Can you support the Rural Activities Garden Centre?

PLEASE CAN YOU HELP!

For over 40 years people with learning disabilities and autism from all over

Hillingdon have attended the award-winning Rural Activities Garden Centre

(R.A.G.C.) in Yiewsley where they have benefited from horticultural therapy

and social support. In a hastily arranged meeting on Friday, 30th May 2025,

those with learning disabilities and autism who use the R.A.G.C. and their

families were told by the London Borough of Hillingdon that it had decided to

close the R.A.G.C.

Hillingdon Council’s press release provided immediately after the meeting

stated that it wanted to close the R.A.G.C.’s retail operations and re-locate

the R.A.G.C.’s horticultural therapy to the Civic Centre grounds. On Thursday,

26th June 2025 it was decided at the Council’s Cabinet meeting to close the

R.A.G.C.’s retail operation.

In order to protect the R.A.G.C. in June 2025 the Friends of R.A.G.C.

submitted two nominations to Hillingdon Council to register the R.A.G.C. and

its adjacent land as an Asset of Community Value (A.C.V.). However, the

Council failed to meet its statutory obligations under the Localism Act 2011 to

process the Friends of R.A.G.C.’s nominations within the eight-week legal

deadline.

Visit the Rural Activity Activity Centre Action Group Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/652974616588336/ to find out more.

For wannabe citizen scientists

From: let’s go outside and learn
We have teamed up with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) to help you take your first steps to become a citizen scientist.
Find out what that means and have a go at some pond dipping in one of our workshops along the Crane
Catchment.
Saturday 20th July
3pm-5:30pm
Elephant Park (Hillingdon, UB10 9BA)
For more information or to register interest
please contact: gaby.docker@lgoal.org.uk
 

location just south of the A34 slip road google maps
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Elephant+Park/@51.5487727,-0.4442912,17z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x48766db0e372eddb:0x5ad75c11529b2550!8m2!3d51.5481056!4d-0.440343!16s%2Fg%2F11g9fmtnwx?entry=ttu

Colne Valley Park Festival Fortnight

From Colne Valley Regional Park

Festival Fortnight 19th July – 2nd August 2024 The Colne Valley Festival Fortnight is a full programme of events and activities for everyone to enjoy across the whole Regional Park.

From Rickmansworth to Staines, Langley to Uxbridge, we are partnering with volunteer groups, organisations and charities to offer you a variety of Guided Walks, Talks, Activities for Children and Families, Open Days, Exhibitions and more.
Now is the perfect opportunity to explore somewhere new in the Colne Valley Regional Park. For full programme on what’s happening during those two weeks check our festival page. 
https://www.colnevalleypark.org.uk/festival-fortnight/

BT ‘going digital’ event – UPDATE

as per info received from Ickenham Library this event is now only 1 day

Digital Voice is coming to a town near you
Come and speak to us about our new home phone service, Digital Voice
Landlines in the UK are going digital by 2025.
Although the landline isn’t going away, we know that you might have questions or would like to know more about this industry-wide change.
Throughout November and early December, we’ll be heading to boroughs across Greater London, we’ll have a team on hand who can tell you what Digital Voice is, why the change is necessary and what it means for you.
You don’t have to pre-book, just turn up.
Where and when:
We’re holding a drop in on 17th November between 10:00am – 1:00pm and 2:00pm – 5:30pm at Ickenham Library, Community Close, Ickenham, UB10 8RE

BT ‘going digital’ event

BT has announced that it is switching from its analogue to a digital phone service by Christmas 2025. This means new (free) connection equipment is needed and, unless it’s very old, you’ll be able to continue using your existing telephone equipment.
To answer your queries, a demonstration vehicle will be at Ickenham Library on 17th and 18th November 09:00-14:00. That’s in Community Close, UB10 8RE. No need to book, just turn up.

This is the only one in the whole borough.
More info here:
https://www.draytek.co.uk/information/blog/the-end-of-analogue-phone-lines-pt2
Follow this link to see how to set it up
https://www.bt.com/help/landline/digital-voice–how-do-i-set-up-my-service-

However if you do not have broadband, this change will be delayed  for a while.

Mikado concert 25 June

THE MIKADO
White Knight presents a concert version of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera The Mikado, to raise funds for the Disasters Emergency Committee.
The concert is free, with a retiring collection in aid of the Disasters Emergency Committee.
A first-class line-up of professional soloists are giving their time for free, in the hope of raising money for people in desperate need across the world.
7.30pm on Sunday 25 June 2023
St Giles’ Church, Ickenham UB10 8BG

www.gofundme.com/f/the-mikado-in-concert-in-aid-of-the-dec

Colne Valley Park – greenbelt protection

Protect your Greenbelt with Colne Valley Park      
Are you interested in the future of the Colne Valley Regional Park and its Green Belt? Then we have two forward thinking events coming up for you. For more details and to book your tickets check our events  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/colne-valley-regional-park-19844437444    page or see details below.    The Colne Valley Regional Park is holding a free interactive event focussing on how to respond to large planning applications, and the development threats facing our local Green Belt.

Are you…. Shocked at the large developments constantly proposed in the Colne Valley Regional Park? Feeling powerless to get your view across? Wishing you understood more about the planning process? Wondering what Green Belt protection means? We invite local residents, community groups and parish councils to come to our forward-thinking workshop and find out about how to respond to large planning applications and Local Authority Plans the development threats facing your local Green Belt a draft Planning Toolkit to help you Our planning workshop will be held on Thursday 9th March 17:15 – 19:15 in Iver Village Hall. Please see here   https://www.colnevalleypark.org.uk/engaging-with-planning-across-the-colne-valley-regional-park/?fbclid=IwAR1Qne8BkRsH1UzoysDWq2xuOzVeYGBvG9fWq9JzEEt-qy_uXJ0eCGiboU0 for further details and to reserve your place  

Conference: Improving how the Green Belt functions on London’s Fringe – Policy and practice, using the Colne Valley Regional Park as a case study.
Are you interested in the future of the Green Belt, how it should function on the edge of London and where should planning policy be going?  We are hosting a  forward thinking conference for Local Authorities, Politicians, National Organisations & Local Branches, Colne Valley Regional Park Member Orgs and other local organisations.
The conference will be held on 18th April 2023 in the fantastic conference facility at Brunel University, Uxbridge and is being made possible by the generous support of Brunel University and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Please click here    https://www.colnevalleypark.org.uk/events/improving-how-the-green-belt-functions-on-londons-fringe-conference/ for further details and to book your tickets.