Challenge a Boxing Day Meet 2025
WE HAVE BEEN CHALLENGING BOXING DAY MEETS SUCCESSFULLY FOR SOME YEARS. ALL OUR RESOURCES AND EXPERTISE ARE AT YOUR DISPOSAL.For our main resources, on our Boxing Day Campaigns webpage, click here.
For our COLLECTED RESOURCES, please scroll down. They are useful for general research, and any specific research relating to your own local campaigns. If you’re looking for something that isn’t here, or you have a good resource you’d like to share, please email info@actionagainstfoxhunting.org
IF YOU’D LIKE TO JOIN OUR BOXING DAY FOCUS GROUP MEETINGS (ONLINE ONCE A MONTH), please complete this form.
Boxing Day Checklists
What you need to know before you start:
What to look for on the day:
LETTER TO COUNCILS 2025
This year, we have composed a one-size-fits-all letter to councils. It is a formal letter, alerting councils to serious risks from public Boxing Day or New Year’s Day meets. If the council chooses to ignore us and not act, they are, by default, accepting responsibility and potential liability for any resulting harm occurring. To claim they have no say over whether the event happens or not, is irrelevant. The least they can do is get an expert to check whether all the safety procedures are in place, and if they are not, they can inform the police and the Health and Safety Executive.
The councils need to know that we will be watching, and if there is an incident we will remind all concerned that we sent the warning in good time. We are just asking that hunts are treated in the same way as everyone else.
We suggest you send the letter to any and all councils in the area where the meet happens — Parish, Town, District and County. The council set up will be individual to your own county. You will either be ignored or brushed off. When this happens, make a formal complaint and keep going until you get a response. Please let us know if you’ve sent the letter, so we can help you keep an eye on what happens next – info@actionagainstfoxhunting.org
Road Closures
1. Temporary Traffic Closure Orders – TTROs. More expensive for hunts, and more paperwork. This is the type of road closure we want them to have.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/10-11/89
2. Town Police and Clauses Act – TPCAs. Easy cop-out for councils and hunts. Inappropriate for Boxing Day road closures. Police need to be there, and it doesn’t actually close the road. But they are the go-to road closure for Boxing Day meets.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1992/1215/made
3. Why the hunts insurance is inadequate:
https://www.actionagainstfoxhunting.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TPCA-Insurance-1.pdf
https://www.actionagainstfoxhunting.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TTRO-Abergavenny.pdf
Hounds
1. Fallen Stock Companies
2. Salmonella – found in hound poo sample Tiverton Boxing Day 2024. For more evidence on this – photos and documents – please contact Pip on info@actionagainstfoxhunting.org
3. AAF Document to send to councils about allowing children to interact with hounds.
4. Outbreak of cryptosporidium at petting zoo:
https://www.huntsabs.org.uk/hunt-kennels-the-infectious-timebombs-waiting-to-go-off/
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/suspected-parasite-infection-outbreak-28-35147251
5. Other links about fallen stock and hygiene.
https://www.actionagainstfoxhunting.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/RFI_7326_-_MALE-CALVES.pdf
https://www.actionagainstfoxhunting.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Kennels-ATIC1511.pdf
https://www.actionagainstfoxhunting.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Children-and-Hounds.docx
Insurance
All riders at Boxing Day events should have their own insurance, but we don’t think anyone checks it. This means that whoever owns the land might be liable.
If hounds pass an infection to children, adults or other animals, the insurance doesn’t cover them
https://www.actionagainstfoxhunting.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Battle-ESRM-Public-Liability-Insurance-compressed-1.pdf
https://www.actionagainstfoxhunting.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TPCA-Insurance-1.docx
Media Reports
Risk Assessments
1. The hunt ignored their own risk assessment
https://www.actionagainstfoxhunting.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Priddy-Village-Green-Risk-assessment-.pdf
https://www.actionagainstfoxhunting.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Pewsey-Submission.docx
https://www.actionagainstfoxhunting.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Pridy-Evidence-File.pdf
2. Gold standard risk assessment for Boxing Day Meet written by a member who held a similar event.
https://www.actionagainstfoxhunting.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/BEVSAG-Risk-assessment-2024.docx
Freedom of Information Requests
Always submit your Freedom of Information Requests using this website. It tells you exactly what to do.
If they refuse, appeal. “What do they know” tells you how to do it. It’s not as complicated as it seems.
Bucket collections
To collect money in the street, you must have a licence from the licensing department at the council. Local councils are set up differently, and you’ll need to Google “Street collection licences for ****” in your own area, to locate the right department.
To find out if the hunt has a licence, send a Freedom of Information Request to the council (do it via www.whatdotheyknow.com above). Put this:
Has the *** hunt applied for a street collection notice in **** (town) on 26th December 202*?
If you are writing after the event, change the wording.
Street collections have clear rules including:
The bucket must be labelled
The bucket must be sealed
The revenue from the bucket must be declared. Hunts often say they are also collecting for a charity.
At the event – take close up photos of the bucket and its lid. Take a photo of someone putting money in the bucket.
