Friends of Hatton Fields: Crane Valley Partnership Projects

You might not imagine living next to Heathrow Airport and being able to enjoy a huge area of green space. Yet, Hatton Fields is a 100 acre of green belt oasis sitting in between the airport, an industrial estate and the two villages of Hatton and Bedfont. Friends of Hatton Fields is a community group that is doing all they can to protect and enhance this green space that the local community are very grateful for.

With previous support from the Crane Valley Community Fund, Friends of Hatton Fields have raised awareness of their work and encouraged community involvement through a series of local events including but not limited to bat walks and litter picks. The group also commissioned a professional ecologist to carry out an ecology survey of this Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC), which holds borough-level ecological value. The fields are bordered by the Upper Duke of Northumberland River which is also considered a SINC, which holds metropolitan-level importance. Having also received training from the ecologist for several members of the community, Friends of Hatton Fields hope to use these skills and knowledge to monitor the success of future biodiversity enhancements.

In their latest project, funded by a new round of the Crane Valley Community Fund, Friends of Hatton Fields are transforming a previously neglected plot into a vibrant growing space for their membership. Since taking over the plot last summer, the group has completely levelled the ground, installed fencing, a tool shed, started composting green waste, received donations including tools and a water tank and put in place 4 planters. Since early spring, they have grown tomatoes, squashes, radishes, courgettes, cucumbers and more. The small successes of the plot in their first year have been publicised on all their social media and this is starting to increase the interest of the membership with new people wanting to visit and help out. The volunteers have seen butterflies visit as well as local birds such as robins, blackbirds, starlings and wren. All this animal life has also been seen on the fields themselves – an allotment site right next to wild fields is a match made in heaven! This small plot is open to all, and is a way for the group to engage with old and young alike so that awareness of the importance of Hatton Fields and nature continues to grow.

The group are in touch with Bedfont Primary offering to the school the opportunity for young children to get involved in all their events and the allotment, should that align with their own curriculum for the students. They are also in touch with the local scouting groups who have taken advantage of nature walks that the group has offered them in the past.

Friends of Hatton Fields are always looking out for future opportunities, including working with the Council to better manage the fields so that the biodiversity improves for the long-term and measuring the quality of the water that runs through Duke of Northumberland River. Their passion and growing impact on both the local community and wildlife shows what small grants plus enthusiasm can achieve.

If you would like to learn more about the Friends of Hatton Fields, you can visit their website at www.friendsofhattonfields.co.uk or contact them on friendsofhattonfields@gmail.com.