Make the Pledge.

Anything that genuinely benefits the New Forest or the people, animals, and communities who depend on it. This could include wildlife trusts, conservation charities, commoners' associations, land management projects, environmental community groups, and similar organisations.

The 2% cannot be used for your own business costs — even costs directly related to running the scheme, such as accountant fees. It must go entirely and directly to your chosen external organisation.

Yes. You decide which products carry the sticker. You can include your entire range or just selected items.

The 2% is calculated as realistically as possible. If you are able to know the true sales price, then you should use that. If not, then using the expected RRP of the product to make the calculation is fine.

Your methodology — how you calculate, whether figures are VAT-inclusive or exclusive — should be agreed before the year starts and applied consistently throughout. You cannot change it retroactively. It must be documented as part of your public verification at the end of the year.

Your accountant reviews your sales records for marked products, confirms the 2% calculation is correct, and confirms that the donation was made to your chosen organisation. They sign a document to this effect, which is then published in our directory.

The public document confirms the calculation was correct and the donation was made — but does not disclose the amount.

A private document confirms the same, but also includes the total donation. This is not shared and is used only for statistical and reporting purposes.

There are no membership fees. The Burley Trading Co Ltd covers all central administration costs of the scheme. Your only costs are the internal ones you choose to incur — such as your accountant's time.

Those costs are borne by your business. They do not come from the 2%, which must go in full to your chosen cause.

No. Any product-based business that cares about the New Forest is welcome to join, regardless of where you are based. What matters is that your chosen cause genuinely benefits the New Forest or its inhabitants.

That's great! You could remove their sales from your calculations, or they could remove your stock from their calculations. Alternatively, you could both track and double the donation for those sales.

Regardless of the chosen method, the methodology needs to be clear in the end of year document submissions.

The 2% is calculated on the actual sale price — the amount the customer pays. For most products, this is the VAT-inclusive price. If a product sells for £6.95, the contribution is 2% of £6.95.

If you sell at different prices to different customers (for example, trade versus retail), use the price each customer actually paid and apply the 2% to VAT-inclusive or VAT-exclusive totals consistently. Ensure the methodology is documented at the end of the year, and in keeping with what the customer would expect.

It depends on who your chosen organisation is. If they are a registered UK charity, the donation may qualify as a charitable contribution. If they are an unregistered community group or association, it may still be deductible as a business expense. Your accountant is best placed to advise on how to record it for your specific situation.

Yes. The scheme covers both products and services. If you offer guided tours, workshops, or other services alongside physical goods, you can include some or all of them in your pledge. The same rules apply — track the revenue, calculate 2%, and include the scope in your end-of-year document.

No. There is no minimum. A small business donating a modest amount is making exactly as genuine a commitment as a larger one — the percentage is what matters, not the total. Every contribution reaches its cause in full.

No. There is no cap on how much you can donate — if your sales are strong and your contribution is large, that's a good thing. You cannot agree a maximum in advance.

You can, however, agree a minimum donation with us before the year starts, if it helps with planning or making commitments to your chosen cause or if you think sales might not be large - every pound helps.

Yes, and you can choose a different cause each year. Most members decide at the end of the year, once they know their sales figures, and document the choice as part of their accountant verification. There is no requirement to commit to a cause in advance, though you're welcome to if you'd like to promote it alongside the mark.

It depends on the nature of the sponsorship. Sponsorship may count toward your 2% where it provides genuine community or social value and benefits the New Forest or its inhabitants — for example, supporting a local grassroots sports team, a youth or community organisation, or a non-profit or community-led initiative connected to the area.

Sponsorship would not count where it is primarily a marketing or advertising activity — for example, where the main purpose is brand exposure, commercial return, or client entertainment. Standard business development spend does not qualify, regardless of how it is structured.

If you are unsure, ask yourself whether the contribution would stand on its own as a community benefit if your logo were removed from it entirely. If the answer is no, it is unlikely to qualify.

You can leave at any time, but you remain responsible for completing the donation and verification for any period in which you carried the mark. Remove the mark from your products, let us know, and we will update the directory. Your listing will reflect your completed years.