Campaign for UK aires launches fundraising drive

A campaign group is asking its members to ’spend a penny’ to help set up a national network of waste points for campervans and motorhomes.

CAMPRA UK - the Campaign for Real Aires in the UK - launched the funding initiative to help provide a network of places where campervanners are able to empty out grey water and toilet waste.

More than £12,000 has already been donated by campaign members and supporters.

Aires, which are common across continental Europe, are safe overnight parking areas for campervanners and most have waste and fresh water points.

The CAMPRA funding scheme is aimed primarily at charities and community groups who can use any fees as a source of income.

“This is an area that will not only benefit all of us, but will help reassure local communities we are not emptying our toilets in the ditch, dunes or sea or anywhere else that we shouldn’t. By looking at attaching waste points to public toilets where, for a small fee, toilet cassettes can be emptied, we are supporting local communities,” said Steve Haywood, Managing Director of CAMPRA, a not-for-profit organisation with over 26,000 members.

“CAMPRA is advising councils of the desirability of installing a central waste point to service several overnight parking areas. Since it was founded in 2020, 115 aires have opened in the UK with a number of others in the pipeline… For many years European countries have seen the financial benefits of providing facilities. Our aim is to support and encourage the establishment of more and more aires.“