Friends of Dunsfold Common

Who and what are the Friends? The Friends of Dunsfold Common was officially created on 11 April 1958 "to promote the permanent preservation and improvement (of the Common) for the benefit of the public generally and especially of the inhabitants of the Parish of Dunsfold". It is a registered charity and is a membership organisation with membership "open to any person resident or owning property in the said Parish". In reality, membership is open to other interested individuals. At present many of those living on or near the Common are members of the Friends. How are we financed? Support and hence membership of the Friends comes in a number of different forms. Some make a regular donation, normally annually, in amounts ranging from £5 to £50. In most cases these donations are made under Deed of Covenant which means that the Friends get the added advantage of being able to reclaim tax from the Inland Revenue. In other cases, some prefer to make contributions on a more ad hoc basis, sometimes in response to requests or at an activity organised by the Friends. Donations are always welcome. See below if you wish to make a contribution. What do we do? The Friends has no power or authority of its own but in three important ways it acts to protect and further the interests of the Common: first, it works closely with the Parish Council. Members of the Friends' committee are ex officio members of the Common's Committee of the Parish Council. This provides an important source of advice on developments relating to the Common, from the siting of the litter bins to liaising with the Council in its work with Waverley Borough Council on managed clearance of common and scrubland areas and the maintenance of the ponds which are such a feature of Dunsfold; secondly, it spends its money on the upkeep of the Common. This includes a regular contribution to cutting the Common, paying a proportion of the Common Ranger's wages and maintaining the area around the War Memorial. It also includes support to other projects such as maintaining the path from the Church to the Holy Well and attempting to tackle the ongoing litter problems; finally, it acts as a focal point for interest in the Common and brings together, at meetings and social gatherings, villagers with an interest in the Common. For the Millennium To mark the Millennium the Friends provided three benches for the use of those using the Common. When do we meet? Our Annual General Meeting is normally held in March or April each year. At this time there is generally an opportunity for villagers to make comments about the Common. Also at the AGM we include a speaker, as well as refreshments and a raffle. At other times of the year we arrange other activities such as a regular challenge against the Friends of Hascombe in either skittles or bowls. Donations? These may be made to our Hon Treasurer, David Airey at Ivy Cottage, The Common, Dunsfold GU8 4LL, who can provide donation and covenant forms. The Committee Alastair Bentall (Chair) David Airey (Treasurer) Peter Curry, Martin Gardiner, John Hedger, Wynn Pearson (Secretary), Robert Stedall and Mence Wilkinson. We all care about this beautiful part of Surrey. Let us strive to preserve our heritage here for future generations. Return to Countryside page If you have any comments or queries concerning this section please e-mail the Section Editor.