The Countryside Alliance and the British Hound Sports Association are working together to take Action for Hunting and we need you to take action too. Find out what you can do to help protect the future of packs of hounds by signing up to Action for Hunting today. The future of hunting is in our hands.
There will almost certainly be a General Election in 2024 and the Labour Party is favourite to form the next government.
With Labour committed to ‘strengthening the Hunting Act’ the threat to lawful hunting activities is real and imminent. Hunt supporters need to act now to ensure that they can help to protect hunt staff and packs of hounds for future generations to enjoy.
We need all those who want to protect the future of hunting to sign up to Action for Hunting and to help make their voice heard.
In the last few years, the Alliance has protected hunting by ensuring that legislation such as the Kept Animals Bill, the Agriculture Bill and other regulations were not used to restrict our ability to follow hounds. We have also mobilised our members to defeat proposals to ban trail hunting on council-owned land across the country from Cornwall to Yorkshire, and beaten off many attempts to ban the Boxing Day meets in town centres across the UK.
Polly Portwin
Director of the Campaign for Hunting | Countryside Alliance
The BHSA is delighted to be working together on this joint initiative with the Countryside Alliance, highlighting the importance of collaboration ahead of what is anticipated to be a critical general election for hunting next year. Our community can play an important role in helping to form the opinions of decision-makers.
Oliver Hughes
Managing Director | British Hound Sports Association (BHSA)
How trail hunting is conducted and perceived will be reflected in future legislation, so we must take action now to persuade politicians there is no case to strengthen the law.
Lord (Nick) Herbert
Chairman | Countryside Alliance
The threat to our sport is now the greatest since the Hunting Act nearly 20 years ago... Many hunts have a heritage of 150 years or more. It is our duty to protect that heritage. We must think of the next generation and make sue they can go out with a pack of hounds, too.
Lord (Nicholas) Soames
Every day of the year, the Alliance's legislative team watches for hostile legislation and takes action, often behind the scenes, to ensure that the threats are averted. If it has not been for this vital work, we would already have had votes to strengthen the Hunting Act.
Polly Portwin
Director of the Campaign for Hunting | Countryside Alliance
The urgent challenge facing hunting now is the perception that not all hunting activity is legitimate and that not all hunts are operating to the highest standards. Unless we address that perception, further legislation restricting trail hunting and other use of hounds will become inevitable... It is clear there needs to be a change in the way hunting is run to give all stakeholders confidence that we are operating legitimately.
Andrew Osborne
Chairman | Masters of Foxhounds Association
The most effective lobbying that we can do is in constituencies when MPs and candidates are most focused on securing our votes.
To help facilitate an effective and widespread lobbying campaign, a network of hunt supporters in every constituency is desired.
By signing up to Action for Hunting, your opinion can be heard by MPs and decision-makers who can influence future policy relating to trail hunting and other lawful hunting activities.
You may be asked to take direct action in a variety of different ways including:
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signing e-lobbies
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completing online petitions
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lobbying candidates of all parties ahead of the most important election since before the Hunting Act became law
We will offer advice and support throughout if, and when, specific action is required.
Please support the campaigning work carried out by the Countryside Alliance and the British Hound Sports Association by signing up to Action for Hunting today - the future of hunting with hounds really is in our hands.
Where should I go for my Boxing Day meet?
Large crowds gathering in town centres and on village greens on Boxing Day are familiar scenes which are an essential part of the hunting year, enabling hunts to demonstrate the important part they continue to play within local communities.
If you want to check the location of the nearest meet to where you will be on Boxing Day this year - whether it be for your regular local pack or one where you will be away visiting family and friends - then you can do so by checking our interactive Boxing Day meets map.