We Pledge

As the New Forest National Park is our home, looking after it is one of our top priorities, which is why we continuously strive to improve and monitor our environmental impact. Our ongoing efforts will see us seek innovative ways to protect and serve our surroundings with targeted and traceable pledges.

With the New Year just around the corner, and with celebrations in full swing, we’ve begun reflecting on the past year’s trials and triumphs, ready to enter 2022 afresh with a forest-focused mind. Our pledging efforts will be evident throughout the year’s activities, while being continuously monitored and questioned against our advanced understanding. Keeping relevant and able to adapt, as a family-owned business, we continue to have autonomy to really make a difference.

Pledge 1: Nurture our Foundation

Our foundation is increasingly important to our performance, for many who visit our New Forest Collection choose do so because of our unique and picturesque surroundings. Our location is at the heart of what we do, and as members of the community, we must be invested in improving and monitoring our sustainable and environmental impact to ensure the forest remains untarnished and our fauna free-roaming.

Our continued efforts have seen us create many lasting changes across our venues, including ditching our lawns at Bartley Lodge and Burley Manor during the summer, and replacing with a diverse range of meadow plants to attract and encourage insects, invertebrates, birds and mammals to interact with the land.

Last year we implemented many forest focused changes across the collection, but we have far to go. With the deployment of our New Forest Collection Green Team, we pledge to install additional charge points across all venues to deliver greater transportation flexibility to our guests along with placing sustainable toiletries in all public bathrooms and in-room suites. We also understand the importance of harnessing the knowledge exchange between climate-conscious children and sceptical grownups, pledging to work closely with local communities and charities to support their growing awareness.

We are committed and on the road to a greener future, but know as a community we have a great distance to travel to better our environmental and sustainable contributions. Whether big or small, we welcome all changes which aid the transition towards a ‘forest first’ future.

Pledge 2: Sustainable Relationships

At New Forest Collection, our values are deeply embedded into our everyday. We strongly believe in connecting to the environment around us, including those who live, operate, and visit our surroundings. Our passion and excitement for New Forest prosperity has seen us partner with a brilliant selection of local businesses, governing and non-profit organisations to ensure we can continue enriching lives with our New Forest hospitality, whilst promoting the very best of the New Forest.

Despite having grown a number of strong relationships with New Forest Marque members and local artisan businesses, we understand the importance of actively using our platform and position within the community to harness these relationships. In 2022, we pledge to support a minimum of two New Forest partners a month, who may have grown, reared, caught, brewed, produced or processed within the New Forest, to highlight their distinct quality and true authenticity. We will develop a number of collaborative campaigns throughout the year, including Shop Small Saturday, Forest to Fork, partnered competitions and ‘how to’ videos.

Pledge 3: Love the Forest

The New Forest is rich in history, adventures and charm. Yet, it is nature’s natives who often attract the most attention. Our diverse landscape is home to many mischievous ponies, daring dear and docile cattle, as well as seasonal pannage pigs and spring Lambs. It is our responsibility to care and respect their habitat.

During 2021 our contribution to Love the Forest ensured vital work could be carried out to promote the conservation, protection and improvement of the New Forest. Including protecting over 650 ponies with reflective collars, implementing radio transmitters for bats, distributing litter picking kits and producing speed indicator displays. We further gifted Sally the Pony, a children’s book educating readers on animal accident reduction, to our guests, aiding their education and broader understanding.

Incredible work has been carried out, but there is much more to do, so in 2022 we pledge to double our contribution to Love the Forest through proactive donations along with partnering with the charity to increase awareness of the New Forest Code.