Community Fund Grant to Friends of Greenway Spinney

Started by local residents in winter 2009/10, this 5-year project, now complete, has:

restored the diversity of trees and plants by a planned programme of selective clearance of invasive species and replanting with native species.
restored the ancient hedge along the green lane.
created an improved range of wildlife habitats.
maintained public areas.

Over the five years supporters from the local community have worked more than 1,400 man hours to clear all invasive laurel and snowberry and planted 1,500 hedge plants and trees in their place. The spinney is now a very popular area of mixed native woodland with a range of diverse habitats, and Natural England has agreed it can be classified as a Local Nature Reserve. It is also being used every week by Grove Nursery and Grove Infants for Forest Studies.

Support has come from several bodies - St. Albans District Council, Herts County Council Locality Budget, Biffa Award as well as the Harpenden Trust Community Fund. The Trust responded very swiftly to the urgent need to purchase 410 hedge plants and trees for planting in February 2015 to complete the programme.

02 May 2020

In Other News

17th Harpenden Brownies - Reverse Advent Calendar Challenge

17 December 2024

We just want to say a huge well done to the 17th Harpenden Brownies! They meet at our Trust Halls and recently took part in a 'reverse advent calendar challenge' - collecting hygiene products for the Kings Pantry Foodbank. We set up drop off points for items in our buildings and a representative from the Foodbank visited the group to collect all of the donations and thank the girls for the excellent haul of goods. The girls also decorated bags…

Busy Bees Nursery - Food Donation to the Harpenden Trust

17 December 2024

Every year, Harpenden Trust collects food items and gives them to our most vulnerable residents living in Harpenden to help them with the cost of Christmas. Two weeks ago, Busy Bees nursery in town invited us to visit them to collect a variety of tins, biscuits, chocolates and jams which we will give to those residents most in need. A huge thank you to the children at Busy Bees - Leyton Road for their generous donations! They’ll be very much…

Grove Junior School Choir at the Harpenden Trust Seniors Coffee morning

17 December 2024

On Tuesday, 10th December, the Grove Junior School choir visited the Harpenden Trust Centre at 90 Southdown Road, to sing carols for our guests at the Seniors Coffee Morning. We host the Seniors Coffee Morning there every Tuesday 10-11am and all seniors are very welcome to join us. While the Junior School children were singing we handed out goodie bags of donated Christmas food items, some from Busy Bees Nursery in town. Everyone really enjoyed both the singing and the…

Harpenden Trust Community Fund at official opening of New Tea Room at Willow Court

04 December 2024

The Community Fund of the Harpenden Trust are delighted to have been able to contribute towards the creation of a new tea room at Willow Court Care Home called The Secret Garden. The official opening was attended by Steve Pryor the Chair of the Community Fund and past and present Secretaries Jan Seager and Colin Brooker.