How we came about

The idea for the Friends group came from developing the West Finchley Neighbourhood Plan, which designates Finchley Way Open Space as a Local Green Space. This provides the same degree of protection from development as that enjoyed by Green Belt land. You can find For more information on the Neighbourhood Plan here.

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Two members of the Neighbourhood Plan Executive Committee (Suzanne King and Alan Douglas) leafleted homes within half a kilometre of the site inviting people to a meeting in December 2019. We also used NextDoor West Finchley, the West Finchley Residents' Association, The Finchley Society and Barnet Green Spaces Network to raise interest in the idea of a Friends Group. At that meeting a committee was elected. 
 

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In September 2020 the committee submitted an application to the Charity Commission for charitable status and on 17 December 2020 The Friends of Finchley Way Open Space became a registered charity. The Charity has 10 Trustees, who have adopted a set of Policies and Procedures available here. For other aspects of the charity's constitution click here.

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At that first meeting in December 2019 Suzanne and Alan presented a draft vision with a set of aims and objectives. In April 2021, at their second meeting, the Trustees of the Charity agreed that while the Vision should remain the same, the aims should be the objects of the charity as agreed with the Charity Commission. The objectives had become out of date as many had been achieved or were no longer relevant. The Board therefore agreed a new set of objectives.

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