Did you know that more than 360 horses are known to have been killed or injured in fireworks-related incidents since 2010?
A new infographic from the Fireworks Working Group reveals many more of the unintended outcomes that fireworks displays can have on people, animals, wildlife and the environment.
The Fireworks Working Group is a collaboration of charities representing people and animals who are asking Westminster to review and update current firework regulations so we can start to reduce these sobering statistics.
Please share the infographic and ask your own parliamentary candidates to support calls for a review of firework regulations. We know we aren’t alone in wanting to see much needed change!
A new report published and released by Redwings Horse Sanctuary today (Thursday 23rd May 2024) says the Animal Welfare Act does not offer recourse or protection for pets or livestock caused to suffer because of firework displays, and the assertion by Ministers that it does is an ‘illusion’.
For years MPs have been telling us to use the Animal Welfare Act with regard to firework problems. We all knew it was unworkable. Now this view is backed up by a multi-agency forum.
*** EDIT: The 6th debate will now not take place on 24/06/2024 due to the general election. Whether or not it is rescheduled will be a decision for the new Petitions Committee ***
We left the European Union with a far lower percentage – just under 52%! The debate is no longer WHY? It’s more WHY NOT? There have been 5 debates already on the topic, with 6 government petitions reaching over 100,000 signatures, and another petition with over 1 million signatures. The 6th debate is scheduled for 24 June 2024. Each time great arguments across the spectrum of objections to fireworks have been put across by MPs. From people with PTSD, children with sound sensitivity, fears, people being woken in their sleep, to them being used as weapons, the environmental damage and the dreadful impact on wildlife and pets.
Each time in previous debates, the current government stands up and says they do not feel there is a need to change the law. Huh? Were they even listening? Have they seen the polls? Are they totally and utterly out of touch? Do they no longer believe in democracy? Read this blog (Polls Reveal Fireworks Sales To The Public Should Be Banned) to see a long, long list of stats, all across the country, across the years. The Mirror asked the question in November 2023, “Should fireworks be banned?” It wasn’t even to the general public. Just banned. And 87% answered a resounding YES! 90% answered the same in 2021. The summary is about 85% of people, across a list of separate polls, each time say, yes ban them. Combat stress and Help for Heroes have written an open letter to Kemi Badenoch explaining the impact on veterans with PTSD and asking for change. Animal charities have done the same – RSPCA, Dog’s Trust and many more.
They are outdated and the growth in the fireworks industry’s sales over the last decade, impacts individuals’ right to peace and quiet in their own homes.
When we have written blogs over the years, and had interviews with individuals impacted or who saw a loved one impacted dreadfully, they were often so kind and apologetic, believing themselves to be in the minority. Not wanting their need to have them stopped, to impact on ‘other people’s fun’. Well the truth is, it is actually the minority who want to ‘have fun’ in their back gardens, at any time of day or night, any day of the year and for any simple reason. And it is ‘fun’ that is harmful to people, the environment and animals. ‘Fun’ versus ‘Harm’. They are no longer valid in a society which realises that in order to survive, we need to be compassionate and live together in harmony with nature. And a society that is more aware of the importance of supporting the whole host of people who are severely impacted by them.
It is just a debate on 24th June 2024. The Government still needs to show at least some level of compassion and value in democracy – and listen to the people. They need to start a process to change the law. But what can you do? Don’t give up. We could have a new government soon … write to your MP – it’s easy. You simply go to writetothem.com, enter your postcode, pick you MP and write a polite letter with why you want change. We have written many blogs over the years which explain the multitude of reasons they should be banned (Blog) with statistics and important information.
You might also want to ask what your MP’s party’s policy is on fireworks – or they as individuals and what will they would do if voted in. We wrote to the main parties and didn’t hear back. So ask. Push them for who will back change if you vote for them. And let us know! And with an election coming up, vote with your feet. Vote with who you believe will listen to the people.
• Sign and share petitions • Now is the time to write to your MP and ask them to push the Government to take drastic action. Reduce the number of days to just a handful a year, reduce the sound and ban the sale to the public. Or you can use the RSPCA template. There have been 5 debates, 6 petitions with over 100,000 signatures each, a Petitions Committee inquiry, polls all confirming what the people want – and the Government, in particular the Department of Business and Trade, who reviews the petition, needs to listen. Kemi Badenoch is the head of that department and MP for Saffron Waldon • Write to your councils asking them to change what they allow. • Share this blog in every group you are in on social media and in emails – particularly those not related to fireworks, to reach new audiences • Ask your friends and neighbours not to let fireworks off or if they insist, to at least use low noise fireworks which are available from most firework suppliers • Read and share more blogs on the impact of fireworks and share these too: The polls that show the vast majority of people in the UK want change, the Environmental impact, impact on pet owners, impact on war veterans and sufferers of PTSD and on assistance dogs, how even Christmas is no longer a time of peace and why fireworks are a nuisance and the law should change.
The Petitions Committee will debate the petition “Ban the sale of fireworks to the general public” on 24 June 2024 despite it only receiving 50,288 signatures. It is very unusual for a petition to be debated with less than 100,000 signatures so this is a positive sign
Let’s keep the momentum going. Please write to your MP to tell them how fireworks affect you and your loved ones, both human and animals. The more people they hear from the more they will understand the problems faced. It’s easy with https://www.writetothem.com/
You might have noticed we look a bit different today – very different in fact! In our 200th year we’re proud to unveil a bold new look and feel for our historic charity. A new brand along with a new purpose – inspiring everyone to create a better world for every animal. In shorthand, people will see us talking about For Every Kind. That means for every kind of animal, whether it’s helping thousands through our vital rescue work, or helping millions more through our advocacy, prevention and education work, both here and around the world. But it also means for every person, whoever they are, because we need everyone to get involved in animal welfare.
In the 200 years since we were founded, we’ve changed attitudes, behaviours and laws towards animals and, as a society, we’ve revolutionised the way we think, feel and act towards them. But animals are now facing some of the biggest challenges in our 200-year history, from climate change to loss of habitat, intensive farming to the cost of living crisis. Unless we act urgently to put animal welfare back on the agenda as one of the most pressing issues of our time, we risk animals’ lives getting worse, not better.
We at the RSPCA have a critical role to play as the oldest and biggest animal charity in the country; with our powerful voice, we can bring individuals and organisations together to drive change. We know we can’t do it alone, which is where our new, brighter, bolder and more welcoming brand comes in.
We’re proud of our 200 year history, and we’ve achieved a lot, including changing more than 400 laws improving the lives of animals in labs, in farms, in homes and in the wild. But we have changed too and we know that, for many people, our old brand was out-of-date or off putting. We haven’t rebranded since the 1970s and it was holding us back from being the modern, forward-facing organisation we really want, and need, to be.
It isn’t just about a new logo, this is all about raising the profile of animal welfare and helping everyone understand that we can all play a part in improving animals’ lives. Our new brand will help us reach more people, people who may not have considered us, or their role in animal welfare, before. We want to build a movement for animals and the more people we can inspire to get involved, the more impact we can have for animals, now and for many years to come.
We’re at a turning point and we’re changing to meet the challenges ahead. We need as many people as possible to join us to create a better world for every animal. Because a world that’s better for animals is better for us all.
10 years ago Julie started a petition with a couple of really good friends asking the UK Government to limit firework use. That petition, after a lot of hard work and even more FABulous friends, eventually morphed into The Firework Campaign.
The Firework Campaign has had success pushing 6 petitions over 100,000 signatures and following those were 5 debates in Westminster Hall, Parliament. Our current petition will be taken to No 10 this year. As we have been constantly disappointed with the response from Government to the government petitions and the debates we have been looking for ‘another way’.
At the same time charities have been searching for ways to bring this issue to the Government’s notice and a group of 17 charities have come together to form The Firework Working Group (FWG).
Going forward we have created The Association for Firework Legislation Reform (AFLR). This new UK based organisation will support the FWG to help them achieve a change in the 20 year old Fireworks Regulations 2004. Our mission is to gather support from a wide range of charities, organisations and groups who are all, in one way or another, negatively affected by the extreme overuse of fireworks today. We hope to improve the welfare of vulnerable members of society, as well as domestic, agricultural and wild animals, whilst balancing people’s right to enjoy fireworks. To this end we also continue to support the RSPCA’s Bang Out Of Order Campaign.
Add your organisation’s support by completing the form.
On December 6th 2023 a group of charities welcomed MPs to a coalition event to discuss how firework legislation is failing the vulnerable in our society. Humans and animal welfare suffers when fireworks are used sporadically throughout the year.
The event was hosted by the ‘Fireworks coalition’ consisting of: Combat Stress, Help for Heroes, Dogs Trust, Blue Cross, Battersea, British Veterinary Association, Cats Protection, Children’s Burns Trust, The Kennel Club, PTSD UK, Dan’s Fund for Burns, Assistance Dogs, Service Dogs, The British Horse Society, Redwings and Bravehounds.
The message from every charity was clear. The government needs to introduce tougher restrictions on firework use.“We call on the UK government to conduct a review of existing fireworks legislation accounting for their impact on human and animal welfare.”
The gold nugget to take from this is that the ‘human’ charities have joined with the animal charities. Stronger together.
The Firework Campaign is working closely with the BHS, RSPCA and Redwings.
We will keep you up to date with more from the Firework Working Group as it happens.
Fireworks Polls Show People and Charities Want a Ban on the Sales of Fireworks to the Public – Countrywide.
We’ve looked into polls around the country and what the people want. On average, around 85% of us want a ban on sales of fireworks to the public. And have been saying so for at least 20 years! And many charities are also calling for it.
All across the nation, poll after poll, people are fed up of fireworks and want sales to the public to be banned. We know they’re cruel, are a nuisance and that they are harmful for people, animals and the environment. You can see below that veteran, PTSD and other charities, as well as animal charities are asking for change too. So why is the government so out of touch and not doing anything? And the question now is not if we want them banned but why, in a democracy, are they not doing what the people and charities want? What is the real issue here and what is going on?
Write to your MP, share this blog and ask them. And ask who will put forward a Private Member’s Bill to get this through. Or if you have an MP who is in the government (see list here), particularly the Department of Business and Trade, please ask that they do what the people want. Now! You can sign the latest petition too.
Here is just a list of some recent polls that have come up in the last few days (Nov 2023), up and down and across the country:
The Mirrorhas polled readers. 87% want them banned
Nottinghamshire Live asked the same question of should the sale of them be banned to the public. A resounding 87% said YESthey want them banned.
Leicestershire Live again, same questions. 88% said they want them banned in public sales
Manchester Evening News says 90% want them banned
Wales Online says 75% want the sales banned to the public
LondonLovesBusiness reports on a poll done by RIFT, which shows that 78% want a ban
Combat Stress and Help for Heroesdid a poll of veterans and “74% of the veterans surveyed want to see the days and times when fireworks can be set off to be restricted further; whilst 67% want a reduction in the overall number of days fireworks can be sold to the public.”
Many people can feel concerned they would be ruining other peoples’ fun. Not so. The people are behind this, clearly. It is unambiguous. It’s outdated and inappropriate for any politician to say that banning fireworks ruins other’s fun, when clearly it is anything but fun for the majority. And it isn’t new. People have been polled over the years and have been saying the same thing as far back and further than 2006.
In 2006, in the Bolton News, a poll said 77% wanted a ban.
In 2020, Heart FM had done a poll and 72% of listeners wanted the same
In 2021, The Mirror also did a poll and 90% wanted them banned
In the 2021 parliamentary debate, when there were over 305,000 petition signatures, Elliot Colburn said he polled his constituents and out of 75,000, 89% wanted a ban on sales!
We seem so proud of our democracy, of our care for animals and people – and yet the people in parliament are not doing what we, the people are asking them to do. It’s time to ask, why is this not happening and how do we make this happen? To write to MPs, demand it of them. Complete every petition and keep writing. With recent reports of fireworks firing into crowds by accident and being used as weapons, some MPs are calling for change.
They may be concerned we’ll not want it. The opposite. The vast majority of us will be jumping for joy. So write to them and let them know so. And if they are worried about a black market, the polls indicate there won’t be much of a market wanting them anyway!
We wanted to call out quotes from some of the many charities demanding change. The Combat Stress and Help the Heroes article regarding their survey. It is wrong this goes on and isn’t stopped for the people that protect us, while the majority of the public are supportive of change. Out of respect for our service men and women as we approach 11th November, when sadly more fireworks will go off and cause distress.
“Ex-RAF serviceman Matt Neve, who has been diagnosed with PTSD, generalised anxiety disorder and depression, all attributable to his service, said:“One of my main roles was the loading and unloading of those that had been injured or killed in order to repatriate them. Unfortunately, PTSD developed from this, a trigger of which is sudden loud noise, flashes of light or explosions, as well as certain smells. So imagine what it’s like when these are combined in a small package set off by your neighbour. You physically shake with fear, sweat, and become so agitated that you don’t know what to do. Imagine what it’s like to get out your car just as a firework is set off and you grab your daughter and dive to the ground for cover because you thought you were back in a war zone. Imagine how embarrassing it is to accidentally wet yourself in front of your family, because that young idiot down the road launches fireworks at or near your house, or to be scared to leave your house in the evening in the weeks leading up to Bonfire Night and New Year.All of the above is what happens and has happened to me. It’s a reality of living with PTSD.”
James Needham, CEO of Help for Heroes, said: “Veterans tell us the sudden noises, flashes and smells caused by fireworks can leave them feeling nervous and fearful. Some can feel overwhelmed, others may be reminded of moments in combat and past traumatic events. That is why we are calling upon the Secretary of State for Business and Trade to commission an independent review of the current legislation, and to consider tighter restrictions on fireworks sales in England and Wales.”
Jacqui Suttie, Founder and CEO of PTSD UK says, “When you have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD or C-PTSD), any loud or sudden noise can be a trigger, leading to flashbacks, uncontrollable shaking, panic attacks, heart palpations and many other physical and emotional symptoms. That linked with the other symptoms of PTSD and C-PTSD such as exaggerated startle response, fear of sound (phonophobia), aversion to specific sounds (misophonia), and a difficulty in tolerance and volume of sounds that would not be considered loud by normal hearing individuals (hyperacusis) means firework ‘season’ in October and November or around festivals such as Diwali, New Year and Chinese New Year can be a hugely traumatic time for people with PTSD and C-PTSD.”
RSPCA, Dogs Trust, Blue Cross, Battersea, British Veterinary Association, Cats Protection, Children’s Burns Trust, The Kennel Club, Combat Stress, PTSD UK, Dan’s Fund for Burns and Help for Heroes are all campaigning for change and spoke to MPs in November 2022. Still no change. 5 debates in parliament, with 6 petitions over 100,000 signatures. Why?
If you want change and would like to support our veterans among so many others, DON’T GIVE UP. The government will have to listen. If not this, then the next. This could be a vote influencer in the next election. If you want to bring about change, you aren’t the only one. Most of the population agree.
Now is the time to write to your MP and ask them to push the Government to take drastic action. Reduce the number of days to just a handful a year, reduce the sound and ban the sale to the public. Or you can use the RSPCA template. There have been 5 debates, 6 petitions with over 100,000 signatures each, a Petitions Committee inquiry, polls all confirming what the people want – and the Government, in particular the Department of Business and Trade, who reviews the petition, needs to listen. Kemi Badenoch is the head of that department and MP for Saffron Waldon
Write to your councils asking them to change what they allow.
Share this blog in every group you are in on social media and in emails – particularly those not related to fireworks, to reach new audiences
Ask your friends and neighbours not to let fireworks off or if they insist to, at least use low noise fireworks which are available from most firework suppliers
Martin Lewis did a poll a few days ago asking, “Should fireworks be allowed to be sold for private (non organised display) use? … Many supermarkets no longer sell fireworks over safety concerns but private individuals can buy them elsewhere.” This is a broad mix of people who follow him, so a good, generic mix. 56,409 people responded. The results?
73% voted to “ban sales”. Only 27% wanted to “allow sales”. Out of 56,409 people!
This is not surprising. We’ve seen it in many polls over the years. Fireworks are no longer occasional. They’re allowed every day of the year until 11pm and some days until 1am. And they do go off any day of the year. They’re noisy, disturb the peace for many and are detrimental, damaging and deadly for many others, as we’ve covered in so many of our fireworks blogs. Why we’re not surprised?
Because we’ve had a massive 5 debates in parliament because 6 petitions reached over 100,000 signatures. Also over 1 million people have signed the change.org petition. Elliot Colburn, MP, said at the last debate, that he polled his constituents. 75,000 answered and 89% supported a complete ban of sales to the public. This is the current government petition to sign. We’re going to look into this more. But the question is this:
Why – when so many issues can get swiftly put through by the government to change laws, with far fewer or any petitions from the people – are these continually ignored? And the usual patter that they think they are used responsibly. What is going on? Why are the people not listened to?
Why not email your MP and ask them. Share this blog and ask if they can help. We’d be delighted to hear their thoughts.
The trouble is, if you look at the law, they’re used according to it a lot of the time. That’s because the law is so incredibly loose – any day of the year until 11pm – and is not up-to-date with a society which can get hold of them easily and at low cost. No wonder the government can say they’re used accordingly! You can hear some close by, that wake you in the night. If it’s before 11pm (when most have gone to bed), but you’re still asleep, the law allows that. Huh? Don’t we always read of the health benefits of sleep? If they are after that time, are you able to get out of bed, in your jim jams (!), run round all the houses and identify which house in probably miles around you, let it off? Really…?
With so many debates, so many petitions, the government could be hoping the public will go quiet. And this is a challenge. Why, when you signed 6 petitions and they didn’t come to anything, would you keep doing so? It’s like children to a cruel parent. Like Oliver Twist asking for more porridge but being repeatedly turned down. Is that what they hope will happen? Don’t we talk proudly of our democratic system, around the world? What kind of democracy is this? What kind of society allows people, animals and the environment to be continually punished – and when clearly the majority want change?
If you want change, DON’T GIVE UP. The government will have to listen. If not this, then the next. This could be a vote influencer in the next election. You are not in a minority. The opposite. If you want to bring about change, you aren’t the only one. Most of the population agree.
Share this blog in every group you are in on social media and in emails – particularly those not related to fireworks, to reach new audiences
There have been 5 debates, 6 petitions with over 100,000 signatures each, a Petitions Committee inquiry and the Government needs to listen. Now is the time to write to your MP and ask them to push the Government to take drastic action. Reduce the number of days to just a handful a year and ban the sale to the public. Or you can use the RSPCA template
Write to your councils asking them to change what they allow.
Ask your friends and neighbours not to let fireworks off or if they insist to, at least use low noise fireworks which are available from most firework suppliers
