- Email: info@bestfields.co.uk
- phone: 020 88769503
Background
Barn Elms Sports Trust (known locally as BEST) is a registered charity dedicated to the management of the sporting provision on the Barn Elms Playing Fields, a London Borough of Richmond upon Thames owned site. A brief history can be found below:
2005 – Plans made for the closure of the athletics track, with the grass fields to be redeveloped to include a large private health & racquets club and housing complex.
2008 – Barnes Vision formed to protest this loss of grass space + 10 months later they had attracted £2million worth of funding.
2009 – Richmond Council approved the redevelopment of the sporting facilities.
2013 – Barn Elms Sports Trust awarded the management contract of the site, with a Deed of Dedication signed to protect the fields for public use for the next 199 years.
2023 – The site continues to be imperative to the local community, providing playing fields and facilities for a variety of local schools, sporting teams and community groups
Awards
Since their origin, BEST have been nominated for many different national awards. Below are just a small list of the larger awards
Winner – Love Your Field Award, 2014
Finalist – Getting Active (Team Sports), 2017
Finalist – Getting Active (Individual Sports & Informal Activity), 2017
Finalist – Fields in Trust Young Champion Award (George Hughes-Onslow), 2017
Get Involved
BEST is a non-profit sporting charity, with a Board of Trustees made up from volunteer members of the community.
We pride ourselves in being self sustaining, without the need for memberships or commercial tie ins.
However, we are always looking for new local community partnerships, volunteers that can provide additional advice and support, and help to keep the site clear from litter.
If you are interested in helping, please do feel free to email us!
