Recommendation 96

One result of this work is the distribution of leaflets about mental health, aimed specifically at individuals who shoot for work or leisure, which outline “sources of help and advice”.231 The British Association for Shooting and Conservation told us that this includes the Scottish Firearms and Explosives Licensing Practitioners Group’s leaflet entitled Firearms and mental health: awareness and support232 and the Gamekeepers Welfare Trust’s leaflet entitled Mental ill health in the work place for rural workers in Scotland: gamekeepers, stalkers, ghillies and shepherds.233 The British Association for 226 Q51 227 Mental Health Foundation, Our best mental health tips - backed by research, accessed 6 December 2022 228 Q61 229 British Association for Shooting and Conservation (FLR0015) 230 Q59 231 Q60 232 British Association for Shooting and Conservation (FLR0015); This leaflet can be found on Scottish Target Shooting, Scottish firearms bodies launch campaign to raise awareness about mental health support, accessed 6 September 2022 233 This leaflet can be found on the Gamekeepers Welfare Trust, Firearms and mental health awareness and support - advice, accessed 13 September 2022 30 Firearms licensing regulations in Scotland Shooting and Conservation stated that these leaflets are “designed to advise certificate holders and, importantly, their family and friends that mental health challenges are common throughout society and that it is always best to seek support”.234 In a joint submission, the Scottish Association for Country Sports, Scottish Land and Estates, Scottish Target Shooting, The Gun Trade Association, The Scottish Countryside Alliance and The Scottish Gamekeepers Association told us that the leafletting campaign has been successful. They said that they had published and distributed: “30k copies of the Firearms and Mental Health Awareness and Support leaflet. This [leaflet] will be distributed to all certificate holders over the next five years by Police Scotla