as at 18th October 2024
Institutions, Groups and Activities
Barnet Air Quality Action Plan 2023-28
This Council report (summary booklet) outlines the actions that Barnet will deliver between 2023 and 2028 to reduce concentrations of and exposure to air pollution to positively impact the health and quality of life of residents and visitors to the borough. Contact: Barnet Environmental Health line: 020 8359 7995
Barnet Beekeepers
The Association, started in 1911, is run by beekeepers from across Barnet. They encourage good beekeeping practice amongst its 100 or so active members. They often appear at Barnet events to sell honey produced in their apiaries and to educate the public about honeybees and honey. You can arrange to buy honey from them. Contact: ripalparekh@googlemail.com
Barnet Climate Action Group (BCAG)
BCAG is made up of concerned residents of the London Borough of Barnet from across faith, cultural, environmental & political organisations, wanting to take action tackling our current climate emergency. Collectively, they are an impressive source of climate advice and information on a wide range of environmental issues. Contact: webmaster@barnetclimate.org.uk
Barnet Cyclists
They are part of the London Cycling Campaign, promoting cycling as a healthy exercise and campaigning for better provision for cyclists in the Borough. See their website for advice, events and how to get involved. There is a monthly meeting (North Finchley) featuring a cycling-related topic. Click on https://barnetlcc.org Contact: info@barnetlcc.org
A very useful resource for bicycle maintenance is the Dr Bike website, which gives the dates and locations of the monthly bicycle repair surgeries in Barnet. For details, click on: https://www.barnet.gov.uk/roads-and-pavements/transport-and-around-barnet/cycling/free-dr-bike-sessions-barnet
Barnet Environment Centre
At the foot of Byng Road, EN5 4NP. The Centre is on a 7.5 acre nature reserve maintained by volunteers. It can offer sessions to local schools (last year over 2000 children visited) and groups to encourage an interest in and love of environmental matters. It also holds open days and events for the local community. Contact: info@fobec.org.uk
The Barnet Food Hub
Old East Barnet Library, 85 Brookhill Road EN4 8SG. Has centralised distribution networks in the borough which help provide extra support while also diverting food away from the waste cycle. For queries and information on volunteering, contact: 020 3621 6090, or info@youngbarnetfoundation.org.uk
Barnet Friends of the Earth
This is the local branch of the UK FoE network, formed to campaign on local and national climate-change and other issues. They also operate as a valuable membership link between many of the Barnet environmental groups on this List, including BarNET ZERO, Middlesex University UPRC, Clean Air Barnet, Eco Show and Tell, Finchley Pollinators and many more. They meet monthly on Zoom, online and also in person for social events.
Contact: barnetfoe@gmx.com, or via the Barnet Friends of the Earth website.
Barnet Food Partnership
The Barnet Food Partnership consists of organisations and individuals interested in building a food system that promotes health and is sustainable, equitable and resilient. Contact: katherine.carr@barnet.gov.uk
Barnet Green Christian Group
St Johns URC Church, junction of Somerset and Mowbray Road, EN5 1RH.
A welcoming community of people, including those from other faiths, or none, from all ages and backgrounds, who follow their beliefs based on environmental principles. They run a varied programme of practical activities from tool-sharpening to talks on the changes in weather patterns and role of money in the environment. Meet for gardening sessions on the 3rd Saturdays monthly, from 10.30-12.00.
Contact: Tony 020 8440 6040 or Tonios2@btinternet.com
Barnet Multi Faith Forum
Barnet Multi Faith Forum promotes dialogue and cooperation among faith communities in Barnet, supporting understanding, respect, and collaboration on youth, social, and environmental issues. We organize interfaith events, peace walks, and sustainability initiatives. Our services cover the Barnet area, bringing together diverse faith groups to work towards shared goals. At the global level, BMFF is part of the United Religions Initiative. Website: https://barnetmultifaithforum.org Contact: info@barnetmultifaithforum.org
BarNET ZERO
The borough-wide Council campaign to help Barnet become one of London’s most sustainable boroughs. It is designed to encourage residents, communities and businesses through advice, information and support.
To receive the latest sustainability news and events from Barnet Council, including grant funding opportunities and support, subscribe to the BarNET ZERO newsletter:
www.engage.barnet.gov.uk/net-zero and/or contact: barnetzero@barnet.gov.uk
Barnet Nappy Library and EC Hub
Offering support and advice on using reducing waste through using reusable nappies and/or practicing elimination communication (EC). Kits of reusable nappies are available for hire for newborn and beyond, as well as items and accessories for baby pottying/Elimination Communication. There are also regular meet-ups where you can pick up and return hire kits, troubleshoot, or simply come together with other parents and caregivers that EC and/or use reusable nappies! Contact: barnetnappylibrary@gmail.com
The Barnet Society
This is a non-political organisation campaigning for the preservation and improvement of Chipping Barnet and surrounding areas, and the protection of the Green Belt. Recent work includes opposing housing development plans for the Whalebone fields, planting over 300 trees on Barnet Hill and participating in Barnet Council’s Housing & Energy Action Group. A newsletter is sent to all members. Website: www.barnetsociety.org.uk
Contact: info@barnetsociety.org.uk
Clean Air Barnet
CAB is a community collaboration between a) Friends of the Earth, Barnet b) Middlesex University and c) Mothers CAN. It aims to promote and enable evidence-based discussions, decisions and actions that lead to improved air quality
Contact: C.Viavattene@mdx.ac.uk
Eco Show and Tell
This is the umbrella name for the succession of environmental pop-up markets and workshops across Barnet. The events are all educational in nature, and aim to share information about ways to fight climate change, take local action, volunteer & more. Click on https://ecoshowandtell.org/events
Contact Ecoshowandtell@gmail.com
Goodgym Barnet
GoodGym Barnet is a local group that combines fitness with community service. Members run, walk, or cycle to help with projects like hanging curtains for those in need or shovelling compost for food growers. Their activities promote sustainability and encourage community involvement.
Contact: Pauls@goodgym.org
Jewish Vegan Society
We host different community events and workshops which promote veganism and sustainability, including Friday night dinners, food growing and gardening club, environmental network meet-ups, sustainability and cooking workshops. We also have a large centre available to hire, based in Golders Green.
Contact: info@jvs.org.uk
Middlesex University Urban Pollution Research Centre (UPRC)
The Centre investigates all areas of urban environmental pollution, including air, water, soil and sediment. It is also involved in consultancy and training in pollution and water management. A current activity involves volunteers who buy or obtain UPRC air monitors to test the air quality in their own environments. The data obtained is sent back to the UPRC for analysis.
Contact: C.Viavattene@mdx.ac.uk
North London Waste Authority (NLWA)
The NLWA collects waste from the London boroughs of Barnet Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest. It is dedicated to reducing waste and to raising public awareness of recycling and waste management. Some of the NLWA current waste prevention campaigns are:
Bring it, Barnet! | NLWA – behaviour change campaign tackling single-use plastic.
Nappies | NLWA – encouraging the switch to use of reusable nappies with a nappy voucher scheme
North London Waste Education Hub | NLWA – educational initiatives and support for schools.
North London Community Fund | NLWA – providing grants to community lead organisation to deliver waste prevention activities in north London.
Contact: the NLWA website.
NW9+ Community Hub
Weekly food bank, fitness exercises, hand stitching, knitting & crocheting, and monthly nutrition workshop. Covering Colindale and West Hendon. Contact: livingway@email.com
Our Yard at Clitterhouse Farm
Clitterhouse Farm Outbuildings, Claremont Road, NW2 1AP
A vibrant and innovative social enterprise working to protect the historic Clitterhouse farm buildings. Café, vegetable gardens, big spaces to play, events and workshops. Open: Thursdays 10.00-8.00, Fridays & Saturdays 10.00-4.00, Sundays 11.00-3.00 Contact: 07896 136410
Real Nappies for London
Our purpose is to inspire and actively encourage families to use reusable nappies. If you are an expectant parent, a parent or a foster carer living in Barnet with a baby under 18 months or under the age of 5 with a disability requiring nappies, you are eligible to apply for a £70 nappy voucher. Your voucher can help with the upfront cost of buying reusable nappies, or contribute to a paid-for nappy laundry service. Our incentive scheme is administered by Wen (Women’s Environmental Network) and funded by Barnet Council and the NLWA. For more information and to apply, visit: https://realnappiesforlondon.org.uk/barnet/
Thames 21
This is the charity for London’s waterways, its canals and wildlife. It mobilises thousands of volunteers every year to clear and maintain them. To read about the range of activities, and places/dates of volunteer participation, click on: https://www.thames21.org.uk/thames21_five_year_plan.
Examples in Barnet are the regular Pymmes Brook clearance, and the Dollis Brook Toe-Boarding Clearance scheme. Contact: jo.goad@thames21.org.uk
Shops and Charitable Businesses
Barnet Furniture Centre
4 Queens Parade Cl, London N11 3FY Open 9-5 Mon-Sat
“a pioneering furniture reuse charity”. It aims to help low-income families by providing affordable furniture in a two-tier pricing structure, to help those on benefits. By relying solely on donations, it has so far diverted 965 tonnes of furniture from landfill, which it sells at its warehouse in Barnet. Volunteers can help with admin, carpentry, painting, upholstering, or in the warehouse.
Contact: info@barnetfurniturecentre.org Phone: 020 8361 6802
Barnet Repair Café
Monthly small-repair sessions run by local volunteers from Saturday mornings from 10.00-12.00 in the Wesley Hall, Stapylton Road EN5 4JJ. For computing, small electricals, bicycles, sewing machines, clothing/sewing, costume jewellery, woodwork. Contact: Malc.comms@yahoo.com
Bin There Donate That – East Finchley’s High Street
A recycling and donation project in East Finchley that manages drop-off points for items to be reused, recycled, or upcycled
https://www.bintheredonatethat.org/biglist
The Flower Bank
45a Leicester Road, New Barnet EN5 5EW
The Flower Bank aims to reduce flower waste by collecting surplus flowers from supermarkets, corporate dinners, film shoots and other florists. They run activities for the elderly and those with early-onset dementia with Age UK and in residential care homes. In the shop, they create low-cost funeral and wedding flowers and bouquets. They also provide reparational opportunities for Barnet young offenders. Contact: ursulastone@hotmail.co.uk Phone: 020 88364 9444
The Grahame Park Loop
Barnet community re-use hub, who collect, repair and sell reasonably-priced furniture. They also offer training, employment and volunteering opportunities for Graham Park and local residents.
12A The Concourse, London NW9 5XB Open Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 9.30-4.00
Contact: theloopgrahampark@groundwork.org.uk Phone: 07981 140 926
Gratitude Upcycle
A charity shop in the High Barnet, the Spires, next to Poundland. Monday-Saturday 1.00-4.00pm. Other social events eg Knitting for Charity, Kids’ Corner, Groceries Giveaway. All the proceeds go to the Borehamwood Foodbank Contact: info@gratitude.charity
Impact Store
Impact store in Finchley Central is a zero waste shop offering bulk food without plastic packaging, sustainable and reusable products. To help fight single use plastic most food products are supplied to us plastic free; in bulk and in brown paper sacks and delivered with reused or very minimal packaging. They also work with companies that offer closed loop system, allowing them to return large containers to be cleaned and reuse again and again. 6 Station road, N3 2RY Contact: hello@impactstore.co.uk
La Leche League Barnet and Eszter Bove IBCLC
Breastfeeding and lactation, infant feeding support in a holistic and family centred way. North London and South Hertfordshire areas covered in person, 1to1 or in small group settings. Contact: eszterboveibclc@yahoo.com
London Honey
Ripal is a Beekeeper with over 12 years of experience keeping hives in London and harvesting honey in an ethical and sustainable manner. The honey is jarred without processing it so it is as close to coming straight from the hive as possible. The hives are located on community allotments to benefit the environment around them. Ripal sells honey from the door or at other local events that support the community. Contact: honey@londonhoneystore.co.uk
Miel de Lucie- honey, jams and wax products from East Finchley
Honey and wax products straight from the beekeeper (N2) and home made jams from organic local fruit. Profits donated to the Finchley Foodbank. Lucie sells all year from her doorstep, follow her on @mieldelucoe. Contact: Mieldelucie@gmail.com
Community Gardening, Allotments, Tree-Planting
Barnet Green Spaces Network
This is an umbrella organisation to link and support leaders of “Friends of” Barnet’s many parks and green spaces. If you want to start such a support group, see the website www.BGSN.org and contact barnetgsnetwork@gmail.com
Barnet Community Harvesters
Do you have a surplus fruit and veg problem in summer? The Harvesters are a Borough-wide initiative, whose volunteers help pick and distribute Barnet garden-owners’ surplus fruit, veg etc. Volunteers are needed to drive, pick and to make jam and chutney for distribution. Also, help is sought for administration and website development. Contact: barnetcommunityharvesters@gmail.com
Barnet u3a Climate Change & Environment Group
The group plants at least 30 sapling trees in negotiated open areas in Barnet each March. Group members do regular maintenance, checking and watering them, but they would dearly love more help, especially from those living near the young trees. Contact: penny.baxter@btinternet.com
Coppetts Wood Conservationists
A nature reserve run by volunteers who plant trees install bird and bat boxes, construct refuges for wildlife etc. Volunteers are welcome, meeting (weather permitting) 9.00-12.00 on Sundays at Coppetts Wood, N12 0RF. Contact: coppettswoodconservationists@gmail.com
Cricklewood Millennium Green
23 Claremont Road, NW2 1BP A community green space in Cricklewood set up as part of the Countryside Agency’s Millennium Initiative and maintained by volunteers. Contact: https://northwesttwo.org.uk
Finchley Pollinator Project
This project, covering N2, N3 and N12, runs initiatives that help grow flowers for pollinators, and upskills the local community with relevant gardening skills. Contact: sustainable.finchley@gmail.com
Finchley Way Open Space
Off Nether Street, West Finchley, N3 1AG.
A secluded area of grass and woodland, maintained by Friends of FWOS. They meet 2nd and last Sundays from 10.30-12.30 to clear, plant, weed and maintain. Volunteers with horticultural experience especially welcome.
Contact: fofwos@gmail.com
GROW: Totteridge Farm, at Totteridge Academy
Barnet Lane N20 8AZ. An agroecological farm and outdoor learning hub at the Totteridge Academy. It grows vegetables, flowers and herbs and keeps bees and a small flock of chickens. It works mainly with local young people and families who experience barriers to learning and employment. It supplies Totteridge Academy with fresh produce, and sells directly to the public and to restaurants.
Find out about both long-term and drop-in volunteering.
Contact: (general enquiries) hello@wearegrow.org
(education & charity projects) lucy@wearegrow.org
(farm & produce) christopher@wearegrow.org
Incredible Edible Barnet
The Barnet branch of Incredible Edible are a lovely bunch of volunteers growing fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers outside St John’s URC, at the junction of Somerset and Mowbray Roads, EN5 1RH. Public sessions: every other Saturday from 10.00 – 12.00. Sign up to their newsletter at http://eepurl.com/ggT4w5. Contact: ie.barnet@yahoo.co.uk
Stonegrove Community Trust. Community Garden and Orchard
Stonegrove Community Trust. Community Garden and Orchard, 5 Hayling Way, Edgware HA8 8BN
Established in 2014, the Trust provides a community hub at OneStonegrove for local residents. It hosts a weekly gardening group that meets every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. The group is actively involved in developing flower, herb and vegetable beds around the centre, managing a community allotment, and tending to a newly planted orchard. These efforts aim to foster community engagement and promote sustainable practices within the neighbourhood.
Tarling Road Community Hub
Managed by YMCA City & North. 20 Fallows Road, N2 8LG. A large Community Centre next to Barnwood. It has a community veggie patch, and has just run a free 6-week course on how to grow one’s own fruit & vegetables. It is looking for volunteers to further develop and maintain the space. Contact: sonile.zimba@ymcalcan.org 020 7018 6560
Sustainability Creatives
Elisa Cantarelli – We aRe Plastic (WRP)
Pushing artistic boundaries through her signature “Dotting” technique, transforming objects conceptually while championing sustainability. Her “We aRe Plastic” vision raises awareness of recycling and upcycling. Installations at events like the Venice Biennale, workshops in London, fostering community engagement around art and sustainability. Graduated of Bologna’s Academy of Fine Arts, exhibiting globally and exploring creative ways to inspire positive change. Let’s connect and collaborate!
Contact: art@elisacantarelli.com
For the Fun of Art
Facilitating science and arts and crafts workshops for children as well as young adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, using everyday recyclables and pre-owned materials. Barnet based and covering surrounding boroughs. Contact: funartlondon@gmail.com
Julian Bishop
Eco Poetry workshops – writing the climate emergency, readings and discussions generated from my book We Saw It All Happen (Fly on the Wall Press, 2023). Contact: julianbishop5@gmail.com
Leafthiefprints
Eco printed items on paper, silk and organic or upcycled cottons.
Contact: Leafthiefprints@gmail.com
Re:New Crafts
Finchley based artist/maker and educator who uses art and crafts techniques to reuse and recycle objects and materials to reduce waste and share the benefits of making the most of precious resources. A range of workshops are available using every day items such as foil food trays, plastic bottles, CDs and CD cases that teach creative techniques.
Contact: askrenewcrafts@gmail.com
Sowing Stitches
Free Alterations, Repairs & Up-cycling. Free Clothes exchange. Contact: info@sowingstitches.com
For any corrections, updates and additions: contact Shiri ecoshowandtell@gmail.com
Sustainable Fashion Circle
Barnet residents who each have a unique set of skills which promotes sustainable fashion, whether it’s through teaching mending techniques, tailoring or upcycling. The people on the list are happy to be contacted with offers to facilitate a workshop or an activity in Barnet venues. Please contact them directly, view the list here.
Eco Show and Tell 