I heard the other day that I’d been shortlisted in The Great Outdoors (TGO) 2021 readers awards in the ‘Campaigner of the Year’ category.
This came as a huge surprise so thank you to whoever made the nomination!
It’s a strong category comprising many hardworking local and national campaigners, some of whose names will be familiar to this blog’s readers, and it’s an honour to be considered amongst them.
Thanks also to TGO for providing links next to each candidate – it’s a brilliant way to reach new audiences.
Best of luck to everyone shortlisted!
Raptor Persecution UK 
Thoroughly deserved. I very much appreciate all your hard work. Thank you Ruth
Never heard of this award before and very hard to choose between them…so I’ll give my vote to you for highlighting it!
Congratulations on being short-listed for The Great Outdoors 2021 campaign award, very well deserved.
To all the other candidates congratulations also; thank you for all your hard campaigning work.
Congratulations! Very well deserved.
Definitely deserved for tenacity over many years, determination, straight talking accuracy, courage and keeping more and more people engaged in stopping raptor persecution and improving the environment on our hills. Gets my vote.
…and making us all aware of the continued pervasive extent of these crimes.
LOVE your work Ruth! As a lifelong birder (now in my 60s) I had no idea that these things were going on still, never mind so widespread! 😳
Well deserved, your dedication in publicising the bad practices on grouse moors and the persecution of our beautiful birds of prey deserves recognition.
Congratulations. Thank you for your continued commitment to our Birds of Prey. Good luck in the final.
Well done and good luck. It will help to raise the profile of RPUK and bring the issue to a wider audience.
Well done you 👍
Fantastic achievement Ruth, just to be on that list is a huge compliment. This sounds trite, but I’m not sure getting to the very top of the list matters that much – how can you directly compare and quantify different campaigns on different topics carried out in varying ways by people with different backgrounds, situations and resources. Someone that has to care for a relative will have less time to devote to environmental campaigning than someone without those additional responsibilities. That hardly means the campaigner is less dedicated, they’re just more restricted by personal circumstances. So not necessarily a level playing field as far as awards and prizes go, but then it’s about commitment not competition. The one thing I do know is that all the groups on that list are excellent, they wouldn’t be there otherwise, their presence on it’s a form of recognition thereby moral support and THAT’S what’s important. It would be great – and well deserved – if RPUK wins, but if it doesn’t it and the other twelve campaigns that don’t won’t be lessened.
PS Ruth I got speaking to an older lady at the Revive conference who has never been involved in any campaigning against sporting estates in her life, but wanted to hear what all the fuss is all about. She told me she was over the moon thanks to your presentation. You and the other contributors had not only shed a lot of light on why Revive is needed, you’d said that the present senior police officers involved in fighting wildlife crime are the best you’ve ever had dealings with. Her son happens to be one of them! Another reason on top of everything else for you to feel mega chuffed.
Hi Les
You made some really good points, so thanks for that. And your finishing story was really good to hear.
Sue
Excellent news and I’m rooting for you please keep up the good work
Excellent Ruth – more power to your elbow !
Brilliant. Well done, and much deserved.
The fact you have been nominated for the award which recognises “inspiring campaigns that matter to walkers on access, conservation, and environment”, demonstrates two very important factors.
Firstly the hard work, dedication and passion you bring to campaigning to end raptor persecution; and secondly that this issue matters greatly to a lot of people who venture into the great outdoors.
You should feel very proud of your achievements, and without your hard work so much of what is truly happening to raptors would remain unknown. Thank you.
The depth of your research and the factual content is to be applauded .
You’re in wonderful company, and so well deserved. Thank you for your continuing tenacity and spirit in the face of such tough opposition.
Great to hear, Ruth. I’m so pleased that even more people will hear of your wonderful work and the dedication it requires.
Hope you win. You definitely deserve to – indomitable!
Additional thanks for demonstrating how to regulate one’s emotions within the context of this continuing national scandal. I’m still learning, but you definitely light the way!
A fitting tribute to all the great work put in here from Ruth and her team
Many congratulations on being nominated for this award. Your commitment and determination to the causes of Raptor Persecution being made public is outstanding. Lang mae your lum reek.
It’s all been said above, 👏👏👏
Totally deserved :) I run a osprey group and we post every RPUK blog so I like to think we do our bit Ruth
All has of course been said, but I wanted to add my warmest congratulations Ruth. Thumbs up for winning!…
Regards
Alan
Thank you for all these warm comments – they matter a great deal.