Friends of Bridge House Pond

Friends of Bridge House Pond (FoBHP) were funded by the Our Space Award to create a community garden, bringing together the FoBHP’s core values: Heritage, Community and the Environment.

Feltham has lost its sense of identity over the past 50 years; once famed for its market gardens and very own native pea, Feltham’s agriculture has since been replaced with industry and housing. However, FoBHP was started by a group of local residents committed to restoring the lost beauty of this area. The group are determined to bring its local community together through improvements and celebrations of the pond and park at Feltham.

Funding from Our Space Award has provided the opportunity to bring together different ages and groups within the community, by engaging school groups and hosting regular volunteer days to create a more loved and appreciated space.

The area around Bridge House Pond has now been transformed from an unloved, inaccessible and unsafe site into an area where people can enjoy nature and feel proud of where they live. An increasing number of people have begun to explore the area, both to look at and get involved in maintaining the space.

Richard Clark, Project Lead, has found the experience to be very rewarding, he said:

The best moments have been the sense of community at our workdays, with people of all ages and backgrounds coming together. Seeing the difference we have made is really satisfying, especially how celebrating local heritage has connected with people’s memories of the area.

From all of the hard work put in throughout the summer, the sense of ownership over the space has greatly increased, particularly around the pond area. It now feels like an area that can be used and enjoyed, with a diverse range of local people who have worked together to make this space their own.