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Litter picking
Can you spare some time to help litter pick in the New Forest?
COVID-19 UPDATE: New Forest Ambassadors should always follow the latest Government Covid-19 restrictions and guidance. Please see the Covid-19 Response Spring 2021 summary to see the roadmap of lockdown restrictions lifting.
We want to enable and encourage people to safely pick up litter in their community, so we’ve put together an extra 250 litter picking kits this year; each with a picking guide, bags, a hi-vis jacket and a litter picker. They are available free of charge and can be picked up and signed for at the following locations across the New Forest subject to the establishments’ opening days and hours. Last year, 500 litter picking kits were collected and we’d like to thank everyone for their help keeping the Forest clear of litter.
PLEASE NOTE, SOME POINTS RUN OUT OF STOCK QUICKLY AND WE ADVISE CALLING AHEAD TO CHECK AVAILABILITY.
Venues
NFDC Reception, Lymington Town Hall, Avenue Road, Lymington
Open Mon, Wed, Fri 9.30am-12.30pm
Closed Sat and Sun
New Forest Activities, Hazel Copse Farm, Beaulieu SO42 7WA
Open 9am-5pm seven days a week
Village News, Milford on Sea (01590 645595)
Open Mon-Sat 6am-5pm
Sun 6am-1pm
Cyclexperience (cycle hire section) Brockenhurst railway station
Open 10am-5pm seven days a week
Woodgreen Village Shop, Woodgreen
Open Mon-Fri 8am-5pm
Sat 8am-3pm
Closed Sun
NFDC Reception, Appletree Court, Lyndhurst
Open Mon, Wed, Fri 9.30am-12.30pm
Closed Sat and Sun
Sign for your free litter picking kit
If possible, please download, print and sign the litter pick agreement form in advance of collecting a kit from your nearest venue. A limited number of blank printed forms will be available at collection points – please take your own pen to use at the venue, thereby reducing the risk of spreading Covid-19.
Please note that by signing for a free litter picking kit you are agreeing to follow the litter picking health and safety guidance and will litter pick in a safe way. You will be acting on your own initiative and you will not be covered by the New Forest National Park Authority’s insurance.
You need to be 18 years or over to sign up as a New Forest Ambassador and collect your own litter picking kit. However, we welcome young ambassadors who can litter pick with a parent or guardian. If you would like to pick up one or more litter picking kits for your children, please state the number of children and their ages on the litter picking agreement form. We do not have any child-sized tabards but hope the small/medium size will not be too large!
This webpage gives further information about staying safe in the New Forest: https://www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/visiting/visitor-information/staying-safe/.
Parish councils and groups
We are not advocating group litter picks because this risks breaching Government Covid-19 guidance. Group activities are likely to need specific permission from the landowner, and group organisers may want to consider getting insurance.
However, we know that some parish councils want to encourage their local residents to get involved and we’re aware that some litter picking groups already exist.
These include:
Litter pickers of the New Forest https://www.facebook.com/groups/1564222677081221/
Clean New Forest https://www.facebook.com/cleannewforest/
Dominiks Wildlife Fund https://www.facebook.com/DominiksWildlifeFund/
Lyndhurst Litter Pickers https://www.facebook.com/LyndhurstLitterPickers/
Parish Pickers, Copythorne https://www.facebook.com/Copythorne-Parish-Pickers-107524534079294/
Paws on Plastic https://www.facebook.com/groups/344123186321129/
UK Litter Picking Groups https://www.facebook.com/groups/2119434211659926/
If you have contacts with other people and would like to become an additional venue from which people can sign for and collect litter picking kits, do please contact us.
Disposing of collected litter
Because we anticipate litter pickers will be on their own or in pairs, we don’t anticipate large quantities of litter. All rubbish collected must be disposed of safely and away from Forest wildlife or livestock – put it in a nearby litter bin or take it home with you.
Contacting us about litter picking
If you have any suggestions, questions or feedback about this litter picking scheme, please email nfambassadors@newforestnpa.gov.uk.
More about tackling litter in the Forest is on our littering page
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