GMK

A Message from Lord Pickles and Lord Blunkett, followed by GMK's best practice article

The ability to listen and learn from one another has always been vital in parliament, in business and in most aspects of daily life. But at this particular moment in time, as national and global events continue to reiterate, it is uncommonly crucial that we forge new channels of communication and reinforce existing ones. The following article from GMK is an attempt to do just that. We would welcome your thoughts on this or any other Parliamentary Review article.

Rt Hon The Lord David Blunkett

Rt Hon The Lord Eric Pickles

www.gmk.co.uk

BEST PRACTICE SPONSOR 2020

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

18 | BURNLEY FC IN THE COMMUNITY

May in April

The centre was officially opened

in April 2019 by the then prime

minister, Rt Hon Theresa May MP.

She said: “This is a fantastic facility

and it’s a great credit to Burnley FC

in the Community for what they have

done in working with others and

supportingthis.

“I don’t know of any other football

club who has developed a facility

like this and provided sporting

opportunities for local children that

they wouldn’t have elsewhere.

“It’s hugely important to have such a

regeneration project in the heart of the

community, and Burnley Football Club

can be proud in proving that football

and sport can be a force for good”.

One club for all

With our HQ at the Turf Moor stadium,

we now deliver work that touches the

lives of a wide range of people. In the

last season alone, we have utilised the

unique reach of the Burnley FC brand –

the most loved in our community – to

help integrate Syrian refugee families,

teach young carers how to cook, lift

young people out of unemployment,

encourage women to play football

every week, offer a welcoming space

for up to 60 socially isolated senior

citizens each week and support

hundreds of schoolchildren with their

mental wellbeing.

In our five years of operations, we have

now invested over £10 million into

our community with a significant £3.5

million of that coming directly from the

Premier League – a figure that goes

some way to showcasing the scale of

the club’s reach into its community.

We are now a crucial part of the

Burnley FC family. We are part of a

culture that is defined by the concept

that the football club is for everyone

– “One Club for All” – from the first

team and academy players through to

staff, community participants and fans.

Football is so much more that the 90

minutes on a Saturday afternoon.

For us, it is about wielding the

responsibility of our standing as a top-

flight club and using that as a force

for good on the ground, every day, to

help make our community a happier,

healthier and more equal place for all.

We are part of

a culture that is

defined by the

concept that

the football

club is for

everyone –

“One Club for

All” – from the

first team and

academy

players through

to staff,

community

participants

andfans

“

Club captain Ben Mee

launches the Schools

Mental Wellbeing Project

19GMK |

LEISURE & TOURISM

Managing Director Karl Waktare

enjoying some sporting clay

shooting

Beretta’s stunning SL3

Premium shotgun

With almost 50 years’ experience, GMK is the UK’s

distributor of Beretta firearms, as well as the country’s

number-one importer and distributor of shotguns,

rifles, ammunition and accessories for shooting. Director Karl

Waktare tells

The Parliamentary Review

that its services don’t

stop there: under the GMK Tactical division, the company also

supplies firearms and ammunition to UK law enforcement

bodies and the Ministry of Defence.

Gun making is an ancient industry and the Beretta company is part of that history.

Founded in 1526, it is still owned by the Beretta family, which makes it one of the

oldest privately owned businesses in the world. Its guns have stood the test of time

too – in the first five James Bond novels, 007 carries with him his trusty Beretta

handgun. Until recent times, the Beretta M9 was the chosen sidearm for the USarmy.

The Beretta group has a turnover approaching three quarters of a billion euros and

owns multiple brands which manufacture shotguns, rifles, ammunition, binoculars,

rifle scopes and clothing. Here in the UK, GMK Ltd are 60 per cent owned by

Beretta and act as sole distributors.

GMK

As a company, we operate through three sales divisions. The largest and most

important by far is the wholesale distribution to our network of around 250

independent retailers. This was how the business was established back in 1971

by Swedish immigrant Bjorn Waktare. The Waktare family still retain 40 per cent

FACTS ABOUT

GMK

»Directors: Karl Waktare, Oskar

Waktare, Franco Beretta,

Nicola Perniola, Joerg Prediger

»Founded in 1971

»Headquarters in Fareham,

Hampshire

»Services: Distribution of

shooting sports products

»No. of employees: 64

»www.gmk.co.uk

GMK

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

20 | GMK

ownership, with Bjorn’s two sons at

the helm of day-to-day management.

In order to raise the profile of our

brands, we opened a flagship store in

London in 2005. The Beretta Gallery

sells shotguns and specialist shooting

apparel, as well as luxury clothing and

accessories befitting the premium St

James location. The gallery also has a

concession in Harrods.

GMK has a third sales division

specialising in selling to government

bodies, often through tenders. It began

selling Federal ammunition to the UK

police’s firearms departments in 2004.

This division has grown steadily and

has supplied Benelli semi-automatic

shotguns and Steiner binoculars to the

British army. We now offer a large and

varied product range to our contract

customers beyond specialist firearm

products. For example, we offer ASP

batons and handcuffs not only to the

police but also to Border Force.

Shooting for sport

Following the Dunblane tragedy in

the late 1990s, private ownership of

handguns was banned in the UK and

as such is not part of our business.

The shotgun has long been popular

in the UK due to the variety of small

game, such as rabbits, grouse and

the native grey partridge. Indeed, an

entire gun-making industry grew up

in London and Birmingham, although

only a few high-end brands remain

today. Beretta occupies the middle

ground in the UK shotgun market.

Prices for a basic model start at just

over £1,000, while top-end hand-

engraved deluxe models can cost in

excess of £70,000.

While game-shooting is often

considered a pursuit of the rich, the

majority of those who pursue the sport

enjoy it on a far smaller scale. Local

communities and gamekeepers co-

operate with one another, and these

same people often help to protect

farmers’ crops by controlling our vast

pigeon population.

Clay pigeon shooting began as a way

of “getting your eye in” in preparation

for the shooting season but has

grown steadily in popularity since the

1960s and is now a sport in its own

right. The UK has a proud Olympic

shooting record, as does Beretta,

whose shotguns collected ten of the

possible 15 shotgun medals at the

Rio Olympics. There are currently over

600,000 registered shotgun certificate

holders in the UK.

Target rifle shooting, another Olympic

sport, is also popular in the UK. Long-

range shooting is particularly popular

and challenges the marksman to

calculate bullet drop and wind effect

over 400 metres. We also sell the

German Steiner binoculars and scopes

to this market and offer the world’s

largest ammunition brand, Federal,

which we import from the US.

Above: Beretta Gallery,

St James, London

Below: Amber Hill,

British Olympic hopeful

for Tokyo, sponsored by

Beretta

The UK has a

proud Olympic

shooting

record, as

does Beretta,

whose

shotguns

collected ten

of the possible

15 shotgun

medals at the

Rio Olympics

“

BEST PRACTICE SPONSOR 2020

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

20 | GMK

ownership, with Bjorn’s two sons at

the helm of day-to-day management.

In order to raise the profile of our

brands, we opened a flagship store in

London in 2005. The Beretta Gallery

sells shotguns and specialist shooting

apparel, as well as luxury clothing and

accessories befitting the premium St

James location. The gallery also has a

concession in Harrods.

GMK has a third sales division

specialising in selling to government

bodies, often through tenders. It began

selling Federal ammunition to the UK

police’s firearms departments in 2004.

This division has grown steadily and

has supplied Benelli semi-automatic

shotguns and Steiner binoculars to the

British army. We now offer a large and

varied product range to our contract

customers beyond specialist firearm

products. For example, we offer ASP

batons and handcuffs not only to the

police but also to Border Force.

Shooting for sport

Following the Dunblane tragedy in

the late 1990s, private ownership of

handguns was banned in the UK and

as such is not part of our business.

The shotgun has long been popular

in the UK due to the variety of small

game, such as rabbits, grouse and

the native grey partridge. Indeed, an

entire gun-making industry grew up

in London and Birmingham, although

only a few high-end brands remain

today. Beretta occupies the middle

ground in the UK shotgun market.

Prices for a basic model start at just

over £1,000, while top-end hand-

engraved deluxe models can cost in

excess of £70,000.

While game-shooting is often

considered a pursuit of the rich, the

majority of those who pursue the sport

enjoy it on a far smaller scale. Local

communities and gamekeepers co-

operate with one another, and these

same people often help to protect

farmers’ crops by controlling our vast

pigeon population.

Clay pigeon shooting began as a way

of “getting your eye in” in preparation

for the shooting season but has

grown steadily in popularity since the

1960s and is now a sport in its own

right. The UK has a proud Olympic

shooting record, as does Beretta,

whose shotguns collected ten of the

possible 15 shotgun medals at the

Rio Olympics. There are currently over

600,000 registered shotgun certificate

holders in the UK.

Target rifle shooting, another Olympic

sport, is also popular in the UK. Long-

range shooting is particularly popular

and challenges the marksman to

calculate bullet drop and wind effect

over 400 metres. We also sell the

German Steiner binoculars and scopes

to this market and offer the world’s

largest ammunition brand, Federal,

which we import from the US.

Above: Beretta Gallery,

St James, London

Below: Amber Hill,

British Olympic hopeful

for Tokyo, sponsored by

Beretta

The UK has a

proud Olympic

shooting

record, as

does Beretta,

whose

shotguns

collected ten

of the possible

15 shotgun

medals at the

Rio Olympics

“

21GMK |

LEISURE & TOURISM

Countryside pursuit

Most of the countryside is farmed,

and the relationship between various

shooting activities and farming is

mutually beneficial. Effective pest

control and diversification makes farms

more viable businesses.

Shooting is more than just a hobby;

it is a passion embedded in a love of

the countryside. In short, those who

shoot in the countryside are committed

to preserving it. The various shooting

disciplines are enjoyed by a wide

spectrum of people.

Current estimates suggest that there

are between one and a half and two

million deer in the UK. It is believed that

without culling, this population would

double every three years, which would

be especially difficult for the vulnerable

small trees that are a popular food

source for them. There is also a healthy

fox population feasting on game birds

and lambs, among other prey.

GMK markets the Beretta-owned,

Finnish-manufactured Sako and

Tikka rifles to the UK’s 180,000

firearms owners, many of whom help

to manage the country’s deer and

foxpopulation.

Best shot

As a business, we are subject to the

strength of the economy. As we

import into the UK from abroad,

the strength of the pound has a

big impact on our margin. New

laws are another factor which can

hugely affect our business. Sudden

reactionary legislation can create a

great deal of uncertainty among our

customer base.

For understandable reasons, our

products are subject to much

regulation, and we accept that many

of our products are hard to understand

unless you have an interest in them.

We therefore urge government to

work closely with our trade bodies

when looking at legislation.

We understand that we operate

within a niche market and that, as a

result, our work is not always easy.

Maintaining a strong position in the

market is therefore essential to our

survival. We hope that the future

will bring us continued success and

allow us to continue to work with

our suppliers as we pursue future

productopportunities.

Shooting is

more than just

a hobby; it is a

passion

embedded in

a love of the

countryside

“

The Beretta headquarters in

the Gardone val Trompia, Italy

Detailed hand engraving of the finest

Berettas can take over 200 hours

www.gmk.co.uk

This article was sponsored by GMK. The Parliamentary Review is wholly funded by the representatives who write for it. The publication in which this article originally appeared contained the following foreword from Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss.

Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss's Foreword For The Parliamentary Review

By Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss

Even by the standards of the day –this has been one of the most exciting and unpredictable years in British politics.

The leadership election we’ve just seen marks a huge moment in our country’s history. This government is taking a decisive new direction, embracing the opportunities of Brexit and preparing our country to flourish outside the EU.

As international trade secretary, I’ll be driving forward work on the free trade agreements that are going to be a priority for the government. Free trade isn’t just an abstract concept bandied around by technocrats. It is crucial for a strong economy and for the ability of families to make ends meet. Free trade benefits people in every part of our country, as British firms export to new markets and people doing the weekly shop have access to a wider choice of goods at lower prices.

The essence of free trade is in the title: freedom. It’s about giving people the power to exchange their goods without heavy government taxation or interference. Commerce and free exchange are the engine room of prosperity and social mobility. I’m determined to tackle the forces who want to hold that back.

One of my priorities is agreeing an exciting new free trade deal with the US, building on the great relationship between our two countries and the Prime Minister and US President. But I’ll also be talking to other partners including New Zealand, Australia and fast-growing Asian markets.

And with the EU too, we want a friendly and constructive relationship, as constitutional equals, and as friends and partners in facing the challenges that lie ahead – a relationship based on a deep free trade agreement. Our country produces some of the world’s most successful exports, and the opportunity to bring these to the rest of the world should make us all excited about the future. It is this excitement, optimism and ambition which I believe will come to define this government.

For too long now, we have been told Britain isn’t big or important enough to survive outside the EU – that we have to accept a deal that reflects our reduced circumstances. I say that’s rubbish. With the right policies in place, we can be the most competitive, free-thinking, prosperous nation on Earth exporting to the world and leading in new developments like AI. To do that, we’ll give the brilliant next generation of entrepreneurs the tools they need to succeed. Since 2015, there has been a staggering 85 per cent rise in the number of businesses set up by 18 to 24 year olds – twice the level set up by the same age group in France and Germany. We’ll help them flourish by championing enterprise, cutting taxes and making regulation flexible and responsive to their needs.

As we do that, we’ll level up and unite all parts of the UK with great transport links, fibre broadband in every home and proper school funding, so everyone shares in our country’s success.

2019 has been the year of brewing economic and political revolution. 2020 will be the year when a revitalised Conservative government turbo charges the economy, boosts prospects for people across the country, and catapults Britain back to the forefront of the world stage.

Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss
Secretary of State for International Development