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Friends of Mitcham Common
This society is open to anybody who shares our love of the common and an interest in maintaining its remarkable assemblage of wildlife for future generations to enjoy. We are not part of the Board of Conservators who administer the common although we are, on the whole, supportive of its policies.
Activities
We aim to widen the public interest and understanding of the common.
We produce our own magazine ‘Magpie’ three times a year, to keep members abreast of developments There are also four Quarterly meeting in the Ecology Centre where members can discuss current problems. One of these meetings is the A.G.M. to which a guest speaker is invited
The Friends also run regular monthly walks on the common, all starting at the Ecology Centre on Windmill Road at 10.30 and lasting about an hour and a half (see events page for details) Midweek walks take place on the first Thursday of every month and are followed by coffee in the Ecology Centre. Sunday walks are on the second Sunday of the month.
Membership
Apply to the Membership Secretary, Sheila Greatwood, 149 Sherwood Park Road, Mitcham. CR4 1NJ, Tel: 0208 679 2880. The present subscription is £7.50 for five years. Cheques should be made out to ‘Friends of Mitcham Common’.
Past History
The Society evolved from the Mitcham Common Preservation Society. This was a pressure group formed in 1956 to counter the escalating use of the common as a rubbish dump by all the surrounding boroughs. It also campaigned against several large- scale road schemes that would have had disastrous effects on the common. However, attitudes to wildlife habitats have changed dramatically in the intervening years and conservation is now mainstream policy. This is why, this year, we have changed our name to ‘Friends of Mitcham Common’, which more accurately defines our present position. Nevertheless development proposals involving the common still crop up periodically, and with a membership base of some 350 people we are in strong position to organise protest if needs arise.
History of Mitcham Common by Eric Montague
First printed in 1970 by the Mitcham Common Preservation Society and reprinted in this enlarged edition in 2001. This is a fascinating account of the troubled history of the common and only available through us priced at £7.50.
Contact Roy Dennis 0208 648 8139
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