New Forest Commoners pushing for recognition as a minority group

A new initiative is underway to explore whether New Forest Commoners could be formally recognised as a minority group.

The primary purpose is to help protect Commoners’ unique cultural heritage, land-based traditions and way of life for generations to come.

As part of the early-stage work, the New Forest Commoners’ Defence Association (CDA) is launching a simple two-question survey to gauge support and visibility of the proposal within the Commoning community.

The survey aims to understand how many people identify as Commoners both now and potentially in the future. The survey comprises the following yes/no questions:

• If you had known it was an option, would you have identified as a New Forest Commoner in the most recent national census?
• If it becomes an option, would you identify as a New Forest Commoner in future national censuses?

It is hoped the results will demonstrate the scale and commitment of the Commoning community while supporting the case for recognition in public records and policy.

Chair of the New Forest CDA, Andrew Parry-Norton, said: ‘The purpose of this short survey is cultural visibility.

‘Commoning is a way of life deeply tied to the landscape, with roots going back hundreds of years. But unless we’re counted we are at risk of being overlooked.’

The results of the survey will inform wider discussions with policymakers, heritage bodies, and other minority communities in the UK who have achieved formal recognition.

Anyone who considers themselves a New Forest Commoner is encouraged to take part and share the survey widely within the community.

Take the survey here

Read the introductory report by Brice Stratford: Recognising New Forest commoners as a national minority

The deadline to complete the survey is Sunday, 31 August.