Hunting community takes part in Countryside Clean Up

The Countryside Alliance's annual Countryside Clean Up, which took place between Friday, 25th March and Sunday, 10th April 2022, saw a great turnout from groups and individuals across the hunting community who got involved in this rural community project to clear litter in their local area.

Dedicated litter clearances were organised by hunts the length and breadth of the country with many hunts organising group events for their supporters. Hunt officials and members of hunt staff, subscribers, farmers and other supporters from within the hunting and rural communities were seen out in force getting their hands dirty by clearing rubbish from footpaths, fields, river banks and roadside verges throughout the UK.

Polly Portwin, Director of the Campaign for Hunting at the Countryside Alliance said: "Although it's disappointing that people still take it upon themselves to abuse our beautiful countryside by discarding litter, we were delighted that so many people who follow hounds engaged with this annual initiative and helped out in their local communities. Dumped rubbish is not only an eyesore, but it is potentially hazardous to farmed livestock, wild animals and domestic pets so hopefully, by safely disposing of it we are clearing it out of harm's way."

A group of hunt supporters from the Cottesmore Hunt (pictured) met to litter pick around the lanes and roads close to their kennels near Oakham in Rutland.

A spokesperson for the Cottesmore Hunt said: "We were very surprised by how much litter we gathered in a relatively short space of time, and we carefully separated everything into recyclable and general waste. There were lots of bottles, cans and food wrappers but also old tyres, a metal bin and the best find of the day was an antler handle from a hunting whip."

In Wales, two supporters of the Wynnstay Hunt have been clearing litter from the lanes radiating from Overton on Dee near Wrexham, in the heart of Wynnstay country, for more than seven years. They were back in action again this year as part of the Alliance's Countryside Clean Up, using the pink bin bags which are the official colours of the "Keep Wales Tidy" campaign.

Supporters from the Hampshire Hunt dedicated three days to clearing up the countryside. Litter-pickers of all ages got involved in freeing their local area of rubbish that had been strewn across areas within their hunt country, with dozens of bags collected and disposed of safely.

In Gloucestershire, a dozen teams coordinated by the Beaufort Hunt worked to pick litter from the verges and by-ways around Rodmarton, Long Newnton, Brokenborough, Shipton Moyne, Foxley, Great Somerford, Dauntsey, Nettleton, Hawkesbury, Alderton, Sopworth and Badminton.

Janie Dear, who organised teams to work around the Brokenborough and Shipton Moyne areas, said: "Our team focussed on the verges and by-ways around Brokenborough and Shipton Moyne and quickly filled a trailer load of rubbish. Keeping our countryside clean and clear of litter is extremely important to the rural community and we are pleased to do our bit to help."