The group was originally founded as the Friends of Churchill Gardens Churchill Gardens. In March 2022 A new constitution was drafted to help become more open and democratic. A new committee was formed and the organization became legally constituted as an association with its own bank account replacing the previous arrangements. Public liability insurance was obtained to enable us to hold events. We have since been working on developing our governance and policies to strengthen our organizational foundations and ways of working.
In 2023, the Membership and Committee voted to rename the group from the Friends of Churchill Gardens to the Churchill Gardens Community Association. This provded important separation from the former group which had caused confusion.
The Association is governed by annually elected committee comprising who meet regularly to manage the day-to-day affairs of the Organisation. The committee is responsible to and takes its guidance from the membership. The primary methods of communications between the committee and the members are:
- General Meetings where members can participate and vote. (See Diary)
- Emails – You can email the committee via [email protected]
- Having a chat in the park informally or at events.
We are additionally working on other methods of listening & understanding such as using survey tools.
The association is also in regular communication with the local authorities and other stakeholders to try to lobby and influence for the benefit of the area. we are also able to support the local authorities by offering them a means to communicate with local stakeholders and feedback views. We regularly invite members of these organizations to speak at both General and Committee meetings and to learn about local issues.
CGCA is independant and is not aligned with any political or religious organizations and does not support any controversial pressure or campaign groups. We are focused on local issues and improving the local community for residents and other park users alike. We recognise that the park is used by a very diverse demographic and is located in a deprived area.
From time to time we organise events and build relationships with other organisations with an interest in the area.
The association has been working on a number of issues affecting the park over the last 12 months or so. We are aware of the dangers of spreading ourselves to thinly and have to temper expectations that the group is able to solve all the issues. See our blog posts for updates.