BCA NEWS

Outdoor Stage Acts Announced

Get ready for a fantastic day of live music at the BCA/OSO Outdoor Stage on Saturday 6 June!

This year’s line up features two brilliant tribute acts - The Backbeat Beatles, bringing the timeless hits of the Fab Four and David Live, an electrifying celebration of the music of David Bowie.

New for this year, we’re introducing a Festival Pass, so you can settle in and enjoy both bands alongside a BBQ and bar. BCA has also organised some festive stalls on site and to keep the energy high between sets, electric DJ Tom Ato will be spinning tunes from 6:30pm - 7:30pm.

BCA Easter Duck Hunt

The much-loved BCA Easter Duck Hunt returns 30 March - 7 April. Ducks will be hidden across Barnes, on our shopping parades - White Hart Lane, Barnes High Street, Church Road, and Castelnau Parade - and in 5 other mystery locations.

To join the fun, purchase a Duck Hunt map, from 30 March, for £5 from Rose House (9am - 1pm), Natsons, or OSO and start your search. Find at least five ducks, and you’ll win a chocolate treat!

Also taking place at the OSO is the Easter Art Fair (Thursday 2 – Monday 6 April). In celebration, on the reverse of the Duck Hunt map you’ll find a colouring competition - submit your entry to the OSO for a chance to win two theatre tickets to one of its family shows.

A huge thank you to Wurkshop for creating this year’s illustrated map.

Learn more

Campaign to Reduce HGVs Gains Momentum

BCA’s Travel Barnes Ponder team has been campaigning to bring down the weight of HGVs allowed to use Barnes High Street and The Terrace from 18 tonnes to 7½ (similar to limits in Richmond, Kew and Teddington).

Our petition received more than 1,000 signatures from residents and businesses in the borough, as well as neighbours from Putney, Hammersmith, Chiswick and elsewhere.

On 16 March the chair of Travel Barnes, Paul Hodson, supported by a delegation of members, presented to the council’s Transport and Air Quality committee. The committee’s response seemed positive. The chair thanked us for bringing the petition forward and said that the council is considering options for the weight limit and for effective enforcement in order to bring the number of HGVs down. They hope to be able to consult the community on any options after the elections, in May.

Join the BCA Team

We have a number of exciting opportunities to get involved with BCA.

Events Manager (Paid, Part-time)
Based at Rose House in the High Street and working alongside our Executive Director and small team, you will be responsible for organising and delivering our two main events, Barnes Fair and The Barnes Christmas Festival as well as our smaller activities through the year.

As a proven event organiser, you will be responsible for all logistics and systems – including liaison with the local Council, sourcing external contractors and services as well as generating revenue via exhibition stand sales and sponsorship.

You’ll be a people person, organised and focussed, know Barnes well, have a good head for numbers and IT and be willing to work flexibly and at weekends when events take place.

In return we offer a flexible and hybrid 20 hour working week, sensible salary, pension, pro rata holiday entitlement equivalent to 5.6 weeks including bank holidays and the chance to be at the very heart of Barnes and involved in its key activities.

Start date is late May so you can shadow our current Head of Events and closing date for applications is Thursday 16 April.

Check out the full job description and if interested, please send your CV and covering letter to Kathryn at hr@barnes-ca.org

Barnes Fair Intern (Paid)
We’re looking for an intern to help us with this year’s Barnes Fair. Getting involved in all aspects of event planning and organisation, as well as general BCA administrative tasks, you’ll spend 3-4 mornings a week at Rose House and should have a sound knowledge of Word, Excel and social media.

If you enjoy talking with people, both face to face and on the phone, and are keen to gain some unique paid work experience with the BCA from mid-May to mid-July, please email charlotte@barnes-ca.org with your CV.

Honorary Treasurer (Volunteer Trustee Role)

We are also looking for an Honorary Treasurer to join our Board of Trustees. This is a key role supporting the financial health and governance of the charity, ideal for someone with a senior finance, audit or accountancy background who is keen to contribute to the future of Barnes.

Learn more

Update from our Greenkeeper

Our Greenkeeper, Russell, has recently replanted sections of the hedgerow along The Crescent, adding 70 native trees with the help of Duke of Edinburgh volunteers. Willow fencing has also been installed to protect the new planting.

Unfortunately, some of the young plants and fencing have already been damaged. We know new features on the Green can be tempting to explore, but please help us protect them by keeping out of the fenced areas and avoiding climbing on the willow fencing.

Russell would also like to alert residents to the fact that bird flu has been detected in the local area. The risk to the public is very low, but please take sensible precautions when visiting the Green, the pond and the riverside.

Please keep dogs on leads, stick to footpaths, do not touch dead or sick birds, and do not feed the birds at the pond or riverside, as feeding brings large numbers of birds together in close proximity, creating ideal conditions for the virus to spread. Thank you!

Spring Prospect

The Spring edition of Prospect will be delivered to all SW13 addresses shortly. A big thank you to all our contributors and advertisers - including local artist Marcus Carrigan who painted the lovely cover pic.

Sometimes our distributors have difficulty accessing blocks of flats. If you live in a flat and would be happy to collect copies for your building from Rose House, we’d be very grateful. Contact membership@barnes-ca.org to volunteer.

Help Shape the Future of our Mobile Phone Courses

Since 2022, our Connect More programme has helped local residents feel more confident using their mobile phones, with 21 courses and hundreds of attendees. As we plan the next chapter, we’ve created a short survey to gather your thoughts on course topics, format and timings. It only takes a few minutes to complete and will help us shape future sessions.

Take the survey

WHAT’S ON AT ROSE HOUSE

Bumble Jumble sale

A mini Bumble Jumble sale will take place at Rose House this Saturday, 21 March, 10am - 4pm. All proceeds will go to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, a charity that supports the dwindling population of UK bumblebees.

Queer Writing Club

A new Queer Writing Club is launching at Rose House on Thursday 20 April, 7:30pm - 9:00pm. Plume offers a safe, welcoming space for the queer community in Barnes and SW London to connect, create, and share.

Sessions include playful and practical writing exercises, followed by the chance to share work and receive supportive feedback. The club will run the first and third Monday of each month.

Tickets are £1.50 in advance (plus booking fee) or £2.50 on the door.

Buy Tickets

OTHER NEWS

Celebrate the Boat Race

The 2026 CHANEL J12 Boat Race will take place on Easter Saturday 4 April, with the Women’s race starting at 2:21pm and the Men’s race starting at 3:21pm.

You can, of course, cheer on the crews from a spot along the river, but if you’d rather enjoy some food and drink while watching - or need a shelter in case of a sudden rain - many local pubs and restaurants are offering special events for race day. Some popular options are already fully booked, but check out: The Coach and Horses, The Crossing, The Brown Dog, The Red Lion and The Bridge.

It’s also a brilliant day to support our local high streets. Whether you’re picking up picnic supplies, grabbing a takeaway coffee, or browsing the shops before heading down to the river, Barnes has a lot to offer and they need our support.

Barnes Pond Market

The Barnes Pond Outdoor Market is back for a new season on Saturday 4 April, just in time for Easter. Browse antiques, collectables, craft and design stalls around the pond on the first Saturday of each month from April to October, 9am - 4pm.

Interim Director Opportunity at Mortlake Community Association

Mortlake Community Association (MCA) is looking for an experienced Interim Director to join its vibrant and inclusive organisation. The main purpose of the role is to maintain its growing profile as a community hub and support its range of varied activities. The post is offered on a fixed term 9-month contract, starting in May 2026 to align with the current Director’s maternity leave. For full details on the role and to apply, please visit: www.mortlakecommunityassociation.org.uk/vacancies

Barnes Common Big Annual Litter Pick

Help clean up Barnes Common and take part in the Great British Spring Clean on Sunday 22 March, 10am - 1pm! Litter picks, bags and gloves will be provided (or bring your own) by Barnes Common charity. Dress for the weather - the event goes ahead rain or shine!

Please register for the event so they know how many people to expect.

LEGO Club at Castelnau Library

A new LEGO Club is launching at Castelnau Library, inviting children to design, build and take part in fun LEGO challenges. The free drop-in session takes place on the third Saturday of each month, 11am - 12pm, and all materials are provided - children just need to bring their imagination (and be accompanied by a parent or caregiver).

The next session is on Saturday 22 March.

More info

New Parcel Postboxes

Some of the standard postboxes in Barnes have now been replaced with parcel postboxes, providing a secure way to drop off small parcels and get proof of posting via the Royal Mail app 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Find a parcel postbox near you.