Introduction
We are proud to work in collaboration with Police Scotland on shared priorities that support responsible ownership and community wellbeing.
That collaboration does not compromise our independence; it strengthens it.
By engaging openly with policing bodies while maintaining our own clear, evidence‑based voice, we are better able to advocate for fair, proportionate and consistent licensing outcomes across the UK.
When policing bodies take steps that align with the principles we have championed from the very beginning – openness, early support, and stigma‑free engagement – we believe it is important to do everything we can to ensure those messages are heard clearly and confidently by certificate holders.
From the outset, we have consistently argued that seeking help early is a hallmark of responsible ownership, not a risk factor – a position reflected throughout our Speaking Up, Staying Safe guidance and in every piece of advice we provide.
This Police Scotland initiative aligns closely with the principles we have been advocating:
- open conversation rather than silence,
- support rather than fear,
- proportionate temporary measures rather than crisis‑driven revocation,
- and a licensing system that recognises strength in early help‑seeking.
We welcome the opportunity to share this work with the wider community because it represents meaningful, practical progress – not only for Scotland, but for the firearms sector as a whole.
It reinforces the direction of travel we have long believed in: a licensing environment where wellbeing is taken seriously, early engagement is encouraged and responsible owners are supported rather than stigmatised.
Mental Heath Awareness & Support
The Scottish Firearms Mental Health Awareness and Support Partnership is completely changing how we look after the well-being of our shooting, farming, and rural communities in Scotland.
Devised by Police Scotland’s National Firearms and Explosives Licensing Unit, this initiative is a first for the UK. It brings together country sports groups, farming unions, and mental health charities with one clear goal: making it safe and normal for firearms certificate holders to talk about their mental health. The core message is simple: asking for help is a sign of responsibility, not weakness.
Seek Support
For a long time, many people in the shooting community have kept their struggles to themselves out of fear. There is a lingering worry that admitting to mental health challenges means an automatic loss of your firearm, shotgun or air weapon certificate. Police Scotland is collaborating with partners to challenge this perception by handling every situation with real understanding, fairness, and care. When someone steps forward early to ask for help we recognise they are a responsible owner who takes safety seriously. Identifying when things are getting tough and acting quickly is the biggest show of strength a certificate holder can display.
This open communication allows the police to support people through tough times without jumping straight to permanent penalties and allows for temporary measures to be considered ahead of removing guns or revocation.
The Partnership
The partnership builds on the invaluable work of the Firearms and Mental Health Awareness and Support leaflet which has been circulated to every certificate holder in Scotland. This straightforward guide gives certificate holders and their families clear, practical advice on how to access support long before reaching a crisis point.
Building on this momentum, the partnership held a major public awareness drive in the media and at the Royal Highland Show and Scone Game Fair recently. A large flag bearing the phrase “I pledge to help communities talk openly about mental health and support early action to seek help” was displayed throughout the events and was signed by dozens of people with an interest in the shooting community. More importantly, it sparked open conversations right on the showground, breaking down historical barriers face-to-face and generating positive relationships.
By sharing this supportive message with families, friends, and colleagues, the partnership ensures that the people closest to certificate holders know how to spot the early signs of mental health. This community-wide safety net helps catch problems early, ensuring people get help when they need it most and helping remove the stigma. It provides constant reassurance to firearms owners that they are safe to speak up, and that seeking help is a true sign of strength.
Chief Inspector Bruce Crawford, who is leading the partnership said
Over thirty organisations are now signed up to drive the work of the partnership showing the genuine desire amongst communities across Scotland to deliver a safe environment where certificate holders and their families feel able to share concerns and seek help. The work is just beginning and I am very much looking forward to building on this positive start over the coming months. Help is out there for people and nobody should fear stigma or loss of their guns by seeking that help early.
We are commencing work with trainee gamekeepers to provide supportive messaging as they embark on their new careers, engaging the offshore energy industry and even now have shinty referees across the country providing mental health messaging to hundreds of players in rural areas every week as part of pre-game talks. Additional work is ongoing to develop partnership videos, a dedicated firearms licensing website displaying lived experience and engagement with employers to encourage mental health support in the workplace.
Key Support Partners & Signposting
FirearmsLicensing.Net: Independent Specialists in Firearms Licensing.
Website: https://firearmslicensing.net/speaking-up-staying-safe/
RSABI: Offers free, confidential 24-hour practical, emotional, and financial support to people in Scottish agriculture.
Helpline: 0808 1234 555 | Website: rsabi.org.uk.
Gamekeepers Welfare Trust (GWT): Provides confidential support, financial assistance, and guidance for gamekeepers, stalkers, and wildlife managers.
Helpline: 0300 123 3088 | Website: thegamekeeperswelfaretrust.com.
Change Mental Health: Delivers high-quality, trusted non-crisis mental health support across Scotland.
Helpline: 0808 8010 515 | Website: changemh.org.
Samaritans: Provides round-the-clock emotional support for anyone in distress or struggling to cope.
Helpline: 116 123 | Website: samaritans.org.
Breathing Space: A free, confidential phone service for anyone in Scotland experiencing low mood, depression, or anxiety.
Helpline: 0800 83 85 87 | Website: breathingspace.scot.
NHS 24 Mental Health Hub: Available 24/7 for psychological assessment and support.
Helpline: Dial 111 (and select the Mental Health option).
Scottish Association for Country Sports:
01350 724 228 Website sacs.org.uk
The British Association for Shooting and Conservation:
01350 723 226 Website: basc.org.uk.
