Acid Grassland July Update
The amazing generosity through our Big Give campaign has just about sunk in, and we couldn’t be more grateful, writes our Conservation Manager, Will Dartnell. Thanks to your support, we’re now busily working behind the scenes to get the project underway. It will be a little while before you see practical work happening on the […]
Dogs on Barnes Common
Half a Century of Cricket on the Common
Barnes Common Cricket Club (BCCC), is celebrating its 50th year in 2025 as the local ‘taverners’ cricket club based on the Common at Vine Road. The Club was originally formed back in 1976 and the first official match was played on the private ground of Lord Northbourne near Deal, Kent. Initially we were named the […]
Regenerative Growing: Inclusive Spaces at the Growing Project
Barnes Common as an organisation has always been firmly based within the local community. Nature conservation, biodiversity, wellbeing and lifelong learning “for all” are at the heart of what we do. It is no surprise, then, that we often have discussions about what community means. How do we create spaces that are welcoming, open and […]
Accessibility at Our Community Growing Project
What Should I Do With My Lawn?
Our Community Growing Project often receive enquiries about lawns – whether about the impact of plastic grass on the environment, what to do to make a lawn more climate-resilient or how to create a wildflower meadow. These queries might be summed up with the over-arching question, “what should I do with my lawn?”. Although a […]
Our Polytunnel is Now Accessible
Spending time outdoors in the garden is great for health and wellbeing. However, gardening is often seen as physically strenuous work, something involving lots of bending, stretching and heavy lifting. In reality, there are loads of different tasks to choose from, and at the Community Growing Project, we welcome people with a wide range of […]
Barnes Station Access For All – Restoration of Orchard Meadow
The station upgrade costing £8.3m is now complete at Barnes Station which gained new lifts and a footbridge across the platforms, making the station more accessible, particularly for those with limited mobility or those travelling with prams and luggage. The station now has step-free routes to and from all four platforms for the first time. […]
Happy World Wetlands Day – Let’s Celebrate Our Ponds Together!
This month, we’re celebrating local blue spaces for World Wetlands Day, writes our Learning and Community Engagement officer, Alex Baker. Wetlands are one of the world’s most biodiverse habitats and provide homes for many endangered species. Regular habitat loss and nature degradation threaten the world’s wetlands, and it is an important time to discover more […]
The Vine Road Community Café: One Year On
The Vine Road Community Café has been a welcome weekend addition to the park for a year now, come rain or shine since returning in September last year. Open 8am to 2pm every Saturday and Sunday in the pavilion. This pop up café is a fantastic trial to gain ideas and feedback for what we […]