Are you ready for the Countryside Clean-up?

To help you prepare for your litter-picking event and ensure your efforts are recognised, we have put together some top tips for Countryside Clean-up 2026.

Get involved

• Organise a litter pick in your hunt country – in the village near your kennels, on farms, or anywhere you know there is a litter problem. It is a simple, enjoyable way for hunt supporters to get involved at no cost.

• Email your hunt database and encourage people to take part, either by joining your organised litter pick or arranging their own.

• Promote your event before, during and afterwards through social media, the local press and parish noticeboards, and let the Countryside Alliance and the British Hound Sports Association (BHSA) know you are taking part.

• Stay safe while helping out – wear hi-viz clothing, long sleeves and trousers, gloves, and use a long-handled litter picker where possible.

Social media and photo opportunities

Content collected during the event can be shared on your hunt’s social media pages and on the Countryside Alliance and BHSA profiles. Please send any content to hunting@countryside-alliance.org or via WhatsApp to 07808270302.

Useful content to capture:

• Short video clips (5–15 seconds) of:

  • Volunteers picking up litter or groups working together

  • Before and after shots of cleaned areas

  • Someone explaining what the group is doing

  • Interviews of individuals expressing their personal views on what the rural community means to them and how the hunt is an integral part of that

• Photos from the day

• Ask interviewees what the rural community means to them

• Use your mobile phone to film vertically, in good natural light, and avoid loud background noise where possible.

• Follow and tag the Countryside Alliance and the British Hound Sports Association on Facebook and Instagram.

Hashtags are a great way to reach people interested in what you are doing. Here are some suggestions for the Countryside Clean-up:

• #CountrysideCleanUp

• #LitterHeroes

• #FightTheBlight

• #LitterPick

• #CountrysideAlliance

• #BritishHoundSportsAssociation

• #FutureForHunting

Fly-tipping

We recommend contacting your local authority before your litter pick to ask whether they will allow you to dispose of collected litter at your local recycling centre free of charge.

If you come across fly-tipping during your litter pick (anything larger than a bin bag of rubbish), report it to your local authority so it can be removed and investigated. If you choose to clear it yourself, please be aware that you will be responsible for its removal and disposal costs.

If you see someone fly-tipping, or want to report an area where it has taken place, note the following:

• Date, time and location of the incident

• What the waste looks like and how much there is – take photos if it is safe to do so

• Descriptions of any person and/or vehicles involved, including registration numbers

As fly-tipping is illegal, those responsible may not want to be identified. Do not approach them or put yourself at risk.

Report the findings from your clean-up on the Countryside Alliance interactive map

The Countryside Alliance has launched an interactive rural crime campaign to help build a clearer national picture of crime in the countryside by encouraging practical reporting alongside official police channels. While all incidents should still be reported to the police, the online map allows participants to record issues they witness, such as fly-tipping, theft, vandalism, poaching or livestock worrying. The aim is to capture current incidents from ac ross the country so patterns can be identified, the true scale of rural crime properly evidenced and the case for stronger action clearly demonstrated.

Click here to submit an incident and support the campaign.