Local initiative seeks premises, skilled volunteers, community partners and businesses tohelp create a place where people, skills and unwanted materials can find new purpose.
A new community initiative is calling on residents, businesses, charities and property owners acrossPennington, Lymington and the wider New Forest to help create a shared space where generations can cometogether, learn practical skills and give unwanted materials a new lease of life.
Reimagine Pennington & Lymington, being developed with Transition Lymington and the Maritime FuturesHub, aims to bring together older people with skills and experience to share, younger people looking foropportunities to discover their potential, and local organisations committed to sustainability, creativity andcommunity wellbeing.
The initiative is now seeking a suitable temporary home, alongside the people and organisations who canhelp bring the project to life.
A place to belong, discover, believe and be
At the heart of Reimagine is a simple idea: everyone has something to offer, and everyone deservessomewhere to belong. Older residents, retired tradespeople, artists, makers and craftspeople will beencouraged to share their knowledge and experience with younger generations. Young people will haveopportunities to explore practical skills, meet new people, develop confidence and discover interests they maynever previously have considered. Meanwhile, discarded materials will be given a second life through creativereuse, repair and upcycling.
BELONG ® DISCOVER ® BELIEVE ® BE
David Coppinger, who is helping develop Reimagine through the Maritime Futures Hub, said:
“We have people in our community with a lifetime of skills and experience who would love the opportunityto pass them on. We have young people who need somewhere to belong, to meet others, to try new thingsand discover what they are capable of.
“And we have an extraordinary amount of material being thrown away that could become somethinguseful, beautiful or valuable. Reimagine is about bringing those three things together. It’s about givingpeople, skills and materials a new purpose.
“We don’t need everyone to offer money. Sometimes the most valuable contribution is a few hours ofsomeone’s time, an empty workshop, a sewing machine or an introduction to someone who can help.”
From old sails to new opportunities
Reimagine is developing a programme of practical, creative and environmentally responsible activities,including transforming discarded sails and textiles into bags, clothing and accessories; repairing andrebuilding bicycles; repurposing pallets and timber into furniture; creating hedgehog houses and bird boxes;and exploring pottery, painting, sewing and craft. Young people may also develop products to sell at localmarkets.
Activities will accommodate different ages, abilities and levels of experience, with opportunities to progressfrom introductory projects to more ambitious work. The intention is an environment where learning isenjoyable, practical and collaborative, rather than another classroom.
The search for a home
The immediate priority is finding suitable premises in Pennington or Lymington. The team welcomesconversations with owners of vacant retail units, workshops, former commercial premises, communitybuildings or other underused spaces. A temporary arrangement would be particularly welcome, allowing theinitiative to establish itself while longer-term opportunities are explored.
Premises do not need to be perfect. The project is willing to explore opportunities where decorating,adaptation or improvement could form part of the community effort, subject to appropriate permissions andsafety requirements.
“We know there are buildings sitting empty while people in our community are looking for somewhere tocome together,” David added. “If someone has a property that could work, even for a year, we’d love tohave a conversation. We may be able to give that building a new purpose while creating somethinggenuinely valuable for the community.”
A call to the whole community
Reimagine is particularly keen to hear from property owners and landlords with suitable premises; artists,makers, tradespeople and retired professionals willing to mentor; environmental and community groups;charities and youth organisations; businesses able to contribute equipment, materials, expertise orsponsorship; and young people aged approximately 13–21 who want to help shape the initiative.The project also welcomes anyone who simply wants to volunteer, meet others or become part of a positivelocal initiative.
Building something together
Reimagine is being developed as a collaborative community initiative, bringing together the environmentalfocus of Transition Lymington and the youth, skills and community ambitions of the Maritime Futures Hub.Rather than duplicating existing organisations, the intention is to create a shared environment in whichcommunity groups, charities, businesses and volunteers can work alongside one another.The team hopes to establish an initial pilot in Pennington or Lymington, creating a foundation for alonger-term programme of community activity.
David concluded: “We’re not asking the community to support a finished project. We’re inviting people tohelp build it. Whether you’re 16 or 76, whether you have a workshop, a skill, a business, an idea or simplya few hours to spare, there could be a place for you. Imagine what we could create if we brought all thatenergy, experience and enthusiasm together.”
GET INVOLVED
David Coppinger | Maritime Futures Hub
maritimefutureshub@gmail.com | 07786 307572Pennington and Lymington, Hampshire
Supplied by the Clerk of the Verderers
Week commencing Monday 7th September 2026
07/09/2026 Black filly - Injured & Destroyed Blackgutter - B3078 M Maton10/09/2026 Foal - Injured - HIT & RUN Matley Car Park M Lovell
Week commencing Monday 14th September 2026
16/09/2026 Pony - Nothing Found Bramble Hill Car Park - B3078 M Maton16/09/2026 Dark bay filly foal - Injured & Destroyed - HIT & RUN Holmsley Road, Wootton J Gerrelli18/09/2026 Bay filly foal - Injured & Destroyed - HIT & RUN Vinney Rodge, Lyndhurst Road R Maton18/09/2026 Dark bay mare - Injured & Destroyed - HIT & RUN Black Knoll Brockenhurst R Maton19/09/2026 Chestnut pony - Nothing Found - HIT & RUN Woodlands Road, Ashurst R Maton
Click Here to see how to report an accident, problems with New Forest stock or driving incident.
Beaulieu Road Sales 2026 – Date Changes
The New Forest Livestock Society, in conjunction with Southern Counties Auctioneers confirm the sales planned for Thursday 5th November at the sale yard and the online auction Friday 27th November to Wednesday 2nd December have both been cancelled.
A new sale date has been planned for THURSDAY 3RD DECEMBER 2026 at the Beaulieu Road sale yard. Entry forms will be available in due course from Southern Counties Auctioneers. Please read terms and conditions on the entry form as there are some changes to the eligibility of animals that can be entered in Section 4 (restricted to commoners where animals on which marking fees have been paid in the 2026 year, or dams for those that are foals in 2026).There will be no pre-sale foal show held this year.
New Forest Livestock Society
📢 Important Update
Facebook/Meta have introduced new limits on the number of links pages can include in posts (around 2 per month) unless we pay for extra features or promote Meta‑approved products. As the NFED is a completely independent website and we work hard to keep our running costs — and therefore our prices — as low as possible, we won’t be adding paid links or joining the Affiliate programme. Even if we paid, the link allowance would only last a few days.
We’ll continue sharing featured adverts, directory listings, news and events, but without the links. If interested, go to the NFED website to see full details, photos or contact information.
We had no warning about this change, but just as when our Facebook page was previously removed, it made very little difference to NFED traffic or overall use. The website remains the heart of everything we do. The vast majority of users go directly to the NFED or simply type “NFED” into Google — only a very small number arrive via social media links.
Ironically, now that our social posts are all text and contain no links, they’re no longer penalised by Meta’s algorithms and are actually reaching more people. So this change may even work in our favour.
This only affects our NFED Facebook page — it has no impact on the NFED website, and it doesn’t stop you sharing adverts, listings or events from the site onto your own Facebook wall or groups.
Thank you for your continued support.
Supplied by the Clerk of the Verderers
Week commencing Monday 24th August 2026
We are very pleased to report that there were no RTA’s involving Commoners stock for the above week.
Week commencing Monday 31st August 2026
02/09/2026 Red and White Heifer - Nothing Found Broadley Car Park R Maton04/09/2026 Black Filly - Killed Crows Nest - B3078 M Maton05/09/2026 White Jenny Donkey - Killed - HIT & RUN Blackgutter - B3078 M Maton
Click Here to see how to report an accident, problems with New Forest stock or driving incident.
Supplied by the Clerk of the Verderers
Week commencing Monday 3rd August 2026
We are very pleased to report that there were no RTA’s involving Commoners stock for the above week.
Week commencing Monday 10th August 2026
12/08/2026 Bay Pony - Uninjured - WEARING REFLECTIVE COLLAR Godshill - B3078 J Gerrelli
Week commencing Monday 17th August 2026
21/08/2026 Black Cow - Nothing Found Burley Road between Wilverley & Hincheslea J Gerrelli
Click Here to see how to report an accident, problems with New Forest stock or driving incident.
Here’s a look at the latest NFED website visitor statistics for the past three months. 📊
These figures show actual human visitors to the core NFED website only. They do not include: Events hosted by Tockify, Social media, Facebook, X, shopping cart pages, or the weekly newsletter, which now goes out to over 12,500 subscribers. ✉️
May 2026
Unique visitors: 95,046
Number of visits: 172,335
Pages viewed: 631,996
Hits: 9,955,996
Bandwidth used: 325.94 GB
June 2026
Unique visitors: 124,724
Number of visits: 202,658
Pages viewed: 716,361
Hits: 9,018,047
Bandwidth used: 268.89 GB
July 2026
Unique visitors: 41,901
Number of visits: 115,081
Pages viewed: 648,823
Hits: 8,957,615
Bandwidth used: 252.34 GB
Continuing Growth & Community Support 🌱
Overall, we continue to have a huge following, despite the numerous social groups and alternatives that come and go. Our search results remain excellent, helped by site maps updated and submitted to Google and Bing daily. 🔍
Nothing beats a loyal following and word of mouth, so a big thank you to everyone who continues to use the NFED, advertise, or spread the word. ❤️
Your support keeps the NFED thriving and connected to the local equestrian community. 🐴
The New Forest Livestock Society, in conjunction with Southern Counties Auctioneers has taken the decision to cancel the sale planned for Thursday 8th October due to equine flu within the New Forest. Monitoring will continue and appropriate communication will be posted with regards to future sales in due course.
New Forest Livestock Society
We’ve finally tracked down and resolved the software issue that caused problems when removing maps from directory listings.
You can now choose whether the map is shown on new listings, and we can remove it from existing listings on request.
The directory software and databases have also been upgraded, so emojis are now fully supported. Previously they weren’t recognised and couldn’t be displayed.
The old Google map directions, contact form, and social share buttons have been removed. These features were no longer used and often caused confusion with advertisers’ own social links. The existing links are now highlighted more clearly, and anyone wishing to share a listing can simply use the sharing options on their own device.
If you’d like your listing updated, just get in touch.
Over the last few days we’ve carried out an important behind‑the‑scenes upgrade to the NFED website. Nothing on the surface has changed, but the foundations underneath the site are now stronger, more modern, and ready for the future.
This work has improved three key areas:
1. Better reliability
NFED now uses a newer and more robust data format. This helps prevent odd character issues, improves consistency across all sections of the site, and keeps everything running smoothly.
2. Better compatibility
Modern devices, apps, and browsers all handle text slightly differently. This upgrade ensures NFED works more cleanly with today’s phones, tablets, and computers — especially when people copy and paste text from apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, or email.
3. Emoji support
You can now use emojis throughout NFED — in the Diary, News, Directory, Classifieds, Events and more. If you want to add a smiley, a horse, a weather symbol, or a thumbs‑up, NFED will now save and display them correctly.
A few examples you can now use:
🐴 ☀️ 🌧️ 👍 😊 🎉 🏆
This upgrade doesn’t change how you use the site, but it does make NFED more flexible and future‑proof. Everything should feel exactly the same — just a bit friendlier and more reliable behind the scenes.
As always, thank you for being part of the NFED community.
We’ve noticed a rise in AI‑written adverts. That’s absolutely fine — it’s entirely up to each individual advertiser whether they choose to use AI or not — but accuracy is still essential.
To help everyone who does use AI get it right, we’ve added a new FAQ with some useful pointers on how to produce a clear, honest and complete advert.
How to Use AI to Help Write a Horse Advert
AI tools can be really helpful when creating a clear, well‑structured advert for your horse. They won’t replace your knowledge or honesty, but they can tidy up your wording and present your information professionally.
1. Start With a Strong Title (Maximum 75 Characters) 📝Your title should be short, accurate and eye‑catching.Good things to include:
Type or discipline (e.g., All‑Rounder, Dressage Prospect)
Age or height
A standout quality (e.g., Safe Confidence Builder)
🚫 Important: Don’t mention selling or price in the title if you would like the advert shared on Facebook. Facebook’s rules automatically block titles containing words like for sale, selling, £, price, etc.
Tip:Ask the AI:
Write a horse advert title under 75 characters based on the details below.
2. Provide the AI With Clear Details for the Advert Text 📋AI works best when you give it complete, honest information. Include as many of the following as possible:Essential Details:
Breeding – Known parentage or type 🧬
Sex – Mare, gelding, stallion 🚻
Type – Pony, cob, sports horse, native, etc. 🐎
Age – In years 🎂
Height – In hands (hh) 📏
Experience – Hacking, schooling, jumping, hunting, competitions 🎯
Temperament – Calm, forward, green, quirky, safe, etc. 😊⚡
Good Qualities – What the horse does well ⭐
Limitations / Honest Points – Any quirks, needs, restrictions or areas still developing ⚠️
Price – Clear and realistic 💷
Location – Optional but helpful 📍
Extras – Tack included, videos available, trial facilities, etc. 🎥🪝
Tip:Tell the AI exactly what you want:
Write a clear, honest horse advert using the details below. Include breeding, sex, type, age, height, experience, temperament, good qualities, any limitations and the price.
3. Review the AI’s Output Carefully 👀AI can help with wording, but you must check everything.Make sure:
All details are accurate
Nothing is exaggerated
Any quirks or limitations are clearly stated
The tone feels honest and suitable for NFED
The price is correct
4. Keep It Honest 🤝A good advert includes both strengths and weaknesses. Buyers appreciate transparency, and honest adverts reduce time‑wasting enquiries.5. Example Prompt You Can Copy & Paste Into Your Chosen AI Platform 💬
Please write a horse advert title under 75 characters without mentioning selling, and a clear, honest advert description. Include breeding, sex, type, age, height, experience, temperament, good qualities, any limitations, and the price. Here are the details: [insert your information].
6. Submitting Your Advert 📨When you have carefully checked the AI‑generated advert and are happy with it, copy and paste it into the submission form at: 👉 https://www.nfed.co.uk/submit.htm
Supplied by the Clerk of the Verderers
Week commencing Monday 20th July 2026
25/07/2026 Foal - Injured & Destroyed - HIT & RUN Ipley Crossroads M Lovell
Week commencing Monday 27th July 2026
27/07/2026 Black Mare - Injured & Destroyed Telegraph Hill - B3078 M Maton
Click Here to see how to report an accident, problems with New Forest stock or driving incident.
More than 50 businesses across the New Forest have now signed up to the New Forest Drive Safe campaign to help protect animals and improve road safety.
The initiative, led by the New Forest Commoners’ Defence Association (CDA) and New Forest National Park Authority in conjunction with New Forest Roads Awareness, encourages businesses from across the area to raise awareness among staff, customers and visitors about the importance of driving carefully on New Forest roads.
This is particularly important due to Commoners’ free-roaming animals – namely ponies, cattle, donkeys – as well as other wildlife, who regularly cross roads.
Beaulieu estate, Harwoods Bentley and McClaren, the Commoners’ Larder and New Forest Fruit Company are among the companies who have already lent their support to the initiative.
Businesses joining the scheme are listed on the CDA website and can opt into a quarterly newsletter with key road safety messages and seasonal updates, which they are encouraged to share with their employees who regularly travel on Forest roads.
Animal accident hotline cards are also given out, highlighting who to call in the unfortunate event of an accident involving Forest livestock.
Andrew Parry-Norton, who run the Commoners’ Larder which delivers farm produce, said: ‘We are very proud to be part of the New Forest Drive Safe campaign.
‘As a business rooted in commoning, we understand how important Commoners’ free-roaming animals are to the landscape, heritage and way of life.
‘By supporting this campaign, we hope to help raise awareness of how important it is to drive safely in the New Forest to ensure the safety of both people and Commoners’ livestock.’
By signing up to New Forest Drive Safe, businesses are helping to spread awareness of the simple actions drivers can take to reduce the risk of collisions and keep both people and animals safe in the National Park.
Road traffic remains one of the greatest threats to the welfare of the free-roaming animals who play a vital role in maintaining the unique landscape and habitats through their grazing regimes.
The New Forest Drive Safe campaign continues to welcome new businesses from across the Forest and surrounding areas.
From retailers and hospitality venues to tourism operators and service providers, any organisation is encouraged to sign up so it can play a role in helping visitors and residents understand how to drive responsibly in the Forest.
Businesses interested in joining the campaign can find out more and sign up on the CDA website.
New Forest CDA vice chair Keith Mansbridge said: ‘We are delighted that more than 50 businesses and organisations have already signed up to support the New Forest Drive Safe campaign.
‘This demonstrates a strong commitment across the New Forest to reducing animal accidents and promoting safer driving.
‘However, this is just the beginning. We want to see even more businesses joining the campaign, helping us spread the message further and ensuring that everyone who visits the Forest understands the importance of driving with care.’
Supplied by the Clerk of the Verderers
Week commencing Monday 13th July 2026
16/07/2026 Foal - Uninjured Near Broadley Car Park J Gerrelli
Click Here to see how to report an accident, problems with New Forest stock or driving incident.
Supplied by the Clerk of the Verderers
Week commencing Monday 6th July 2026
06/07/2026 Colt Foal - Injured & Destroyed Blackgutter - B3078 M Maton
Click Here to see how to report an accident, problems with New Forest stock or driving incident.
