05 November 2025

Redwings' fireworks noise petition hits 100,000 signatures needed to be considered for Parliamentary debate

Fireworks debris collected from our sanctuary paddocks
Fireworks debris collected from one of our sanctuary paddocks

 Redwings petition asking the Government to reduce the maximum permitted noise level of fireworks from 120 to 90 decibels has reached 100,000 signatures.

The landmark figure was reached just a couple of days before Bonfire Night and means the UK Government and Parliament petition must now be considered for debate.

We're still asking you to sign and share our petition, to help us show the number of people who feel so strongly on the issue. 

Research, including our survey of over 5,000 UK horse owners, suggests that reducing the permitted noise levels for fireworks could reduce their negative impact, and hopefully result in fewer horse deaths.

According to The British Horse Society's incident-recording system, there were 26 horse deaths due to fireworks between 2021 and 2025. It is recognised that many more incidents will go unrecorded.

We have lost three of our own rescued residents in the past and with Bonfire Night taking place today (Wednesday) our preparations have been in place all week.

We have hundreds of horses, ponies, donkeys and mules, many of whom have previously endured cruelty or neglect, living at Visitor Centres in Norfolk, Essex, Warwickshire and Angus, Scotland, as well as other sanctuary sites.

 

Horses and fireworks
Ponies on Gelligaer common, surrounded by fireworks debris

Helen Whitelegg, our Campaigns and Policy Manager, said: “It takes a lot of effort to try to protect our rescued residents from the negative effects fireworks can have on them and, unfortunately, we know from experience that our best efforts are not always enough.”

Amongst the techniques we employ are additional evening monitoring; provision of supplementary feed; the removal of temporary electric fencing and delays to changes in herd management, such as reintroducing a horse who has been under veterinary care.

Helen continued: “It’s several years since Cinders, Sprite and Percy died in incidents relating to fireworks being let off near Redwings but, having seen for ourselves the awful suffering fireworks can cause, the season will always be an anxious time under current fireworks regulations.

“Staff at our Ada Cole Visitor Centre, in Essex, have already been contending with fireworks being let off close by every night for the past two weeks.

“One of the horses who lives with us at Ada Cole worked himself up into a state during a fireworks display nearby on Saturday. Our horses usually live out, but he is in on box rest in the barn due to laminitis and was sweating to the point he was foaming and pacing his stable.

“It took two members of staff over an hour to collect just part of the debris from the display, which had landed in the fields our horses live in, yesterday, and there's more to do today."
 

We launched our Keep Horse in Mind campaign last year and are also working with other charities and individuals to raise awareness, gather information and seek changes to legislation.

An MP drop-in event is taking place in Westminster next week organised by the Fireworks Impact Coalition (formerly the Fireworks Working Group) with the aim of influencing those with the power to bring about change. The Coalition is made up of 19 charities, including Redwings, who represent both animals and humans impacted by fireworks, from assistance dogs and zoo animals to military veterans and people living with PTSD. The event will take place on Wednesday 12th November between 1.30pm – 4.45pm, in Dining Room B, House of Commons. Please contact your MP and ask them to attend. A template letter is available here (PDF 103 KB) and you can find your MP's contact details here.
 

To find out more about our work on fireworks - including advice on preparing for fireworks season, a downloadable letter template for neighbours, and how to report an incident - please click here. 
 

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High-profile signatories amongst over 60,000 people supporting our fireworks noise reduction petition
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A quote of support from Stephen Fry

High-profile signatories amongst over 60,000 people supporting our fireworks noise reduction petition

Petition snip

Redwings' reaction to the Government's response to our fireworks petition

Merlot and Tamzin

Fireworks: Tamzin and Merlot

A chestnut mare and foal

Redwings assists in charity collaboration to safeguard welfare of rare-breed horses

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