BCA NEWS

Join BCA’s Board of Trustees

We’re looking for a new Honorary Treasurer to join our Board of Trustees and help oversee the financial health of the charity. This is a hands-on role suited to a senior finance, audit or accountancy professional who can support strong governance by presenting accounts, monitoring financial performance and working closely with trustees and committees. Charity experience is helpful but not essential, and this is a rewarding opportunity to play a key role in shaping our future.

Find out more

Support BCA’s petition to reduce heavy traffic on The Terrace

Barnes residents, businesses and community groups are increasingly concerned about the growing volume of large vehicles using The Terrace and Barnes High Street (A3003) as a cut-through. These are not vehicles serving our local shops, cafés, or schools - they are largely routed through Barnes by sat-nav systems. 

The BCA’s Travel Barnes Ponder team is now calling on Richmond Council to address the heavy through-traffic that is damaging our streets, endangering pedestrians and cyclists, and eroding the character of our riverside conservation area. Please note that we are not seeking to restrict buses, coaches, or deliveries to High Street retailers.

The Terrace once had a full HGV ban, introduced experimentally in 1987 and made permanent because it significantly improved air quality, reduced noise, and made the area safer. However over the years the restrictions were weakened from a ban, to 16.5T, then raised again to 18T in 2013, all without community consultation.

Today, the consequences are impossible to ignore:

• Narrow pavements and unsafe crossings place pedestrians and cyclists at real risk.

• Grade II listed buildings are suffering structural damage from vibration.

• Congestion leads to aggressive driver behaviour and dangerous overtaking.

• Pollution is increasing as larger and heavier vehicles pass inches from pedestrians/cycles.

By signing our petition, you’re supporting BCA in its request to ask the Council to limit heavy through-traffic and prioritise the safety and wellbeing of everyone who lives, works or walks here and to preserve the character of Barnes. 

Sign the Petition

“Barnes Tuesday Local” launches at The Bull’s Head on Tuesday 27 January 2026, 6pm-8pm

A new, weekly community initiative is launching next Tuesday to bring neighbours together while supporting the local hospitality scene, especially our much-loved pubs.

Barnes Tuesday Local will be a free, informal drop-in held at The Bull’s Head every Tuesday. It’s an open invitation for anyone who lives or works locally to come along, have a chat, meet new people, and enjoy a relaxed friendly atmosphere. There’s no agenda and no pressure, just conviviality and conversation about anything and a chance to get out and connect.

The first Tuesday Local meeting will take place Tuesday 27 January, 6pm - 8pm at The Bull’s Head (in the room with the fireplace next to the stairs). The formal launch will happen at 6:30pm and you can sign up on the night to join a Tuesday Local WhatsApp group

The initiative has been set up by the BCA Placemaking Barnes Group, as part of a wider effort to strengthen community ties, support local businesses and strengthen placemaking in Barnes. Such initiatives have proved popular and successful elsewhere.

Everyone is welcome, so do come along. 

Barnes Town Team shares Ponder Project Updates

The Barnes Town Team met last November with volunteers sharing updates on a wide range of Ponder projects to a packed room of residents. Teams including One Barnes, Men’s Shed, Travel Barnes, High Streets Barnes and Placemaking Barnes highlighted recent achievements and future plans, from new community websites and local improvement projects to transport priorities and public realm ambitions. To read more, see the full Town Team presentation, and if you’re interested in joining one of the Ponder Groups as a volunteer, please email emma@barnes-ca.org .

Safe Havens across Barnes 

The BCA has been supporting Richmond Council with the delivery and launch of its Safe Havens project in Barnes. This project aims to provide a safe refuge in local Barnes businesses for people who feel unsafe on our streets.

Staff at Safe Haven businesses across Barnes have been trained in how to support vulnerable people who come in for help - whether they just need to charge their phones or whether they are feeling scared and alone. These businesses have a sticker in the window indicating that they are part of the pilot. 

The following businesses are Safe Havens in Barnes - The Bridge Pub, Alma Café, Castlenau Library, Chesterton’s estate agents, Medivet Barnes, Olympic Studios, OSO Arts Centre and The Sun Inn.

We need to make sure that no one feels vulnerable on the streets of Barnes. Please help spread the word locally by sharing information with your family, friends and contacts.

Mobile Phone Courses

The BCA is back with another Connect More phone course at Rose House this January/February 2026. Designed to help local residents get the most out of their smartphones, the small classes are hands-on and cover everything from essential phone functions and apps to digital wallets, photo management, and troubleshooting, with plenty of time for individual questions.

Find out more

Update from our Greenkeeper

Russell and his brilliant team of volunteers have completed this season’s bulb planting - with around 2,000 bulbs now in the ground along the Crescent hedgerow, the Church Road borders, and a new patch in front of the closed restaurant on Barnes Green, all promising a colourful display in the months ahead.

Work at Beverley Brook has also reached an important milestone with the first stage of the project now complete. The next phase, managed by Community Bluescapes, will focus on spring planting, which includes 8 new trees (mainly silver birch with one or two weeping willows), grass reseeding, wildflowers and new plants along the water margins. Fencing will remain in place to protect the young plants as they establish and to prevent trampling and grazing by geese.

Collecting unwanted gifts for local charity

Do you have any Christmas gifts left over which you are not going to use and would be happy to donate? We’re collecting seasonal food items and gifts, such as biscuits, chocolates, chutneys, bath and beauty products and children’s gifts, in support of our charity partner, Share & Care Collective, who support families in our community.

Your donations will be used in upcoming Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day care packages to make the packages more special.

Drop off any donations by 30 January at Rose House, Monday-Friday 9:30am-12:30pm. Please ensure all donations are unopened and in date.

Men’s Shed Team Repairs High Street Bench

The BCA Men’s Shed team has been out again adding value to the community. This time they have repaired and reinstalled one of the High Street benches after it was hit by a vehicle. The benches have been a popular addition to the High Street and would be missed.

If you’d like to find out more about the Men’s Shed or get involved, you can join the mailing list or register your interest in volunteering via our website.

WHAT’S ON AT ROSE HOUSE

Office For Rent

We have a flexible office space available for ad-hoc hire inside Rose House, ideally located on Barnes High Street in the heart of Barnes. The room can be arranged with tables and chairs for small meetings or classes. To find out more, please contact info@barnes-ca.org .

OTHER NEWS

New Crime Writing Festival in Barnes

Bloody Barnes is a brand new crime fiction festival bringing murder, mischief and mystery to Barnes. The festival boasts a killer line up including Mark Billingham, Hilary Whitehall, Vaseem Khan and Frank Gardiner, with events unfolding around Barnes Pond. Bloody Barnes runs from 6 - 8 February.

Learn More

The Big Richmond Garden Pond Survey

Barnes Common is calling on local residents to report sightings of frogs, toads and newts to help understand how these threatened species are faring across Barnes and East Sheen. By taking a short questionnaire, you can help identify where garden ponds are successfully supporting wildlife and guide future pond restoration and creation across Richmond Borough.

Submit your response

Police Liaison Group Meeting

The next Barnes Police Liaison Group meeting will be held on Thursday 27 January, 7pm at Jenner Hall, SW13 9DB.  All welcome.

Please send any questions in advance to the Barnes PLG Chair: bplgchair@gmail.com 

National Award Highlights Excellence at Viera Gray House

Viera Gray House, the not-for-profit care home located on Ferry Road, has been awarded the prestigious Gold Standards Framework (GSF) accreditation, recognising its exceptional end-of-life and palliative care and making it one of only two care homes in the borough to achieve this national standard. The award follows a recent Care Quality Commission inspection rating the home Good in all areas and highlighting its commitment to compassionate, person-centred care.

Cycling to Richmond

A new state-of-the-art cycle hub has opened at Richmond Station, offering over 650 secure bike parking spaces. Learn more.