S I know all donations are being matched up to $20,000 thanks to another generous supporter to give birds around the world a lifeline. This is a real great opportunity to have your donations doubled. Instagram Facebook YouTube Website You are receiving this email because you opted-in to hear from BirdLife International BirdLife International is a registered charity 1042125 Address: BirdLife International The David Attenborough Building Pembroke Street Cambridge CB2 3QZ UK For full details on how we collect, use and store your personal information see our Privacy Policy. update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Copyright © 2026, All rights reserved.

TODAY IS NATIONAL MEADOWS DAY SAY PLANTLIFE

It's almost National Meadows Day! View this email in your browser Donate Join Shop Hi John, We're getting ready to celebrate, because on Saturday (4 July) it's National Meadows Day! For centuries, meadows have shaped the history of our landscapes and been central to our communities and culture. Our stories are intertwined with meadows. We have cared for meadows for generations, but now they are at more risk than ever. That's why this year we are calling on you to celebrate the meadows near you, the communities who care for them and the stories they can tell us. Take part in National Meadows Day We must act together to share these stories and stop these precious parts of our heritage from fading away. We need to value them again – for nature, climate and people. Here’s some ways you can take part in #NationalMeadowsDay: Share your meadow story on 4 July - chat to your friends or family in person or post on social media. You could shout out a farmer or community group working to protect these habitats. share a photo or video from your favourite meadow or share an anecdote or memory. Let’s fill social media with meadows, using the hashtag #NationalMeadowsDay and tagging us (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and Bluesky). Write to your local politician and ask them to support farmers and communities who care for wildflower-rich meadows. You can find a template to use by following the link below. Help protect our meadows It's time to rediscover the important connection between meadows and people. Thank you. Charley Adams, Plantlife Nature Editor Follow Plantlife on: Instagram Instagram Facebook Facebook YouTube YouTube LinkedIn LinkedIn Website Website Copyright © Plantlife All rights reserved. Plantlife International is a charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered Charity in England and Wales (1059559) & Scotland, (SC038951) Registered Company in England and Wales (3166339) Registered Office: Brewery House,36 Milford Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2AP, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1722 342730 enquiries@plantlife.org.uk www.plantlife.org.uk Plantlife respects your privacy. You can read more about how and why we use your personal data at www.plantlife.org.uk/privacy-notice Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.