Leaguecast: Recent Episodes
League Against Cruel Sports
Leaguecast is a new podcast from the League Against Cruel Sports, Britain's leading animal welfare charity that works to stop animals being persecuted, abused and killed for sport. The League was instrumental in helping bring about the landmark Hunting Act 2004. Join us as we talk to friends and colleagues about all things animal. Find out more about our work at www.league.org.uk. Registered charity in England and Wales (no.1095234) and Scotland (no.SC045533).
Our head of campaigns and communications talks with Arthur Thomas, Public Affairs Advisor at Four Paws UK.
Follow our work at: www.league.org.uk
Listen to more episodes: Leaguecast | Animal Charity Podcast
Follow us on TikTok: @leagueagainstcruelsports
Follow us on Instagram: @leagueagainstcs
Follow our work at: www.league.org.uk
Listen to more episodes: Leaguecast | Animal Charity Podcast
Follow us on TikTok: @leagueagainstcruelsports
Follow us on Instagram: @leagueagainstcs
Our head of campaigns and communications talks with Kevin Hill, member of the North Dorset Hunt Sabs and previous field investigator. Check out our website to support us and take part in the upcoming consultation.
Follow our work at: www.league.org.uk
Listen to more episodes: Leaguecast | Animal Charity Podcast
Follow us on TikTok: @leagueagainstcruelsports
Follow us on Instagram: @leagueagainstcs
Our head of campaigns and communications talks with Bob Elliot, CEO of Wild Justice.
Follow our work at: www.league.org.uk
Listen to more episodes: Leaguecast | Animal Charity Podcast
Follow us on TikTok: @leagueagainstcruelsports
Follow us on Instagram: @leagueagainstcs
Hear commentary taken from a real dog fight, plus an exclusive interview with our Head of Intelligence in the upcoming ‘unprecedented case' episode, where we will be discussing how we can unite to put an end to this brutal cruelty once and for all.
Follow our work at: www.league.org.uk
Listen to more episodes: Leaguecast | Animal Charity Podcast
Follow us on TikTok: @leagueagainstcruelsports
Follow us on Instagram: @leagueagainstcs
Dan Norris, Chair of the League Against Cruel Sports, joins us to discuss the 20th anniversary of the Hunting Act. He highlights the importance and urgency of addressing why hunting is still happening despite the ban.
Follow our work at: www.league.org.uk
Listen to more episodes: Leaguecast | Animal Charity Podcast
Follow us on TikTok: @leagueagainstcruelsports
Follow us on Instagram: @leagueagainstcs
In this special episode, John Blair MLA, joins Emma Judd from the League Against Cruel Sports to discuss his bold steps to introduce a Private Members’ Bill that could ban the hunting of wild mammals with dogs in Northern Ireland—the last part of the UK where this cruel practice remains legal.
Key topics include:
Why banning hunting in Northern Ireland is so important.
Clarifying the wording of the Bill, including the broader term "dogs."
John Blair’s public consultation, running until 13th January—your chance to have your say!
The importance of Scotland’s legislation and its influence on laws across Northern Ireland, England, and Wales.
Follow our work at: www.league.org.uk
Listen to more episodes: Leaguecast | Animal Charity Podcast
Follow us on TikTok: @leagueagainstcruelsports
Follow us on Instagram: @leagueagainstcs
Emma Judd and Acting CEO Chris Luffingham chat post-election.
Follow our work at: www.league.org.uk
Listen to more episodes: Leaguecast | Animal Charity Podcast
Follow us on TikTok: @leagueagainstcruelsports
Follow us on Instagram: @leagueagainstcs
With the #GeneralElection mere days away we take a very quick look back at our #TimeForChange campaign so far, and what’s coming up between now and July 4.
Grab a hot drink and find out how you can help us to secure a proper ban on hunting.
Follow our work at: www.league.org.uk
Listen to more episodes: Leaguecast | Animal Charity Podcast
Follow us on TikTok: @leagueagainstcruelsports
Follow us on Instagram: @leagueagainstcs
On our first episode of our general election series, join our hosts Emma (Head of Campaigns and Communications) and Will (Head of Public Affairs) as they dive into the key issues, policies, and debates surrounding animal welfare in the upcoming general election.
Follow our work at: www.league.org.uk
Listen to more episodes: Leaguecast | Animal Charity Podcast
Follow us on TikTok: @leagueagainstcruelsports
Follow us on Instagram: @leagueagainstcs
In this episode we speak to Emma Slawinski, director of policy, prevention and campaigns for the RSPCA, about their part in the largest coalition of charities against fox hunting.
Follow our work at: www.league.org.uk
Listen to more episodes: Leaguecast | Animal Charity Podcast
Follow us on TikTok: @leagueagainstcruelsports
Follow us on Instagram: @leagueagainstcs
In this episode, Emma speaks to Carly Ahlen, Founder of Gabo Wildlife and British army veteran.
When Carly isn't rescuing and rehabilitating injured wildlife, Carly monitors her local hunt where she's endured physical and emotional abuse from the hunt while trying desperately to stop foxes being killed.
Follow our work at: www.league.org.uk
Listen to more episodes: Leaguecast | Animal Charity Podcast
Follow us on TikTok: @leagueagainstcruelsports
Follow us on Instagram: @leagueagainstcs
In this special episode, we speak to two livestock farmers who grew up in hunting families and had no choice but to hunt from an early age.
Becky and Nicky were raised in a hunting community and talk to Emma about things they experienced and witnessed as young girls from two different hunts.
TRIGGER WARNING: contains topics that listeners may find triggering.
Follow our work at: www.league.org.uk
Listen to more episodes: Leaguecast | Animal Charity Podcast
Follow us on TikTok: @leagueagainstcruelsports
Follow us on Instagram: @leagueagainstcs
In this episode, Emma talks to Paul Tillsley, head of conservation and education at the League and one of the League's longest serving employees.
Paul has vast experience of living near, and monitoring hunts, and tells Emma about an incident that saw him end up in hospital.
Follow our work at: www.league.org.uk
Listen to more episodes: Leaguecast | Animal Charity Podcast
Follow us on TikTok: @leagueagainstcruelsports
Follow us on Instagram: @leagueagainstcs
Major landowners still allow so-called trail hunting on their land while others, such as the National Trust, have banned it for good.
The League has launched a new campaign in which we're calling for all National Parks to end hunting for good.
In this episode, Emma chats to John Petrie, senior regional campaigner for the League to hear all about the new campaign and what you can do to help.
Follow our work at: www.league.org.uk
Listen to more episodes: Leaguecast | Animal Charity Podcast
Follow us on TikTok: @leagueagainstcruelsports
Follow us on Instagram: @leagueagainstcs
2023 has seen many illegal animal welfare incidents exposed. In this episode we chat to Dominic Dyer about the importance social media plays on sharing such incidents and what he thinks is next on the agenda for animals.
Follow our work at: www.league.org.uk
Listen to more episodes: Leaguecast | Animal Charity Podcast
Follow us on TikTok: @leagueagainstcruelsports
Follow us on Instagram: @leagueagainstcs
The Conservative party and anti-blood sports aren't two things that often go together. In this episode however, Emma talks to Dame Caroline Dinenage, a person who perfectly combines the two.
Dame Caroline Dinenage has been Conservative MP for Gosport since 2010, is a former patron of the RSPCA and a supporter of the League Against Cruel Sports.
Dame Caroline is also a founding member of the Conservatives Against Fox Hunting group and was most recently named a patron of the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation.
The wildlife sector can often appear out of reach to those wanting to work in it; TV presenter and zoologist, Megan McCubbin feels that young people are the answer to moving that forward.
In the first of our special edition series, Megan explains why the next generation should be empowered to do more, and tells Emma about a volunteering project she went on that changed her perspective on everything.
While some organisations are working to address the lack of ethnic diversity, Full Colour research shows that 84% of organisations, while willing to take action, lack direction.
In this episode, Dr Benwell, CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link (Link), tells Emma about route map, a 5 year initiative in which 42 environment groups have pledged to boost ethnic diversity in the sector.
Dr Richard Benwell has held a series of influential positions in the civil service, House of Commons Commission, and the environmental movement.
Students Organising for Sustainability (SOS-UK) is a student-led education charity focusing on sustainability. The charity admits that it knows environmental sustainability cannot be achieved in isolation, so it spans across issues of justice and wellbeing as well.
In this episode, Erica, a volunteer at SOS-UK tells Emma about how she came to be at SOS-UK and how it enabled her to learn more about what 'environment' means and how it benefits us all.
Erica also explains what vital work the charity does to ensure the sector is more inclusive.
The conservation and environment industry is the second-least diverse sector in the UK.
Jasmine Isa Qureshi is a writer, journalist, marine biologist and all-round wildlife heroine. In this episode, Jasmine tells Emma about how she believes those who harm wildlife and animals, extend that behaviour to humans too; racism being an example.
Jasmine's old name is used in the episode, as this was recorded before she changed her name.
As a seasoned political campaigner, Chris Luffingham, director of external affairs and deputy CEO at League Against Cruel Sports, knows what it takes to bring about change in a tough political climate.
In this episode, Chris and Emma discuss how the Hunting Act 2004 is letting animals and the public down, and touch on a news story where hunt hounds disrupted a funeral.
Policy makers are a vital component for change in UK legislation.
In this episode Luke Pollard, MP for Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport and shadow minister for the armed forces, chats to Emma about why he believes reinforcing the spirit of the law and clearer enforcement mechanisms are the key to strengthening the Hunting Act 2004.
Luke Pollard is also former shadow secretary of state for the environment and remains a vocal advocate for animal welfare.
NB: Other political party representatives have been approached about appearing on this series.
Our very first Leaguecast guest is Gregory Gordon, criminal barrister specialising in hunting and animal welfare offences, most recently known for his work in the Mark Hankinson trial
Gregory explains how he immersed himself into hunting to better understand how it works, and gives us an insight into what he believes will make the Hunting Act 2004 more effective.