Litter Pickers of the New Forest is a group founded by Stephen Green from Lymington in May 2020. During lockdown he noticed that, with so many people taking their “daily exercise” in the Forest and its towns and villages, there was an increase in litter. He acquired a picking stick and set up a Facebook group to see if any like-minded people would like to join him. Within weeks he had a small group of strangers who were all willing to take on the problem and get out there picking litter. No one could have foreseen that now, two and a half years later, the group would number 1700 members!
Although not all members are active litter pickers on a regular basis, everyone who joins the group is concerned about the growing problem and is keen to support the effort to make things better.
From the small beginnings, the group has grown not only in number but also in activities. A great many members pick on their own or with a friend or two, but group picks are organised regularly in identified hotspots such as town centres, popular Forest car parks and the coast and beaches. Individuals post pictures of their finds on the group Facebook page and the Pick of the Week award is highly prized. Winners have included various items of underwear, toys, car parts and even a Wightlink parking meter which was inexplicably found in the middle of Wilverley Inclosure. Other found items are not suitable for publication!
The group has become more visible to the general public as it provided a litter picking service at Dogstival 2021 and in 2022 we were picking at Brockstock and the Lymington Seafood Festival as well as having information stands at the New Forest Show and Hordle Dog Show. The group gazebo will no doubt be out at more events in 2023.
The Facebook group now has 11 Admin members who work to ensure that the group remains a safe and friendly place to be, concerning itself only with issues of Forest cleanliness, littering, fly tipping, hazards, damage and other aspects of the New Forest Code. We have links with other groups to increase awareness of litter/environment/animal issues such as litter on verges, feeding of Forest livestock, speeding and verge parking, evidence of BBQs and other inappropriate behaviour.
There is also a strong sense of comradeship in the group and there are now social events such as a monthly coffee-shop meet up and an occasional lunch club. Christmas 2021 saw a mulled wine and mince pie event in a Forest car park, where Santas, reindeer, elves and a snowman were in evidence. There was a summer evening picnic in 2022 and Christmas 2022 will see a repeat of the Christmas event and also a Christmas lunch. Lasting friendships have been made between people from all backgrounds who would probably never have met had they not embraced the “hobby” of litter picking. Every group pick ends with a well deserved cup of coffee and a biscuit at “Jill’s Coffee Stall” from the back of her car.
The group is always keen to attract younger members and one such member recently achieved her Duke of Edinburgh’s Award for (among other activities) organising a group pick in Lymington. At the other end of the scale, one of our regular pickers in New Milton is 86 years young!
Some of the results of the group’s activities are quite amazing. A recent group pick attended by 12 people at Pennington produced about 20 full black sacks of litter in just one hour. However, the main accolade must be reserved for Neil Woodman, who has taken the task to new heights around Lymington and will by the end of December 2022 have collected 900 bags since 1 January 2022. He is known in the group as the Lymington Legend and often clocks up 10 miles plus in a day in his quest to rid the town of litter.
Although the group is independent, we have had support from New Milton Town Council and Hordle Parish Council and maintain links with Forestry England and the National Park Authority. We are also working towards a closer relationship with New Forest District Council from whom we have recently received a grant to further our activities.
New members are always welcome and can join by requesting membership of the Facebook group “Litter Pickers of the New Forest”. The group has picking sticks and hi viz gilets available should people want to give it a try before perhaps buying their own.
