Hunt supporters clean up the countryside

The Countryside Alliance’s annual Countryside Clean-up, which took place between Saturday 25^th March and Sunday 2nd April 2023, saw a great turnout from groups and individuals the length and breadth of the country as hunt supporters united to collect discarded litter.

Hunt officials, hunt staff, farmers, subscribers and other supporters from within the hunting and rural communities were out in force in all weathers clearing rubbish from the roadside verges, footpaths, river banks, fields and hedgerows throughout the UK. A number of the clean-up teams joined with local residents to embark on making their local area free of items such as glass bottles, fast food packaging, food wrappers and tin cans amongst other items that were not only an eyesore but which might cause problems for animals in the area.

Polly Portwin, Director of the Campaign for Hunting at the Countryside Alliance said: “We were delighted that so many of those who follow hounds engaged with this initiative again this year, making a difference in their local area and protecting livestock, wildlife and domestic pets in the process. It is disheartening that some of those who access the countryside discard litter without considering the potential consequences but we are grateful to all those who helped to make a difference in their region.”

A group of hunt supporters from the Heythrop Hunt braved the wet weather to collect a van load of rubbish during a downpour, whilst a team from the Dumfriesshire and Stewartry Hunt in Scotland collected 25 bags of litter from a one-mile stretch of road outside of Lockerbie which was described as being a “disgusting but very satisfying experience”.

More than 50 volunteers from the Hampshire Hunt cleared huge areas and their “fantastic turn out of helpers” have also got more dates lined up to combat the issue in other locations. The Cambridgeshire and Enfield Chace Hunt “quickly filled” a trailer after clearing the roads around Abbotsley and Tetworth in Cambridgeshire, while the Yorkshire-based Sinnington Hunt cleared litter that “shouldn’t be in the countryside but at the tip” during their clean-up operation.

The Beaufort Hunt mobilised a large team of volunteers, focusing on villages and by-ways around Badminton and Long Newton where efforts were made to clear rubbish left on and near the Fosseway.

Lucy Pickford, who organised a team of the Beaufort’s volunteers to clear sections of the Fosseway, explained: “We farm very close to the Fosseway and often come across litter which has been left by walkers and passing traffic, as well as piles of rubbish left by people fly tipping. Our team did a fantastic job clearing all sorts of debris and rubbish from the area.”

The Warwickshire Hunt's litter-clearing team included "some young and some slightly older" members of the hunting community which successfully cleared more areas than originally anticipated. They were loaned equipment by the local district council, enabling the team to work safely and efficiently.