About West Finchley Residents' Association

The West Finchley Residents’ Association (covering the area in the map) has grown because neighbours wish to work together concerning planning, improving the local environment and to bring people together, creating opportunities for local residents to meet one another in a social setting.

The Beginning

The WFRA grew out of a public meeting in the Gordon Hall on 7 March 2010 as a result of local residents campaigning together to stop developers demolishing 1 Courthouse Gardens and destroying the integrity of this "garden suburb" of West Finchley. As a result a small committee of volunteers was formed. The committee meets regularly to respond to local issues and to plan social activities that can bring neighbours together.

Achievements

• The campaign that brought us together was the attempt by developers to construct a block of 10 flats at the junction of Courthouse Gardens and Fursby Avenue. After a long process of planning committees and inspections the developers were finally beaten! They sold the property to the tenants and it remains a family home.
• We have held a number of successful social events such as the Winter Warmer in January held at the Gordon Hall (10^th Finchley Scouts Hall) to which everyone brings a dish of food to share – a wonderful festive occasion with food representing our richly diverse community - and the Picnic in the Park held by the Dollis Brook in the summer.

We work in collaboration with the local MP, the Ward Councillors, The Finchley Society and other civic groups. We are also working closely with the Metropolitan Police Safer Neighbourhood team regarding burglaries in the area.

Membership is free (all our activities are provided by volunteers). We need your support so that we can be a voice for the whole neighbourhood. It has certainly been our experience that large numbers with a single aim can be quite powerful and influential.

Join WFRA

Some reasons why it is worth joining your local Residents’ Association (RA):

• it is a great way to get to know your neighbours and to build up community through social events
• RAs give people a united voice; representing the views of local people in local issues which matter to us
• local councils take notice of RAs, recognising their influence and the need to co-operate with them
• it is a good way to keep abreast of local news and issues and to circulate information quickly

Membership includes:

• the opportunity to raise issues with the Committee to be taken forward on behalf of residents
• invitations to events organised by the WFRA
• receiving occasional newsletters and regular email updates on local issues
• the opportunity to belong to our very active (closed) Facebook group