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Welcome to New Forest Friends of the Earth
We're an award-winning Friends of the Earth local action group, and we work to campaign on local, national and international issues. We are run entirely by volunteers, and are funded by membership subscriptions and donations. We're one of the most active groups in the country, and work closely with local politicians to ensure our voices are heard in Parliament.
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BBC Covers Correction of Hidden Foul Waste Discharging to the Lymington River
Representing New Forest Friends of the Earth, I met today with Rachel Smith, Centre Manager at Lymington Community Centre, and Councillor Jack Davies, former Mayor of Lymington, for filming by the BBC following the correction of a serious foul waste misconnection at the Community Centre’s Phoenix building. Foul waste from the Phoenix building had been incorrectly routed into the surface water drainage system, meaning untreated sewage was discharging into the Lymington River.
gillhickman2024
6 days ago2 min read


Sewage Still Entering Lymington River: What You Need to Know
It’s not over yet. Our ongoing water quality monitoring at the Lymington River outfall continues to show that sewage is still reaching the river — despite efforts to tackle the problem. During the autumn, Southern Water carried out work at Brunswick Place to divert sewage from that housing area into the proper foul sewer. That was a positive step, but there are still other sources discharging untreated sewage into the river. One of these is the Phoenix Room at Lymington Commu
gillhickman2024
Jan 112 min read


SUPPORT THE GOOD BUSINESS MATTERS PLEDGE
Support the Good Business Matters Pledge Protect people and nature from corporate harm – ask our MPs to act! What is the Pledge? The Good Business Matters Pledge asks MPs to support a new UK law requiring businesses to: • Check for and prevent human rights abuses and environmental harm in supply chains • Be held accountable when harm occurs • Go beyond voluntary codes, with enforcement and access to justice for victims Why it matters Voluntary rules aren’t enou
gillhickman2024
Dec 15, 20251 min read


Not Quite Flushed Away: E. coli Returns to the Lymington Outfall
Despite earlier repair work by Southern Water, our latest tests show that E. coli contamination has returned to the Lymington River outfall. The problem may lie in trapped sewage residues within the surface water system, and until the network is properly cleaned, the pollution isn’t going anywhere. Earlier this year, Southern Water corrected a long-standing drainage problem from Brunswick Place by installing a new foul sewer. During the work, a temporary inflatable bung was
gillhickman2024
Nov 6, 20252 min read


Progress
Major Progress in Our Water Testing Campaign SOUTHERN WATER HAVE ARRIVED! We’re very grateful for the coverage of our water testing in...
gillhickman2024
Oct 7, 20252 min read


We Spend the Equinox Testing Local Waters
Over the equinox weekend, members of New Forest Friends of the Earth and friends fanned out across the Forest, from Fordingbridge to...
gillhickman2024
Sep 22, 20251 min read


NFFoE at VJ 80: Spotlight on Sewage Pollution
On the first Saturday in September, New Forest Friends of the Earth ran a very successful stall at New Milton’s VJ 80 celebrations. Our...
gillhickman2024
Sep 9, 20252 min read


Catastrophic E. coli Pollution - and Why It Matters
New Forest Friends of the Earth’s latest water testing has revealed catastrophic E. coli levels of 78,312 CFU. This is an increase on our...
gillhickman2024
Aug 21, 20252 min read


Action by Southern Water but still a stink
Still a Stink
gillhickman2024
Aug 18, 20251 min read
What You Can Do Now: Protect Our Right to Clean Water
Our own water testing results have revealed serious pollution concerns in local rivers and reedbeds — including dangerously high E. coli...
gillhickman2024
Jul 29, 20251 min read


Sewage, Secrets and Public Health: What’s Really in Our Water
Something is terribly wrong with our water. In March this year, we experienced a couple of days of intense rainfall, and the result was...
gillhickman2024
Jul 26, 20254 min read


New Forest FoE Lobby MPs at Westminster
Members of NFFoE joined other local FoE groups in Westminster on July 9th to support The Climate Coalition "Act Now Change Forever"...
gillhickman2024
Jul 12, 20253 min read


Avon Beach: Still Flying the Blue Flag After 138 Sewage Spills in 2024?
In June 2025, the i newspaper published a powerful investigation into the state of England’s Blue Flag beaches, warning that many are...
gillhickman2024
Jun 26, 20252 min read


Asian Hornet Watch: A Clever Trap and a Close Eye on Nature
Last week at the allotment, we made a small but important seasonal switch: our Asian hornet trap has now been changed from the ‘queen’...
gillhickman2024
Jun 16, 20253 min read


New Forest Friends of the Earth at the CET – Sharing Ideas, Growing Campaigns
On May 11, we were delighted to take part in the CET (Climate Emergency Team) event – a day of networking, sharing, and strengthening...
gillhickman2024
May 17, 20251 min read


A Splash of Science: Results from Our Water Blitz Weekend
Over our Water Blitz weekend, New Forest Friends of the Earth led a wide-ranging survey of local rivers, streams and brooks—from Chewton...
gillhickman2024
May 2, 20252 min read


We’re testing water again. This time we include E.coli
Help us protect our New Forest water courses Between April 25 and 28, New Forest Friends of the Earth will once again be heading out to...
gillhickman2024
Apr 14, 20252 min read


Where Next?
Everyone who attended our ‘Rethink Recycling’ event left with a simple list. ‘Where Next’ showed where each of the 27 items we collected...
gillhickman2024
Apr 12, 20251 min read


Rethink! Recycling Event Proves a Huge Success
Last Saturday, St Marks Church Hall in Pennington buzzed with activity as residents came together for the Rethink! Recycling event,...
gillhickman2024
Apr 7, 20252 min read


Event: Rethink Recycling - 29 March 2025
Join us for a fun and inspiring recycling afternoon. Fed up with what you can’t recycle? Looking for a way to recycle those tricky items...
gillhickman2024
Mar 4, 20251 min read
New Forest FoE Next Meeting
Tuesday January 13 2026:
19:30-21:30
Sway Place SO41 6AD
We’ll be talking about water quslity and what we’re doing next
Contact us to join us.
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