Barnes Community Association

The Barnes Community Association (BCA) is the principal civic society for Barnes, founded in 1974 and based at Rose House on the High Street. A registered charity (no. 1156379), it organises the annual Barnes Fair, maintains Barnes Green and Barnes Pond, and campaigns on planning and conservation issues across the neighbourhood.

Origins

The BCA was created in 1974 when residents banded together to prevent the demolition of Rose House — a seventeenth-century former inn at 70 Barnes High Street — and its replacement by a supermarket. The campaign succeeded, and the group formalised itself as a charity (original registration no. 267955, 22 August 1974). In June 2014 the association was reconstituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation under number 1156379.

Rose House

Rose House is a Grade II listed building at 70 Barnes High Street, facing Barnes Pond. Dating from the seventeenth century, it was formerly an inn called “The Sign of the Rose,” built when brewing was a local industry. The pink-painted Jacobean timber-frame building now serves as the BCA’s headquarters, with offices and rooms available for community hire.

Campaigns and Achievements

Since the 1970s the BCA has led several significant campaigns:

• Ringway 2 — in the 1970s the Greater London Council proposed an expressway that would have cut through Barnes and destroyed Barn Elms. The BCA helped block the scheme.
• The Homestead — residents prevented demolition of a building beside St Mary’s Church.
• Barnes Pond restoration — when the pond mysteriously drained in 2001 (a plug in a six-inch pipe had fallen out), the BCA raised £200,000 and secured a £60,000 council grant to reline and restore it. The pond was refilled in April 2003.
• Hammersmith Bridge — after the bridge closed to motor traffic in 2019, the BCA launched a Shop Local campaign, partnered with Ginger to provide rickshaw rides for vulnerable residents, and lobbied for extension of bus route 22 into Barnes.
• Community BlueScapes — an ongoing £6 million flood-resilience project in partnership with Barnes Common, Richmond Council, the Environment Agency, and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, funded by DEFRA. Measures include rain gardens, reed beds, and restoration of the Beverley Brook corridor.

Activities

The BCA runs a year-round programme:

• Barnes Fair (July) — the flagship event, held since 1975, attracting around fifteen thousand visitors to Barnes Green with over three hundred stalls, vintage rides, and two music stages
• Barnes Food Fair (September) — a food-focused event held in a marquee on the Green
• Barnes Christmas Festival (December) — late-night shopping, Santa’s Grotto at Rose House, carol singing, the Turkey Run, and Festive Friday
• Good Garden Awards (since 2017) — an annual competition recognising the best front gardens in Barnes
• Community Mornings at Rose House — regular drop-in sessions for residents
• Barnes Ponder — a large-scale public consultation held in 2013 and again in October 2023, when over 250 people attended in person and more than 600 comments were submitted

People and Organisation

The BCA is governed by up to twelve trustees, none of whom receive payment. It employs a small staff:

• Town Centre Manager — works to attract businesses and promote Barnes as a destination; the post is jointly funded by the BCA and Richmond Council
• Events Organiser — responsible for Barnes Fair, Food Fair, and Christmas Festival
• Greenkeeper — maintains Barnes Pond and Barnes Green; jointly funded with the council
• Office Manager — manages Rose House bookings and administration

The association had 130 volunteers and an annual income of approximately £252,000 in 2024.

Publications

The BCA publishes Prospect, a quarterly print magazine delivered free to every household in Barnes. It contains community news, event listings, and local stories. A digital supplement, Prospect Plus, is emailed monthly to subscribers.

Practical Information

• Address: Rose House, 70 Barnes High Street, London SW13 9LD
• Phone: 020 8878 2359
• Email: info@barnes-ca.org
• Website: www.barnes-ca.org
• Membership: £25 per household per year (£18 concession)

Sources

1. About the BCA — Barnes Community Association
2. Barnes Community Association — Charity Commission (no. 1156379)
3. Barnes Fair — Barnes Community Association
4. Barnes Pond — Barnes Community Association
5. 70 Barnes High Street — Wikipedia