THE Forest of Dean District Council is inviting people to take part in this year’s anti-litter campaign by entering the #LoveYourForest car window sticker competition, launched at Forest Holidays in Christchurch this week.

The competition is being held as part of the wider #LoveYourForest campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the issues surrounding rural litter.

Previous #LoveYourForest activities have included a ‘pop-up’ litter shop in Coleford, the installation of Communitrees – faces made from litter – at picnic sites and a tour of the Hubbub and Lucozade Ribena Suntory ‘Trashconverter’ van which swapped treats for bags of colleted litter.

To take part, residents simply need to pick up a #LoveYourForest window sticker and display it in their vehicle. Through the summer, any vehicle spotted with a sticker will be entered into the weekly draw to win a prize donated by local businesses and tourist attractions.

The winning registration plates will be published in the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley Review, on the Forest Council’s website and posted on the #LoveYourForest Facebook and Twitter pages from the week starting June 25.

Prizes to date include: a champagne tea at the Tudor Farmhouse; a £30 meal voucher for The Woodman at Parkend; a family ticket to Perrygrove Railway; a £30 Sunday lunch voucher for the Red Hart at Blaisdon; tickets to Go Ape (or Tree Top Juniors if preferred); tickets for Forest of Dean Adventure; Taurus Crafts vouchers; Whitemead Forest Park vouchers; a Hillside Brewery tour; Freedom Leisure and Forestry Commission Discovery passes; as well as a fantastic three-day stay for up to four people at one of Forest Holiday’s log cabins.

Stickers can be collected from various locations, including libraries, village shops, leisure centres, tourist destinations and visitor sites, Forestry Commission sites as well as from the Forest Council’s offices in Coleford. See www.fdean.gov.uk/loveyourforest for all locations.

Cllr Chris McFarling, Cabinet Member for the Environment at the Forest Council, said: “Litter is an ongoing issue, however, programmes such as Blue Planet 2 are helping highlight challenges that the natural world faces and we have received huge interest from the public about what they can do on the back of this publicity. The #LoveYourForest campaign is just one way local people can get involved.

“Last year, we had a tremendous response to the car window sticker competition with hundreds of motorists pledging to keep the Forest clean, by displaying their sticker. We are keen to build on this and hope even more people will take part this time. We are very grateful to the local businesses that are getting behind the campaign and we have some great prizes up for grabs thanks to them.”

Kelly Macaskill, general manager at Forest Holidays, said: “We are delighted to support this year’s #LoveYourForest competition and give a prize for a stay in one of our cabins. The Forest of Dean is a beautiful place and a popular tourist destination so it is up to us all to take an active interest to protect it.

“We hope everyone will get on board with the litter prevention message to take any rubbish home and dispose of it responsibly.”

Window stickers can also be collected from the new #LoveYourForest Trashconverter trailer which will be out and about at events across the Forest of Dean. See the #LoveYourForest Twitter page and Facebook for more details.

Car window stickers can also be requested on 01594 810000 or at [email protected]

Residents with their #LoveYourForest sticker from last year do not need to collect a new one.

The #LoveYourForest campaign is backed by environmental charity Hubbub, Lucozade Ribena Suntory, the Forest of Dean Council, Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Tourism, Forestry Commission and Foresters’ Forest. See #LoveYourForest.