Aiming to help others

I consider myself very lucky. The job I have gives me the privilege to meet all kinds of people in all kinds of places. I get to meet amazing, extraordinary folk and in 24 years of broadcasting I reckon I’ve literally interviewed thousands of people. Of course, it all started for me in 1995 at the now defunct Essex FM. But from the very first interview I did to the present day, people never cease to amaze me. In the past few years I’ve hosted some awards ceremonies at the fabulous Braxted Park just north of Chelmsford. This magnificent estate of 2,000 acres is just off the busy A12, but feels a world away from the multi-lane carriageway.

At the end of last year I was chatting with Duncan Clark, who owns the estate, and his passion really came through about a charity with which he is involved, The Country Food Trust. Now I have to confess, I’d never heard of it, but Duncan and a bunch of other people have got together to help the homeless and those living in food poverty. However, this is not just about the well off digging into their pockets to make donations. The Country Food Trust has created a whole network of people in the countryside, not just in Essex but across the country, coming together for a common cause.

Shooting is a big part of the fabric of the country. I’ve never done it, but living in Norfolk you hear the bangs all the time. Pheasant shoots going on left, right and centre. What Duncan and his fellow Country Food Trustees have done is encourage shoots to pay a bit extra per bird they shoot. The pheasants are then taken from the shoot and the extra money raised pays for them to be processed and the meat is donated to food banks and homeless shelters in the area.

So, for the BBC, I went along to a Braxted Park shoot to film proceedings. I witnessed such pride from the gamekeeper, whose job it is to manage the land. And such crack shots from those on the shoot, who told me they only aim for the birds which fly high. Nothing was wasted and I watched in awe as the well trained dogs retrieved the birds which were then taken away for processing.

They then went from a country estate to the centre of Colchester – a homeless shelter called Beacon House to be precise. They have a budget of £30 a week to feed 30 people a day! Hilary Hannan is the whizz in the kitchen, making nutritious meals day in, day out. As you can imagine, the meat from The Country Food Trust is very welcome indeed. I spoke with many people that lunchtime who use Beacon House. It’s a lifeline for them and a regular place to go, but not just to be fed. The centre provides support, clothing and even healthcare, so all donations help them out. To have this regular supply of meat, provided free of charge, is one less thing on their worry list. Not everybody may approve of shooting, but you can definitely see the humanitarian side of this idea. When I started out telling people’s stories for a living, I was always told the best stories are ordinary people doing something extraordinary, often for others. This is one of those tales and it’s right on our doorstep.

David Whiteley is the presenter and a director of BBC1 current affairs programme, Inside Out. David was born in South Essex and cut his teeth in radio in Southend and Chelmsford. This article was originally posted in Essex Life Magazine.