2021 has been a difficult and relentless year for everyone so we hope members respect the fact that the STS staff will be taking a well deserved break over the festive season. After 17 December all STS staff will be on leave for the festive season. Read on to find out where to direct enquiries during this time…

We have been made aware that the user database of the popular organisation for peer to peer selling of guns, Gun Trader, has been hacked and therefore information on users has been illegally acquired. It has been reported that Gun Trader has 111,000 users on its database and the information obtained by hackers includes names, addresses, telephone numbers and some GPS location data. 5,500 are reported to have come from Scotland and undoubtedly some will be STS members so we wanted to advise of the implications of this and what safety action should be taken.

Leading figures from across Scottish sport have met to discuss the continued impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the role the sport sector will play in the nation’s long-term recovery from the pandemic.

Members of the Scottish Governing Bodies Chief Executive Officers Forum were joined by Minister for Public Health and Sport, Mairi Gougeon, and Chief Executive of sportscotland, Stewart Harris, at the virtual meeting.

STS can confirm that we have now updated our guidance in view of the new Protection Level system implemented by the Scottish Government on 2 November. In this article, we have included the latest full set of guidance notes, as well as updating the information available on the homepage of our website.

Today, 23 October 2020, the First Minister announced a new strategic approach to suppress the coronavirus. This included the announcement of a 5-level system of ‘protections’ (restrictions) which can be applied locally or nationally, depending on the prevalence of the virus.

On Friday 23 October STS received an update regarding arrangements for the European Firearms Pass (EFP) ahead of the UK’s exit from the EU so we wanted to advise shooters of the changes that will be coming into force from 1 January 2021.

On Wednesday 7 October, the First Minister made a statement to Scottish Parliament outlining a series of temporary measures intended to stop the rise in coronavirus cases in Scotland. These measures are a mixture of national and regional in scope, that will come into force from 6pm on Friday 9 October for the hospitality changes and 1am Saturday 10 October for all other changes. These measures are to remain in place until to Sunday 25 October inclusive, unless a statement is made prior to them indicating any further change. STS has reviewed these, along with guidance from sportscotland, and tried to communicate the key points which can be found in our website article.

Yesterday the First Minister provided an update setting out a tightening of coronavirus-related restrictions, in response to an increase in the rate of spread of the virus. The priorities mentioned were to save lives and protect health, keep schools open, restart as many non-coronavirus NHS services as possible, and protect jobs by keeping businesses open where possible. The approach announced was more targeted than earlier in the year and did not constitute a return to full lockdown. The steps announced will be reviewed in 3 weeks.

Following the First Minister’s statement at 2.20pm today, we appreciate that there will be many questions left unanswered due to the lack of reference to sport directly, especially as some reference was made in the Prime Minister’s statement earlier but whether these restrictions will be mirrored in Scotland is currently unclear.

Our next session is TOMORROW on the topic of Mental First Aid - Knowing the Basics. Mental health is something we all need to take care of because just like our physical health there are times when this is better and times when it is not in the shape we would like it to be. As part of the STS family, it is important we look out for each other. This online course will provide a very basic level of helping to understand mental health, what signs to look out for, and what action you can take, whether it is for yourself, friends and family, or a club member. Our last session, An Introduction to First Aid for Shooting Clubs, was not recorded but we do intend to follow this up with a day-long practical version held face-to-face completed with formal qualifications. This will be scheduled when the environment is safe for us to do so. We will be sure to contact our members when this becomes available.

Yesterday, the First Minister updated Scottish Parliament yesterday on the review of the route map through and out of the pandemic. She noted that while Scotland had successfully suppressed the virus in the summer, confirmed positive case numbers have recently risen. As a result, the criteria have not been met to progress to Phase 4 of the route map. Read on to see what the implications are for shooting…

Our next session is TOMORROW on the topic of An Introduction to First Aid for Shooting Clubs. Although shooting is an extremely safe sport, it is possible for accidents to happen, and when the do happen, they can have serious consequences. This, combined with the recent increase in First Aid awareness due to COVID-19, means there is an even greater need to make sure clubs feel they equipped to deal with these matters when they occur. This workshop is an introduction to first aid for shooting clubs, delivered by Bruce Jenner, a trained paramedic but with over 20 years of military and target shooting experience. It is also still possible to access the recording of our last session: Strength and Conditioning Training for Shooters so you can watch this back if you missed it.