In the hot seat: Getting to know Jake Swindells

From the Winter 2021 issue of 'My Countryside magazine, we get to know Jake Swindells, the newly appointed director of the Scottish Countryside Alliance (SCA).

When did you join the SCA and what is your role?
I joined the Alliance at the start of October after what had been a busy year for me in my previous organisation. I have worked in the fieldsports arena for some time now and am looking forward to the diversity that the SCA will offer.

What are your sporting interests?
Over the past two years I have been doing more deer stalking than anything else. I am not often found on a peg on a driven day, but I do enjoy reducing pigeon and corvid numbers. Occasionally I can be found on a walked-up day or at a duck flight. Outside of this I am a keen spear fisherman and am regularly found off the south west coast hunting for my tea in the Irish Sea.

Have you always been a country sports enthusiast?
Yes. Sea fishing is one of my biggest passions. From the age of six I had my own rod and was catching rocklings and crabs from the village pier. I developed an interest in gamekeeping and hunting during my high school years as my friend's dad was a gamekeeper. I often helped on the shoot. Over the years I have achieved my DSC level 1 and 2 and now I deliver the course, alongside a wild boar hunting accreditation. In 2015 I started to hunt boar with friends in Europe and am currently learning to bow hunt.

How did your previous roles prepare you for working at the Alliance?
I have worked as a police constable in both Merseyside and Cheshire Police, with secondments to CID and the dog section, so am comfortable with legislation and the law surrounding fieldsports in general. On leaving the police, I retrained as a gamekeeper at Borders College before working on single-handed shoots in the Borders. In 2016 I joined BASC Scotland as country officer. Dealing with firearm enquiries, policy, members, events and training really allowed me to develop into the role I have today. I have a great understanding of the grass roots of fieldsports and am sure this will be an advantage when representing rural interests. Matters such as hunting, sustainability, licensing and marine conservation will feature highly on my list.