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AREA PROFILE CONTENTS PAGES Page 3 What is ‘Big Local’ and who is ‘Leecliffe’? Page 4 Where is the Leecliffe Big Local Area? Pages 4-5 History of Borehamwood Pages 5-7 Maps of Borehamwood and Leecliffe Big Local Boundary Pages 8-13 The Leecliffe Big Local Area – By The Numbers Page 8 – Population Page 9 – Ethnicity & Religion Pages 10-11 – Housing Page 11 – Lone Parent Families Page 12 – Income Page 12 – Employment Page 12 – Employment by Industry Page 13 – Unemployment Page 13 – Disability & Care Pages 13-14 – Health & Lifestyle Page 14 – Deprivation Page 15 – Schools & Education Page 26 – Crime Pages 17-35 What Community Assets Does the Leecliffe Big Local Area Have At Its Disposal? Pages 17-18 - Green Spaces Page 17 - Aberford Park Page 18 - Meadow Park Pages 19-31 – Community Assets Page 19 – Aberford Park Community Centre Pages 20-21 – Allum Manor House & Hall Page 22 – Fairway Hall Page 23 – Farriers Hall Community Centre Page 24 –Maxwell Park Community Centre Page 25 – Organ Hall Community Centre Page 26 – Three Ways Community Centre Page 27 – Windsor Hall Page 28 – Citizens Advice Page 29 – (The) Borehamwood & Elstree Children’s Centre (BECC) Page 30 – The Community Shop (Leeming Road) Page 31 – Denbigh Lodge (7th Borehamwood Scout Hut) Page 32 – The Ark Theatre Page 33 – 96 Shenley Road

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Page 34 – (The) Jewish Life Centre Page 35 – Other Community Assets & Religious Partners Pages 36-42 Community, Charity & Voluntary Organistaions Page 36 – Communities 1st Pages 36-37 – Carers in Hertfordshire Page 37 – Crossroads Care Pages 37-38 – Borehamwood Foodbank Page 38 – Gratitude Pages 38-40 – Guideposts Trust (@ ‘Number 10 Leeming Road’) Page 40 – Hospital & Community Navigation Service (@ ‘Number 10 Leeming Road’) Pages 40-41 – Livability Page 41 – MIND Pages 41-42 – The Royal British Legion Page 42 – The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Pages 43-44 Civic Buildings & History Page 43 – Hertsmere Civic Offices (Hertsmere Borough Council) Page 44 – Elstree & Borehamwood Town Council Page 45 Local Media Page 45 – Borehamwood & Elstree Times Page 45 – Elstree & Borehamwood Town Crier Pages 46-54 Employers & High Street Pages 46-47 – Elstree Studios Page 47 – Tesco Extra Page 48 – Cardif Pinnacle Page 48 – The Venue Leisure centre Page 49 – Boulevard 25 Retail Park Page 50 – Imperial Place Pages 51-54 – Borehamwood High Street – ‘The Village’ Pages 55-60 Local Entertainment Page 55 – ‘Reel Cinema’ & ‘Gala Bingo’ Page 55 – 96 Shenley Road Page 56 – Jump-In Trampoline Park Pages 56-57 – Boreham Wood Football Club Pages 57-58 – Boreham Wood Football Club – P.A.S.E. Academy Page 58 – Boreham Wood Football Club – Astro-Turf Hire Page 58 – Boreham Wood Football Club – Function Room Hire Page 59 – ‘The Venue’ Leisure Centre Pages 59-60 – Public Houses Pages 61-63 Transport Links Page 61 – Road (by Car) Pages 61-62 – Rail (Elstree & Borehamwood Station) Page 63 – Bus Services (Transport for London) Page 63 – Bus Services (Hertfordshire) Page 64 Welcome to Leecliffe Big Local…. Welcome to Borehamwood!

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WHAT IS BIG LOCAL AND WHO IS ‘LEECLIFFE’?

In 2010 the National Lottery decided to invest in communities that had little community activity. Predominantly, they were also areas which had historically not applied for much in the way of National Lottery funding. These areas were to be designated ‘Big Local’ areas, whilst also happening to contain some of the highest pockets of depravation in the country. Borehamwood - and in principal the Leeming and Aycliffe road areas therein - was identified, and designated as being, one such ‘Big Local’ area; and subsequently awarded £1,000,000 by the National Lottery ‘Big Local’ fund to be spent geographically between 2010 and 2026. In order to facilitate this funding, a Partnership Committee called the ‘Leecliffe Big Local (Partnership)’ - a name derived from a combination of the names of Leeming Road and Aycliffe Road - was set up in 2012. The partnership board initially comprised 18 volunteers – this now numbers 10 – and is still made up of people who live, work or have an association with the Borehamwood area. When constituted, the Leecliffe Big Local Partnership board was founded on the following principals.

In 2013, based on the thoughts and ideas of members of our community, and with the aim of looking to make their area a better place in which to live, we (Leecliffe Big Local partnership) created our first ‘Community Plan’. In 2016, a second consultation with local residents in our Big Local Area was undertaken to generate and even deeper understanding of how what we had previously done, and what new opportunities had presented themselves, might help us continue to ‘improve the lives’ of the people in our area. This consultation laid the grounds for our second “Community Plan (2016- 2018). In 2018 we undertook our third community-wide consultation in preparation for our third and latest “Community Plan”. As with our previous consultations – undertaken with residents, partners and community organisations - this allowed us to see what had changed in our community and how we could continue to meet our aim of ‘improving the lives’ of our residents. Data gathered from our third consultation was used to form the basis of our 2019-21 Community Plan which we submitted to Local Trust in January 2019.

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WHERE IS THE ‘LEECLIFFE BIG LOCAL’ AREA?

Leecliffe Big Local covers the North of the town of Borehamwood, situated in the county of Hertfordshire. When first set up, the Leecliffe Big Local Area encompassed most – but not all of – Borehamwood’s ‘northern’ electoral wards: ‘Brookmeadow’ and ‘Cowley Hill’. Within Brookmeadow ward are the streets of Leeming Road and Aycliffe Road, after whom Leecliffe Big Local was named. Leecliffe Big Local’s first premises, ‘The Community Shop’, stills stands on the former street. However, Leecliffe Big Local increasingly came to feel that their original boundary restricted their potential outreach, and that the success of its projects would also benefit from, and require commitments from, outside the original boundary. It was also felt that the original boundary further and unnecessarily divided Borehamwood. So, in 2018, Leecliffe Big Local’s boundaries were redrawn. The result being that the ‘Leecliffe Big Local Area’ currently encompasses all of the Brookmeadow and Cowley Hill electoral wards in Borehamwood; covering the whole of the north of the town. HISTORY OF BOREHAMWOOD

Though not named as such, Borehamwood is ‘split’ into North and South by its central high street: Shenley Road. Historically a ‘wood for the feeding of swine’ (boars) situated on monastery lands called ‘Elstree’, later a hamlet within a parish of the same name, whose principal village of the same name now neighbours Borehamwood, Borehamwood grew steadily to a village after its neighbour, Elstree, became a stop on the Midland Railway in 1868 and Borehamwood gained its ‘independence’ from the parish of Elstree in 1909. Since the 1920s Elstree & Borehamwood have shared a name on the board of the same station, as well as the station itself. However, the coming of the railway did not immediately cause Borehamwood’s population to increase substantially. By the time of Queen Victoria’s death in 1901, Borehamwood’s population stood at just 1,323. At the last census, it stood at c. 32,000. Post First World War, and up to the present day, Borehamwood has most famously been home to multiple film and television studios. Around whom the town first built its primary industry and its reputation. Many well-known films including The Dam Busters (1955), the original Star Wars trilogy (1977-1981), Moby Dick (1956), Summer Holiday (1963), Dr Zhivago (1965)', 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and The Shining (1980), and some of the Indiana Jones films were filmed at the former Associated British Studios in Shenley Road. These were partly demolished in the 1980s to make way for a supermarket and office blocks. Though now reduced to an area that no longer serves the production of feature films, the resulting ‘Elstree Film & Television Studios’ has, and still does, provide facilities for post-production film work and the filming of television series for both the BBC and commercial television. Borehamwood was once also the location of the British National Studios (located in Clarendon Road). Known locally as "The Douglas Fairbanks studios", the site is now home to the ‘BBC Elstree Studios’. These studios have, over the years, seen the filming of multiple television series – but are currently most commonly associated with the production of the BBC’s long-running soap ‘EastEnders’ (whose famous ‘Albert Square’ stands in the backlot) and medical drama ‘Holby City’. Borehamwood was once also home to film studios including The Gate Studio and the MGM-British Studios complex (demolished in the early 1970s) which saw the production of films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Where Eagles Dare (1968) and Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969) and many ITV television series including The Prisoner (1967–68). Though the film and television production industry remains one of Borehamwood’s biggest employers, with increasingly better and more frequent transport links (both road, bus and rail) into northern and central London having been added to Borehamwood, in latter decades the town has become both an

Leecliffe Big Local - Profile P a g e | 5 area popular with those who cannot afford to live closer to the capital and, consequently, an ever greater commuter town (on the now ‘Thameslink’ railway) for those who work both in London and Borehamwood. Despite an increasing population and land set over for housing, Borehamwood still has many green spaces; including Aberford Park, Brookmeadow Park, Meadow Park, Ripon Park and Thirskcliffe Nature Park. These are principally in the North of Borehamwood, north of the main high street, Shenley road, which comprises pubs and shops, and a local 3-storey library. As of 2018 Borehamwood also has 7 primary schools, 1 secondary Academy, 1 faith school college, 1 University Technical College and a college outreach. One of the Academy Schools, Hertswood Academy, is currently in the middle of a £32m rebuild and expansion, due to be completed in 2019. The following maps will show where Borehamwood is located in relation to the county of Hertfordshire (Map 1), a bird’s eye view of the street layout of Borehamwood (Map 2) and a final one demonstrating the current boundaries of Leecliffe Big Local after they were revised and redrawn in 2018. Map 1 – Borehamwood, as located in Hertfordshire

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Map 2 – Street Layout of Borehamwood

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Map 2 – (Revised) Boundary of the Leecliffe Big Local Area (black line)

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THE LEECLIFFE BIG LOCAL AREA – BY THE NUMBERS

POPULATION According to www.citypopulation.de, the overall population of the town of Borehamwood - in which Leecliffe Big Local sits - and based upon numbers estimated as of June 2017 - stood at c. 33,898. That 33,898 breaks down as follows:

Population of Borehamwood Borehamwood Electoral Ward Census (2011) Estimate (2017) % Total (2011) Kenilworth 5,906 6,288 18.5% Hillside 9,682 10,323 22.8% Brookmeadow 7,928 8,489 12.3% Cowley Hill 8,439 8,798 14.9% Brookmeadow & Cowley Hill Combined 16,367 17,287 51.2% Borehamwood (Total) 31,955 33,898

Source: https://www.citypopulation.de/php/uk-wards-eastofengland.php?adm2id=E050

As of 2019, the total population of the Leecliffe Big Local area - according to 2017 Mid-Year Estimates provided by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) – is 17,285. This is approximately 51% of Borehamwood’s total population. According to the ONS, Leecliffe’s population, when broken down by the age brackets of ‘0-15’, ‘working age’ (16-64) and ’65 years+’, and compared to the East of England Average (EoEA), the pie B/Wood EoEA Population Breakdown By Age Bracket 0-15 24.3% 19.2% Working Age 61.9% 61.3% 65+ 13.5% 19.5% chart for Leecliffe Big Local looks like this:

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ETHNICITY When it comes to the percentage breakdown of the multiple ethnicities that live in the Leecliffe Big Local area, the most recent data available is from the 2011 consensus, which breaks down the like this:

RELIGION When it comes to the percentage breakdown of the religious beliefs of those who live in the Leecliffe Big Local area, the most recent data available is from the 2011 consensus, which breaks down those beliefs like this: Religion % Christian 53.3 No Religion 21.9 Jewish 11.8 Muslim 2.7 Hindu 2.3 Buddhist 0.5 Other Religion 0.5 Sikh 0.1

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HOUSING The following is a breakdown the type of household found in the Leecliffe Big Local area, according to the last set of available statistics from the 2011 Census.

Owner-occupied owned: with Owner occupied Owner-occupied: owned outright mortgage or loan

3,344 1,245 2,019

50.2% (East of England average 18.7% (East of England average 30.3% (East of England average

= 68.3%) = 32.9%) = 34.7%)

Owner-occupied: shared Social rented households Rented from Council ownership

80 2,479 297

1.2% (East of England average = 37.2% (East of England average 4.5% (East of England average =

0.7%) = 15.7%) 7.8%)

Rented from Housing Association Rented from private landlord or Other rented dwellings or Social Landlord letting agency

2,182 699 136

32.8% (East of England average 10.5% (East of England average 2.0% (East of England average =

= 7.9%) = 13.3%) 2.6%)

Source: Census 2011

 There are just over 6,800 dwellings in the Leecliffe Big Local Area  3,344 households (50.2%) are in owner occupation (18.1% lower than the East of England average)  2,2479 (37.2%) are in the social rented sector (21.5% higher than East of England average)  2,045 dwellings (30.0%) are purpose built flats  771 households (11.6%) are regarded as overcrowded (almost double the East of England of 6.5%)  5,934 properties (85.1%) have been built between 1945 and 1999 (East of England = 59.8%)

Population density Houses lacking central Overcrowded Housing Vacant Dwellings (persons / hectare) heating 45.4 118 771 160 11.6% (East of East of England average = 1.8% (East of England 2.3% (East of England England average = 3.2 average = 2.0%) average = 4.4%) 6.5%)

Dwellings with 2 rooms or Dwellings with 8 or Average dwelling size

fewer more rooms (persons) 257 314 2.48 East of England 3.9% (East of England 4.7% (East of England average = 2.37 average = 2.8%) average = 15.4%) people) Source: Census 2011. Population density data – Office for National Statistics (ONS) 2016

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One person households Lone parent families with Pensioner households (aged under 65) dependent children 1,240 1,240 645 28.3% of all families with 18.6% (East of England average 18.6% (East of England dependent children (East of = 22.3%) average = 15.8%) England average = 21.1%)

Married households Cohabiting households Student households 2,115 540 5 31.8% (East of England average 8.1% (East of England 0.0% (East of England average

= 36.1%) average = 10.2%) = 0.3%) Source: Census 2011

 There are 1,240 pensioner households in the Leecliffe Big Local area (this is 18.6% of all households, compared to 22.3% of all households in the East of England)  According to the 2011 census there are 872 single-pensioner households in the Leecliffe Big Local area. Meaning that single-pensioner households make up 70.3% of all pensioner households in the Leecliffe Big Local area. This compares 56.8% in the East of England.  There are 2,370 over 65’s living in the Leecliffe Big Local area (13.7% of all residents)  575 pensioners are claiming pension credit (according to the Department for Work and Pensions statistics - February 2018). This is 46.3% of all pensioner households in the Leecliffe Big Local area  According to the 2011 census 920 private pensioner households have no car or van (42.9% of pensioner households)

LONE-PARENT FAMILIES Based upon the last available data from the 2011 census, the figures below show that the Leecliffe Big Local area has a greater percentage of lone parent families with dependant children, in comparison to the East of England average (28.3% to 21.1%). Data from HM Revenue & Customs for 2012 also showed that the Leecliffe Big Local area has a statistically significantly higher percentage of overall children in lone parent families, in comparison to the East of England Average (31.0% to 23.2%)

 There are 1,305 children living in lone parent households (HMRC 2012). At 31.0% this is statistically significantly greater than the East of England average of 23.2%  600 children live in out of work households (DWP 2016) – 3.2% higher than East of England average  645 children are deemed to be living in poverty (DWP 2015) – 2.1% higher than East of England average.

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INCOME According to statistics last provided by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the average income per household in the Leecliffe Big Local Area is £42,522 – this is 8.2% lower than the East of England average. After housing costs have been paid for, the average income per household in the Leecliffe Big Local Area is £27,008 – this is 14.1% LOWER than the East of England Average; reflecting the higher than average regional housing costs of living in the Leecliffe Big Local Area.

Annual household income Annual household income, after Households living in ‘Fuel (Office for National Statistics housing costs (Office for National Poverty’ Department for Energy 2015/16) Statistics 2015/16) and Climate Change (2016) £42,522 £27,008 630 East of England Average = East of England Average = £31,419 9.0% of households (East of

£45,795 England = 9.4%)

EMPLOYMENT (latest figures: Census 2011)

Full-time Part-time Self-employed Economically Economically active employees employees people inactive

8,560 4,785 1,560 1,246 3,058

73.7% (East of 41.2% (East of 13.4% (East of 10.7% (East of 26.3% (East of England average = England average = England average England average England average 71.6%) 40.0%) = 14.3%) = 10.5%) = 28.4%) Source: Census 2011

EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY (latest figures: Census 2011)

Largest employment Second largest employment Third largest employment

sector sector sector Retail Health & social work Construction 1,460 employees (19% of 970 employees (12% of 695 employees (9% of 7,860 of people in 7,860 of people in 7,860 of people in employment) employment) employment)

Professional (or Administrative or Managerial Skilled trades Elementary associate) secretarial occupations occupations occupations occupations occupations

760 2,055 1,045 950 915

9.7% of 7,860 12.1% of 11.6% of 7,860 26.2% of 7,860 13.3% of 7,860 people in 7,860 people people in people in people in employment in employment employment employment employment (East (East of (East of (East of (East of England of England = England = England = England = = 29.6%) 12.0%) 11.4%) 12.0%) 10.6%)

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UNEMPLOYMENT  As of August 2018, there were 210 people claiming unemployment benefit (JSA and UC)  As of February 2018, 925 people were classified as ‘working age workless benefit claimants’ (assessed as incapable of work due to illness/disability)  As of February 2018, approximately 695 people were claiming incapacity benefits (6.5% of all residents, and significantly higher than the 4.6% for the East of England)  1,641 residents (9.9%) of the Leecliffe Big Local population live in the most deprived 20% of areas of England Income Domain  As of February 2018, 355 people (3.3% of working age adults) were claiming mental health related benefits

DISABILITY & CARE

Attendance Allowance claimants Personal Independence PIP Males (Oct-18) (May-18) Payment (PIP) (Oct-18) 425 555 245 17.8% of people claim 5.2% of people receive 4.8% of males receive PIP in Attendance Allowance in PIP in Leecliffe (Leeming Leecliffe (Leeming and Aycliffe) Leecliffe (Leeming and Aycliffe) and Aycliffe) areas and areas and 3.6% claim in East of areas and 12.6% claim in East of 3.9% claim in East of England England England

PIP with mental health Disability Living Allowance PIP Females (Oct-18) conditions (Oct-18) claimants (May-18) 315 240 540 5.7% of males receive PIP in 2.2% of males receive PIP 3.1% of people claim DLA in Leecliffe (Leeming and Aycliffe) in Leecliffe (Leeming and Leecliffe (Leeming and Aycliffe)

areas and 4.3% claim in East of Aycliffe) areas and 1.4% areas and 2.5% claim in East of England claim in East of England England

 As of May 2018, 540 people (3.1% of residents) are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance. This is not much more than the East of England average of 2.5%.  As of May 2018, 425 people (17.8% of residents) are claiming Attendance Allowance. This is statistically significantly higher than the 12.6% in the East of England.  According to the 2011 census, 1,559 (9.5%) people are providing unpaid care; of which 352 (2.2%) are providing care for more 50+ hours per week. Both are comparable to the East of England averages.

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

 Life expectancy for males and females living in the Leecliffe Big Local area is 2 years lower than the East of England average, and 1 year lower than the average for England.  2,805 residents in the Leecliffe Big Local area (17.1%) have a limiting long term illness. This compares to 16.7% in the East of England. Of the 2,805 residents with a limiting long term illness, 1,390 (13.1%) are aged 16 to 64. (11.4% in the East of England).  11.5% of children in reception year in the Leecliffe Big Local area are classified as obese. This statistically significantly more than the East of England average of 8.4%.  By year 6, 21.1% of children in the Leecliffe Big Local area are classified as obese. This compares with 17.2% in the East of England.  55% of adults in the Leecliffe Big Local area consider themselves to be physically active. This is statistically significantly lower than the 62% in the East of England who consider themselves physically active.  27% of adults in the Leecliffe Big Local area consider themselves to be physically inactive. This compares to 24% in the East of England.

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 At 26.5%, the percentage of residents in the Leecliffe Big Local area eating healthily (considered to be the consumption of 5+ portions of fruit and veg a day) is statistically significantly lower than the East of England average of 30.3%.  20.9% of Leecliffe Big Local residents admit to binge drinking, compared to 18.2% of residents in the East of England  25.8% of Leecliffe Big Local residents admit to smoking, compared to 21.0% of residents in the East of England.

DEPRIVATION Based upon the last data – supplied for the Office for Communities and Local Government in 2015 - the figures below show the (approximate) number of people in the Leecliffe Big Local Area who live in neighbourhoods ranked among the most deprived 20% of neighbourhoods in England.

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SCHOOLS & EDUCATION Though there are twelve schools (primary, secondary and college) in the town of Borehamwood as a whole, only six fall within the Leecliffe Big Local Area. These schools are: Cowley Hill (Primary), Herstwood Academy (Secondary), Meryfield (Primary), Parkside Community (Primary), St Teresa Roman Catholic (Primary) and Woodlands (Primary). Teachers Pupil/ School No. % % % (Full Time Teacher School Level Capacity Pupils Capacity Boys Girls Boys Girls Equivalent) Ratio Cowley Hill School Primary 465 438 94.2% 235 203 53.7% 46.3% 22.5 19.5 Hertswood Academy Secondary 1,861 1,285 69.0% 645 640 50.2% 49.8% 96.9 13.3 Meryfield School Primary 441 437 99.1% 208 229 47.6% 52.4% - - Parkside Community School Primary 390 346 88.7% 190 156 54.9% 45.1% 18.1 19.1 St Teresa Roman Catholic Primary 210 228 108.6% 119 109 52.2% 47.8% 10.6 21.5 Woodlands School Primary 240 236 98.3% 109 127 46.2% 53.8% 9.6 24.6 Total - 3,607 2,970 82.3% 1,506 1,464 50.7% 49.3% - -

OFFSTED Evaluations Quality of Effectiveness Personal Teaching, of Leadership Development, Last Full Overall Outcomes for learning and & Behaviour & School Inspection Effectiveness Pupils assessement Management Welfare Cowley Hill School 06/12/11 Good Good Good Good No Judgement Requires Hertswood Academy 28/09/17 Inadequate Good Good Inadequate Improvement Meryfield School 15/12/11 Good Good Good Good No Judgement Requires Requires Requires Requires Requires Parkside Community School 29/09/17 Improvement Improvement Improvement Improvement Improvement St Teresa Roman Catholic 08/06/16 Good Good Good Good Good Woodlands School 09/03/12 Good Good Good Good No Judgement Source: https://www.getthedata.com

 25.7% of people (3,290) of working age in the Leecliffe Big Local area have no qualifications. This is higher than the East of England average of 22.5%  22.1% of people (2,835) of working age have a Level 4+ qualification (degree). This compares to 25.7% in the East of England  At Key Stage 1, pupils in the Leecliffe Big Local area achieve an Average Points Score of 16.3. This is 0.4 points higher than the average for England, and 0.2 points higher than the average for the East of England.  At Key Stage 2, pupils in the Leecliffe Big Local area achieve an Average Points Score of 28.9. This is 0.1 points lower than the average for England, and 0.2 points higher than the average for the East of England.

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CRIME Though there are no specific sets of figures for the total number of crimes committed by type for the Leecliffe Big Local Area between January 2018 and December 2018, www.police.uk can offer statistics on the number and types of crime committed in Borehamwood (and the neighbouring village of Elstree) as a whole; providing some idea of the prevalence and types of crimes that may well also be common to the Leecliffe Big Local area. As the figures below show, Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) is by far the most commonly recorded crime in the geographical area in which Leecliffe Big Local sits.

Source: https://www.police.uk/hertfordshire/J02/crime/stats/#crime_stats

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WHAT COMMUNITY ASSESTS DOES ‘LEECLIFFE BIG LOCAL AREA’ HAVE AT ITS DISPOSAL? GREEN SPACES Though not all are classified as ‘public parks’ by the local Hertsmere Borough Council, the Leecliffe Big Local Area can boast nine ‘green spaces’ within its boundary. Be these open spaces, such as ‘Organ Hall Open Space’ next to the Organ Hall Estate (situated in the north west of Borehamwood). Or the ‘Thirskcliffe Nature Park’ (situated between Thirsk and Aycliffe Roads). Or a ‘meadow’, such as ‘Brook Meadow’ which runs adjacent to Brook Road. Or, mainly, just designated ‘parks’ named after their nearest roads, such as: ‘Aberford Park’, ‘Aycliffe Park’, ‘Clarendon Park’, ‘Haggerston Park’, Leeming (Road) Park’ and ‘Meadow Park’. These green spaces vary in size and use. Of these, Aberford Park and Meadow Park are by far the biggest not only in Borehamwood, but in the Leecliffe Big Local Area, too. The following pages will give you an idea of what these two parks are like, and what they offer the local community. ABERFORD PARK Aberford Park has come into being in stages since the first part of land was bought in 1888 and set aside as public space. After the sewage works that was constructed there after the First World War fell out of use in the 1940s, and the area ceased to be used for public landfill by the 1950s, the area was turned into a public park with lakes which now form part of Borehamwood’s flood relief system. These lakes are home to a variety of water fowl and wildlife. A nearby tree avenue was planted by local school children; each tree representing a school in Borehamwood. The park is often used as background for television programmes filmed at the local Elstree Studios. It is looked after by the Borehamwood ‘Four Parks Friends Association’ and has won a Green Flag award every year since 2008. This means the park has been judged to be ‘a welcoming place’, which is ‘healthy, safe and secure’, ‘clean and well maintained’ with a commitment to ‘heritage’, ‘community’ and ‘conservation’. There are two children's play areas, along with a skate park (picture: above right) and 'extreme' sport area. It also has a sensory play area with a nest swing, bridge, tunnel and maze. A multi- sports court near the lake is marked out for street hockey and basketball. Regular graffiti projects (picture: left) are carried out on the basketball court walls.

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MEADOW PARK Meadow Park has been a public open space in Borehamwood since 1929. It is located next to Borehamwood Football Club who, originally, as Boreham Rovers, established their ground – and forever since called Meadow Park – on part of what was Meadow Park Playing Fields – some time shortly after the First World War. The second largest open green space in Borehamwood, Meadow Park is popular for sport and has a range of facilities including a children’s play area, tennis courts, multi-sports courts, interactive play, teen shelter, football pitches, open grassland and a wildflower meadow. The park also hosts local events including the annual Family Fun Day (picture: below), Halloween Fun Day and the Annual Fireworks Display (picture: above right). In 2018 the Hertsmere Borough Council accepted a funding proposal from Leecliffe Big Local to fund the construction of a BMX Pump Track – to be installed in the park; on the back of Leecliffe Big Local’s successful support and organisation of BMX activities for children in the area during the past two years.

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COMMUNITY ASSESTS

ABERFORD PARK COMMUNITY CENTRE

Located next to Aberford Park, and covering 280 m2/3,016 ft2, Aberford Park Community Centre is the largest of the three community centres located in the Leecliffe Big Local area. Currently under D2 planning use, it is able to host cinema events, be a concert hall, provide bingo and casino events, be used as a dance hall and provide an area for outdoor sports and recreations. The centre has also previously been used to host soft play and kids’ events, and been open to local residents to hire out for community activities. In 2010 the ‘Aberford Park Café’ (picture: below left) was opened next to the centre in order to provide a ‘join’ between the centre itself and the playground and seating areas to the side and in front of it (picture: below right)

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ALLUM LANE MANOR HOUSE & HALL

Located on Allum Lane, the main road connecting Borehamwood and the neighbouring village of Elstree, Allum Hall, originally known as Allum Manor, was constructed in the 17th century on 4 acres of land. The Manor House was extended in the 18th century and later remodelled around 1880. Over the years it was home to many Elstree families. By the time it was sold for £1,500 (c. £167,000, 2019) in 1830, it had been the birthplace of Euphrasia Haworth, an author, artist and friend of the poet Robert Browning and his wife Elizabeth. Together they formed an active local artistic and theatrical group. By 1860 the Manor House had become the residence of gin distiller Charles Gordon (yes, THAT Gordon’s Gin!), his wife and their seven children. The photo below, from 1863, shows two Victorian ladies playing tennis in the garden of the Manor.

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Remaining at the Manor House for almost another 30 years, the Gordon family was supported by a governess, a cook, four servants, a coachman, a butler, a footman and a gardener. By 1890 Mrs. Mary Barstow was Head of a rather smaller household; she managed with the services of only a cook, a ladies’ maid, a housemaid and a gardener. The gardener, his wife and three children lived in Manor House Cottage, which still stands on Allum Lane beside the gates to Allum Manor. More families followed. It is believed that Baroness Orczy was living in the Manor House in the early 20th century when she wrote “The Scarlet Pimpernel” In 1927 the property was sold to Madame Mabel von Briche for £3,500 (c. £214,000, 2019) and remained hers until 1951, when a lengthy search for a local property to convert into a community centre and War Memorial Hall discovered Allum Manor. Active fundraising was led by renowned actress and local Elstree resident Anna Neagle, President of the Elstree, Borehamwood and District Public Hall Association. With the active support of Associated British Picture Corporation and many actors under contract to it (including Richard Attenborough, Norman Wisdom and a 21-year-old Audrey Hepburn), as well as with loans from local Rotarians, in 1951 the Association was able to purchase the Manor House for £6,500 (c. £199,000, 2019). By that stage The Manor House was almost derelict, but was ready to open by 1953. Refurbishments have continued over the years, and in 1994 Hertsmere Borough Council (whose Civic Headquarters are located in Borehamwood) approved a further programme costing £2.5m (c. £4.8m, 2019) to complete the remaining needed refurbishments and to construct a new Allum Hall. This work was completed by March 1998 when the Manor House and Allum Hall were officially opened.

THE MANOR HOUSE The Manor House part of the Allum Lane Manor House & Hall site promotes itself as a space to hire and being ‘suitable for local groups, exercise classes, children’s parties and club events as well as business meetings and serviced office space’. The Manor House is also licensed to conduct Civil Ceremonies and Marriages. THE MANOR HALL

The Manor Hall (pictured above), located on the grounds of the old Manor House at its rear, promotes itself as being ‘light and airy’ and able to ‘accommodate up to 470 people’. It regularly hosts private social events such as wedding receptions, Bar Mitzvahs Bat Mitzvahs, parties and dinners. As well as public events such as dances, concerts, conferences, exhibitions, charity fairs and flower shows. Like the Manor House, the Manor Hall is also licensed for Civil Ceremonies and Marriages, and for music and dancing

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FAIRWAY HALL

Located not far from the main road going through the centre of Borehamwood (Shenley Road), and at the southern end of Leecliffe Big Local’s boundary, Fairway Hall was built specifically as a new home for Elstree & Borehamwood Town Council, and officially opened in September 1986. Fully-disabled accessible, the hall’s arched timber roof (picture: left), which gives for a large open and light space inside, is popular among groups holding large events. The sprung floor is also able to host dances. In addition, the hall also promotes itself as an ideal location for club and public meetings, discos, conferences, adult and children’s parties, social events, revues and shows. It also has a bar area, a fully equipped kitchen, and a stage with adjoining dressing room and a piano. ‘Drop-In’ Sessions targeting the homebound also take place at Fairway Hall. These are part-supported by Leecliffe Big Local. This is also the case with the Tuesday ‘Lunch Club’ meetings designed to combat isolation and loneliness amongst this peer group.

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FARRIERS HALL COMMUNITY CENTRE

Located on the Farriers Way Housing Estate, at the southernmost end of Borehamwood (see map below), The Farriers Hall Community Centre (also known locally as the Farriers Way Community Centre). Made up of a main hall that can hold 100 people, and a set of smaller rooms for 4-12 people that are often hired out to external companies to hold training sessions, the Hall also serves the people of the neighboring estate; providing a space to hold classes as far-ranging as Zumba, kickboxing and for mother and toddler groups. The Hall is run by a local community and voluntary organisation called Communities 1st and, in keeping with the majority of Communities Hals in Borehamwood, price hire charges range from £15-30 per hour, per room. Despite being one of the smallest Community Halls/Centres in Borehamwood, the facilities, including parking and toilet facilities, are disabled- friendly.

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MAXWELL PARK COMMUNITY CENTRE

When Clarendon Youth Club closed in 1962, a local ‘panic’ that ‘bored youths’ would start ‘hanging around on street corners’ took hold in Borehamwood. Being the owner of local employer BSP Industries, at the time the largest engineering drawing office in Europe, and a large employer of young men in Borehamwood, Ivor Bailey felt the same, too, and donated the site on which Maxwell Park Community Centre sits in 1962. Whilst also using construction of the centre to help unskilled local boys gain construction skills, work began on Maxwell Park Community Centre in January 1962; with construction finally completed in June 1963. Having asked Elstree Council’s General Purposes Committee for a grant of £3,722 (c. £76,000, 2019) to equip and furnish the new centre, a Youth Club called ‘The Links International Youth Centre’ was established to run inside the new community centre; registration for membership of which began on June 29, 1963. The membership fee was set at one shilling and sixpence (c. £3.70, 2019) if still in school, and three shillings (c. £7.30, 2019) if in work. Early in its existence the centre also became a common venue for touring amateur dramatics companies, as well as famous rock bands of the era just starting out. With 1966 being a standout year, attracting famous names of the era such as such as: ‘The Who’ (March), ‘Georgie Fame’ (June) and ‘Fleetwood Mac’ (October). Over the last 50+ years the Maxwell Park Community Centre has been home to youth football teams, sponsored exchange trips to America, as well as hosting various community meetings. In the 2000s, with the last incarnation of the ‘Links International Youth Club’ long since disbanded, the centre secured financing to improve its infrastructure; with collapsing ceilings, substandard toilet facilities, graffiti-covered walls, amongst other things, giving the centre a run-down and unappealing look. Much rejuvenated now, the centre has a host of rooms and a main hall which it hires out to the local community and in which a wide variety of activities take place, including: a digital IT hub for internet access, indoor bowls, junior table tennis, line-dancing, art workshops for the over-50s, classes in fitness, baby dance, karate, street dance and Pilates. As well as a venue for hosting local meetings of MENCAP, for substance abuse support and the British Tinnitus Association.

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ORGAN HALL COMMUNITY CENTRE

Located in Bairstow Close, in the Organ Hall Housing Estate in the North East of Borehamwood (within the Leecliffe Big Local boundary – see below), Organ Hall Community Centre was opened, along with the rest of the estate, in 1980. The Community Centre is currently a ‘Community Asset’ held in trust, and for use by the community, by Clarion Housing; the biggest Housing Association in Borehamwood. One with which Leecliffe Big Local has a close association – as Clarion Housing acts as Leecliffe Big Local’s Locally Trusted Organisation (LTO). As a consequence Leecliffe Big Local has held Partnership Meetings in Organ Hall Community Centre.

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THREE WAYS COMMUNITY CENTRE

Located on Arundel Drive, next to Ripon Park, in the South of Borehamwood (though outside of the Leecliffe Big Local boundary), the recently-refurbished Three Ways Community Centre is at the heart of the South Borehamwood community. Able to host clubs and activities on a daily basis, the centre is easily accessible from the nearby A1(M) and has, for the past 17 years, successfully hosted family wedding receptions, christenings, children’s birthday parties and other adult functions. The centre has a large community hall with a stage and a dance floor (see below), able to accommodate up to 100 people. The centre also has a secure grassed area outside that can also be used in conjunction with family functions or children’s birthday parties The centre is run by InspireAll (formerly Herstmere Leisure), a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee, which was established in February 2002 to provide and promote community sport, recreational and arts services. InspireAll is governed by a Board of Trustees and has its Head Office at ‘The Venue’ on Elstree Way in Borehamwood (see page 48). InspireAll manages facilities owned by Hertsmere Borough Council, Hertfordshire County Council and Milton Keynes Council.

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WINDSOR HALL

Located in the North of Leecliffe’s Boundary - near to Leecliffe Big Locals’ original home of ‘The Community Shop’ in Leeming Road (see: ‘The Community Shop’ and map below) – Windsor Hall is a Local Community Asset run by ‘Communities 1st’ (previously ‘Community Action Hertsmere’); a registered charitable organization that ‘develops, connects and supports local voluntary and community organisations across the district of St. Albans and Hertsmere’ (the borough in which Leecliffe Big Local is located). Communities 1st promotes the venue as a ‘great place for holding meetings, events and parties’.

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CITIZENS ADVICE BRIEF HISTORY Founded in 1939, Citizens Advice is a network of 316 independent charities throughout the United Kingdom that give free, confidential information and advice to assist people with money, legal, consumer and other problems. Citizens Advice organisations emerged in the 1930s and developed early links with the emerging social welfare system. Public funding for the organisation was cut following World War II but restored during the 1960s and a government grant in 1973 allowed the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux (NACAB) to expand. Citizens Advice has grown to be the largest independent advice provider in the United Kingdom. In 2013 the Citizens Advice guide website (https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/) was visited by a third of United Kingdom's online population, and their own research showed that four in ten of the British population had, or would, contact Citizens Advice. It was named Charity of the Year at the 2015 Charity Awards. In recent times Citizens Advice has expanded its reach by taking on the contract for the Witness Service and the face-to-face advice element of Pension Wise.

CITIZENS ADVICE IN BOREHAMWOOD

The Elstree & Borehamwood Branch of Citizens Advice is currently located in Allum Hall (see picture above), at the rear of Allum Manor House (see pages 20-21). It is open 10:00-12:30 & 13:00-15:30 Mondays and Thursdays and 10:00-12:30 Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Its address is: ‘Citizens Advice Bureau, 2 Allum Lane, Borehamwood, WD6 3PJ’. Its telephone number is: 0344-411-1444. The branch describes its goals as being: To provide the advice people need for the problems they face. To improve the policies and practices that affect people’s lives. The service Citizens Advice offer is free, impartial and completely confidential. They promise not to tell anyone about your visit and none of the information you give to them is shared with anyone unless your permission is given. The service is run predominantly through volunteers who have gone through ‘a rigorous training programme’ in order to qualify as advisers and assessors. These volunteers are supported by a management team who make sure they are providing a ‘very high quality service’ and ‘giving the best advice and support possible’. Citizens Advice predominantly gives advice in the areas of consumer and legal rights, employment, health, immigration, family and debt and money.

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(THE) BECC FAMILY CENTRE

Located on Shakespeare Drive, off of Furzehill Road in centre of Borehamwood (outside of Leecliffe Big Local’s boundary), the ‘Borehamwood & Elstree Children’s Centre’ (BECC) was originally conceived to be a space in which the families of Borehamwood could enjoy activities and support catered towards them. The building officially opened in October 2008. Two years later (2010) the BECC became a home to a ‘Sure Start’ program. The ‘Sure Start’ program had been started in 1998 by the Labour Party with the aim of "giving children the best possible start in life" through improvement of childcare, early education, health and family support, with an emphasis on outreach and community development”. After cuts to its funding, made by Hertsmere Borough Council in 2015, the running of the BECC fell to a new organisation called ‘Hertsmere Leisure’. Who, under its current guise of InspireAll, currently runs the activities and programs at the BECC. The BECC offers a wide range of services to parents and children including: antenatal classes, baby feeding support, family learning courses, toddler and pre- schooler play sessions, toy libraries and story and rhyme times.

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(THE) COMMUNITY SHOP - LEEMING ROAD

Located in Leeming Road in the north of Borehamwood - one of the roads (along with neighbouring Aycliffe Road) whose amalgamated name formed the named of our big Local, ‘Leecliffe’, The Community Shop was the former and original home of Leecliffe Big Local. The Community Shop is currently run by ‘Communities 1st’ (previously ‘Community Action Hertsmere’) a registered charitable organization that ‘develops, connects and supports local voluntary and community organsiations across the district of St. Albans and Hertsmere’ (the borough in which Leecliffe Big Local is located). Through ‘Communities 1st’, the Community Shop is able to offer the local community a wide range of services including: the delivering of accredited training courses in First Aid, Health & Safety and Fire Safety, Minute Taking, Volunteer Management and Equality & Diversity Training. From time to time the Shop is also able to provide local voluntary, community, faith and CIC and social enterprises with help training their staff in areas including, but not limited to: Bid and Tender Writing, Outcomes Reporting and Needs Assessment, Event & Project Management, Consultation and Engagement, DBS (CRB) checking, Book-keeping and Back Office Functions. Due to an absence of internet cafés in Borehamwood, The Community Shop is also importantly one of only two locations in the Leecliffe Big Local Area (the other being Borehamwood’s local library: see: ’96 Shenley Road’) that can provide (albeit in a limited fashion) online and digital access for those in the community who are otherwise unable, or financially restricted, in doing so at home.

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DENBIGH LODGE 7TH BOREHAMWOOD SCOUT GROUP (HUT)

Named after Len Denbigh - long-time Borehamwood Scout Leader and current member of the Leecliffe Big Local Partnership Board – the 7th Borehamwood Scout Group Hut, Denbigh Lodge, is located on Berwick Road in the northern most part of Leecliffe Big Local’s boundary. Though principally a meeting place for the 7th Borehamwood Scout Group, and local Beavers and Cubs groups, the hut also offers itself as a space to hire for the local community; playing host to Leecliffe Big Local Partnership meetings, AGMs and other community gatherings.

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THE ARK THEATRE Formally located on Thrift Farm Lane in North Borehamwood - built on the site of an old secondary School (Holmshill School) - The Ark Theatre was the second incarnation of a collaboration between Hertsmere Borough Council and Hertswood Academy (previously Nicholas Hawksmoor School) dating back to 1975; at which time Nicolas Hawksmoor School allowed for the wider Borehamwood Community to use its Ark Sports Centre (then located on the school grounds) outside of school hours, during term time, throughout the day, as well as during school holidays.

Following the consolidation of 5 secondary schools in Borehamwood in the early 2000 - into one Academy (Hertswood Academy – renamed from the Nicholas Hawksmoor School on the same site) - the site of Holmshill Secondary School became the A-level learning annex of Hertswood Academy. Once brought ‘in-house’, the area became free for re-development. In a second collaboration with Hertswood Academy, the old hall of Holmshill School, in Thrift farm Lane, was converted into a state- of-the-art 250-seat theatre for the people of Borehamwood to use. In an agreement between Hertsmere Borough Council (HBC) and Hertswood Academy, it was agreed that HBC would meet the £2.3m costs of re-development and the school would manage the theatre. In 2015 the second incarnation of The Ark Theatre closed in Borehamwood at its Thrift Farm Lane site to make way for new housing. However, this decision was undertaken on the understanding that a proposed £32-million redevelopment of Borehamwood’s Hertswood Academy would take place and, as part of that redevelopment, the Ark Theatre would be relocated (back) and incorporated into the newly-redeveloped school site. Funding for the redevelopment of Hertswood Academy finally gained approval in 2017, whereupon ground was broken. It is envisaged that the redevelopment of Hertswood Academy and subsequent re-opening of the new (third) Ark Theatre will take place in September 2019, and that its use as a theatre for the residents of Borehamwood – in line with its previous incarnations – will resume then as well.

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96 SHENLEY ROAD

Though just outside the Leecliffe Big Local boundary, situated on the main road (Shenley Road) that ‘divides’ Borehamwood into ‘north’ and ‘south’, this community asset is also a key one in the Borehamwood community. Located next to the prominent All Saints Church in Shenley Road, the building came about as the result of a partnership between Hertfordshire County Council, Hertsmere Borough Council, Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council, and the church itself. When it was fully opened in 2014, 96 Shenley Road became the new home for Borehamwood’s library and local museum, as well as a hub for support service Youth Connexions. The building also provides community rooms and areas for hire. It regularly hosts events as diverse as theatre productions, comedy nights, live music and wrestling events. The centre is run by Hertsmere Leisure, a local charitable trust. For those who are members, the local library offers free (but time-limited) digital access to the internet through its computers. This is particularly important for those for whom the internet is an expense that they cannot afford, and in light of the fact that Borehamwood (let alone the Leecliffe Big Local area) has only one other place to access the internet for free: at ‘The Community Shop’ in Leeming Road (see page 30)

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(THE) JEWISH LIFE CENTRE

The newest Community Asset to appear in Borehamwood (though, just oustide the Leecliffe Big Local Area boundary), The Jewish Life Centre is – as this profile is being put together – currently being contsructed above the Starbucks Coffe Shop in Shenley High Road, Borehamwood (picture, above left). Founded by memebers of the Jewish Community in Borehamwood, it will be accessed from the adjoining ‘Exlore Learning’ shop (picture, topr right). Led by Rabbi Chaim and Leah Hoch, of Chabad of Borehamwood and Elstree - a branch of the UK Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish Education, Outreach & Social Welfare Organisation - the community centre aims to provide a space for social events for all ages, and despite the name, all faiths. According to Chabad of Borehamwood the vision for the centre will be to ‘reach every Jewish person in Borehamwood and Elstree through classes, programmes and events for groups of any age’. The grand opening of the Jewish Life Centre took place at the end of February 2019. In commenting of the need for the Jewish Life Centre, Ms Leah Hoch was quoted by the local Borehamwood Times (online) as saying: “We have been running events in the area for seven years but Borehamwood needs a new place like this. It is an open space and somewhere for people to pop into have a chat and have a good time. It won’t be like a synagogue. “The centre will welcome all faiths. At Chabad, every person is welcomed with unconditional love and respect.”

Source: https://www.borehamwoodtimes.co.uk/news/17346275.jewish-life-centre-to-open-in- borehamwood/

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OTHER COMMUNITY ASSETS Within The Leecliffe Big Local Area there are also other organisations that have facilities that they may use from time to time to host community events. These include:

 [1] Borehamwood Football Club (located next to Meadow Park)  [2] Fountain Court (local retirement home)  Elstree & Borehamwood Air Cadets – Joint Cadet Centre (located in Rossington Avenue)

RELIGIOUS PARTNERS Within The Leecliffe Big Local Area there are also other religious orders and organisations that have facilities that they may use from time to time to host community events. These include:

 [3] Borehamwood & Elstree Synagogue (located in Croxdale Road)  [4] Roman Catholic Church of Saint John Fisher & St Thomas More (Rossington Avenue)  [5] St Michael’s & All Angels Church (Brook Road)  [6] St Teresa of the Child Jesus Roman Catholic Church (Shenley Road)  [Not pictured] Borehamwood Islamic Society (based at 160 Aycliffe Road)

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COMMUNITY CHARITABLE & VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS COMMUNITIES 1ST https://communities1st.org.uk/about Up until recently known as ‘Community Action Hertsmere’, Communities 1st develops, connects and supports local voluntary and community organisations, helping to improve the quality of people’s lives across the districts of St. Albans and Hertsmere (Borehamwood being situated in the latter). Communities 1st is the home to the St Albans and Hertsmere Volunteer Centres, providing support and guidance for those who want to become volunteers and those who want to recruit volunteers. They provide support services for older people and facilitate meetings and events around health and wellbeing within the community and at higher level. The organisation also offers Group Support resources for new community groups and ongoing information and advice on everything from funding to social media for existing groups. Through our base, at The Community Shop in Leeming Road (in the Leecliffe Big Local area, see page 27), Communities 1st also offers training, networking opportunities, room hire and office rental. As well as delivering specific projects within the districts of St. Albans, Hertsmere and the surrounding areas.

CARERS IN HERTFORDSHIRE & CROSSROADS CARE http://www.carersinherts.org.uk/how-we-can-help/crossroads-care-services Recently Carers in Hertfordshire and Crossroads Care (Hertfordshire South) joined forces so they can strengthen the services and support they provide unpaid family carers and the people they look after. CARERS IN HERTFORSHIRE Carers in Hertfordshire is concerned first and foremost with supporting the carer, whatever the caring circumstances or the condition of the person receiving their care. They aim to ensure that all carers in Hertfordshire are recognised and valued; are informed and supported in their caring role; have an opportunity for a life outside caring; can exercise a collective voice; and can be involved in consultation and planning to ensure high quality support services for themselves and the people they care for. To achieve this, Carers in Hertfordshire follows its core philosophies, which are:  Ensuring Carers are first and foremost in our activity  Acknowledging the expertise of Carers  Respecting Carers' choices, including the choice not to act in a Carer role  Campaigning effectively alongside Carers to promote their rights, status and views  Supporting Carers to speak for themselves  Providing quality information, advice and support  Developing effective services relevant to Carers' stated needs  Working with Carers to promote their life choices, health and well being  Promoting best practice in the planning, delivery and review of services relevant to Carers

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 Raising the profile of Carers' contributions to our community in partnership with other organizations for the benefit of Carers. And…  Conducting business with openness and transparency; collaborate where we can and ensure we are sensitive to the environmental impact of our business. The Borehamwood Office of ‘Carers In Hertfordshire’ is located at ‘Warwick House, 2 Warwick Road, Borehamwood, WD6 1GS. Their contact number is: 020-8905-1158

CROSSRAODS CARE Crossroads Care promotes itself as providing ‘high quality, flexible services which respond to the individual needs of carers and the people they care for, 24 hours a day, seven days a week’; operating the boroughs of Hertsmere (where Leecliffe Big Local is based, in Borehamwood), Three Rivers and Watford. Crossroads Care offers a range of services including ‘Carers’ Breaks’ and ‘Domiciliary Care’. In addition, Crossroads Care supports the Borehamwood Seniors Club, based at Fountain Court Care Home, on Brook Road in Borehamwood (see below)

(BOREHAMWOOD) FOODBANK https://borehamwood.foodbank.org.uk/ Operating since April 2013 out of the Church Hall on the site of St Teresa’s Cathlic Primary School in Borehamwood, the Borehamwood Foodbank, supported by The Trussel Trust, whose aim it is to combat poverty and hunger across the UK, fed 2,336 people in Borehamwood lasy year (2018). In addition to providing emergency food for families in extreme finacial distress, the Foodbank also hosts Family lunch events where families can enjoy a

Leecliffe Big Local - Profile P a g e | 38 healthy meal with the opportunity to learn new recipes and even help cook their own lunch. The Borehamwood Foodbank project was founded by local churches and community groups, working together towards stopping hunger in the Borehamwood area, with the ethos that non-one in the community ‘should face going hungry’. The Foodbank provides three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to it in crisis. The Foodbank receives donations of non-perishable and in-date food from schools, churches, businesses and individuals. Large collections often take place as part of Harvest Festival celebrations and food is also collected from local supermarkets. As in the case with the majority of foodbanks nationwide, volunteers at the Borehamwood Foodbank sort donated food to check that it’s in date and pack it into boxes ready to be given to local people in need. In addition to this, the Borehamwood Foodbank partners with a wide range of care professionals such as doctors, health visitors, social workers and police to identify people in crisis and issue them with a foodbank voucher. Foodbank clients bring their voucher to Borehamwood Foodbank where it can be redeemed for three days’ emergency food. Volunteers are then able to meet clients in a warm, friendly and non-judgemental atmosphere, that often includes a free hot drink and meal, and signpost them to agencies able to solve their longer-term problems. GRATITUDE https://en-gb.facebook.com/GratitudeUK108/ Founded By John and Sheila Carlisle in 2013, and becoming a registered charity in 2017, Gratitude is a grassroots Borehamwood charitable voluntary organisation that saves food from waste and uses it to benefit people in the Borehamwood community. This is achieved via social gatherings that are educational in terms of healthy life style and waste awareness. Gratitude’s main outlet is St. Theresa parish hall in Borehamwood, Hertsmere, where it runs a weekly community cooking and sharing outreach programme. As an act of ‘giving back’ to the church that never charges Gratitude for the use of the hall, Gratitude have turned a neglected area in front of it into a sensory garden for the community. Gratitude has also cooked with a few local charities catering for adults with special needs such as Norwood and Mencap. In addition, Gratitude has also helped with projects in local sheltered housing projects, including; gardening, building a library, making cakes for the resident’s birthdays, wrapping gifts for Mother’s day, distributing food to other charity events, fashioning a garden for disable service users and generally being on call for help with situations of hardship. Most recently, Gratitude, with the help of Leecliffe Big Local funding, was able to cook and prepare weekly Wednesday community lunches to help those who struggle with food poverty and also the social isolation that poverty can also bring.

GUIDEPOSTS TRUST (@ ‘Number 10’) http://guideposts.org.uk/ Having initially been founded in 1965 by Raymond Cripps, a journalist and publisher of a small weekly newspaper in Witney, Oxfordshire, with the help of Cliff Upex, a local printer, and with support from the US Guideposts magazine, Guideposts (UK) sought to publish and publicise stories about people finding faith and using faith to help them through life's challenges and problems; setting up Guideposts life-long ethos of setting aside preconceptions. In 1972 Guideposts turned its vision to supporting care in the community. Though the Care Act 1959 advocated this, no such support provision existed. After a discussion with Rev. Peale, the founder of Guideposts USA (magazine), by the end of the following 12 months enough money had been raised to

Leecliffe Big Local - Profile P a g e | 39 make Guideposts’ new vision a reality. The charity believed that those who had been in hospital for so much of their lives needed training to help them adjust to living in the outside world. When training had been given and appropriate accommodation was found, volunteer helpers were recruited to provide support and friendship. By 1989, Guideposts Trust had 88 group homes, 18 staffed homes providing 200 bed spaces and 104 flats. FROM HOUSING TO COMMUNITY SUPPORT Moving away from housing support in the 1990s’ prompted Guideposts Trust to rethink its approach, but supporting people with mental health and learning disabilities issues continued as a central objective. Guideposts’ idea of establishing community centres, now referred to as hubs, was born. The first Guidepost hub was established in Watford, in support of people with complex mental health issues. Further hubs were then established in Ware (Hertfordshire), Witney (Oxfordshire), Stroud and Gloucester (both Gloucestershire). SUPPORTING DEMENTIA CARE At the same time, Guideposts started its new community-based support for people with mental health and learning disabilities after becoming aware of the issues affecting people dealing with dementia in both residential care and in the community. In an effort to improve the standard of nursing care for people with these conditions Guideposts built a 30-bed Teaching Nursing Home from which to research best care practices and provide training for doctors, nurses and care staff into the effects of dementia and how best to care for individuals afflicted by it. The adjacent Guideposts Care Research Centre, funded by the Department of Health, developed a model of care that could was replicated across care homes and home care providers. This led to Guidepost’s DISC - Dementia Information Service and helpline for Carers. This evolved into a service called ‘Dementia Web’ which provided information and support to people with dementia, their families and carers, professionals and members of the public. Although phased out in 2014, Guideposts has continued to offer information, advice and guidance through its main information line, its contracted Dementia Oxfordshire service in partnership with Age UK, and its community based activities. CARING FOR CARERS From 2006 to 2017, Guideposts also successfully delivered a Carers Support Service in Warwickshire where it offered information, advice and guidance for all carers, emotional support, facilitated the creation of hundreds of carers groups. Today, Guideposts runs a carers emergency scheme in Gloucestershire and organises a range of groups and clubs for carers to either take part in activities with the person they care for or on their own. They also organise groups that give carers a chance to take a short break from their responsibilities. CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS (SEN) Today, Guideposts specialises in the provision of Forest School activities for SEN children who live in the most deprived areas of North and West Oxfordshire, giving them the chance to enjoy the outdoors and the natural environment. Including its ‘Forest School’ Project, which it founded in 2014, and gives SEN children and their families the chance play and enjoy the outdoors and the natural environment. GUIDEPOSTS IN BOREHAMWOOD Under the banner of ‘Guideposts Community Mental Health Service’ (GCMHS), Guideposts supports people with Mental Health issues who live in Hertfordshire. They provide group activities and 1to1 support. Not only at their centre at Henry Smith House in Watford, but also in various locations across the county. The group activities include physical activities such as badminton, gym, relaxation, yoga

Leecliffe Big Local - Profile P a g e | 40 and walking; socialising (Men's group, Women's group, Under30s and Over30s); wellbeing (Healthy Living group, Art & Crafts) and building confidence (Discussion, Current Affairs, Anxiety Management). Guideposts also provide Client led groups such as Hearing Voices, Book and Film Clubs, Music Appreciation, Happiness group and Friday Coffee club. Each client is supported by a designated Link- worker and has regular 1to1 sessions. All Guideposts clients are referred to our service by Community Mental Health Teams and/or GPs. Guideposts has a GCMHS outreach group in Borehamwood. It is based at ‘Number 10 Leeming Road’ (also known locally as the ‘Community Shop’) and works in close partnership with the mental health awareness charity MIND, who also work out of the location.

HOSPITAL & COMMUNITY NAVIGATION SERVICE (@ ‘Number 10’) https://www.ageuk.org.uk/dacorum/our-services/hospital-and-community-navigation/

The Hospital and Community Navigation service (HCNS) supports people who are coming out of hospital or are in need of additional support (due to ill health) within their own home. It was formed through the integration of the West Herts Community Navigator Scheme, Age UK Herts Home, Hospital support service, British Red Cross Hospital Discharge Service, Herts Help @ Home and Herts Help IDT services. With the aims of: Reducing hospital admissions, Reducing GP visits, Reducing reliance on home care providers, Reducing social isolation improving health and wellbeing, the HCNS offers its clients ‘Community Navigators’. These ‘Community Navigators’ look to find solutions to a broad range of issues, e.g. social isolation, behavioural risk factors, financial issues, carers support etc. Though they provide non-clinical support, they do help to empower individuals to address the underlying causes that are affecting their ability to manage their own health and well-being. In conjunction with The Guideposts Trust and MIND, the HCNS also operates out of ‘Number 10’ Borehamwood – known more accurately as the ‘Community Shop’ in Leeming Road.

LIVABILITY https://livability.org.uk/ Based at 99 Whitehouse Avenue in Borehamwood (outside of the Leecliffe Big Local area), Livability is a disability charity that seeks to ‘connect people with their communities’ by tackling social isolation and the barriers that can cause this in the lives of disabled and vulnerable people. Through a wide range of disability, education, training and community services, Livability promotes inclusion and wellbeing for all, with the aim of seeing people take part, contribute and be valued. Livability promotes itself as being able to ‘put the elements in place that all add up to connected lives and communities’. Across the UK its 2,000-strong and enabling team of staff and volunteers deliver:  Care homes and residential support centres.  A school and a further education college for disabled students.  A wellbeing discovery centre set in 200 acres of natural landscape.  Independent and supported living programmes for disabled people.  Care and support for disabled people.  Rehabilitation centres for brain and spinal injury.

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 Church training in community engagement and disability awareness.  Spinal injury rehabilitation expertise in developing countries.  ‘Dementia Inclusive Church’ resourcing and coaching.  Wellbeing and happiness coaching through the Livability Happiness Course.  Social inclusion work through churches and community projects

MIND (@ ‘Number 10’) https://www.mind.org.uk/ Based out of The Community Shop at 10 Leeming Road (in the Leecliffe Big Local area), Mind provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. Mind campaigns to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. They have vowed not to give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets support and respect. Mind’s current 5-year strategy, called ‘Building on change’, is the next step on their journey towards their ultimate ambition of support and respect for everyone with a mental health problem. Since launching their previous strategy in 2012 Minds feels it has seen some significant changes in mental health. And that, in just four years, public attitudes are improving, support is growing and mental health is high on the political agenda. Millions more people now have access to advice and support thanks to Mind’s information and services nationally and locally in England and Wales. But Mind realise there is much more to do. Mind still feel that too many people still don’t have the things they need and deserve to stay well. And, that’s not good enough.

(THE) ROYAL BRITISH LEGION www.borehamwood-rbl-club.co.uk The Royal British Legion was founded by army veterans after the First World War. A century on from the start of that conflict, The Royal British Legion is still helping today's Service men and women, veterans, and their families in almost every aspect of daily life. They also champion Remembrance - the safeguarding the memory of those who have given their lives for our freedom through Remembrance education and events. The main purpose of the Royal British Legion was to care for those who had suffered as a result of service in the Armed Forces during the First World War, whether through their own service or through that of a husband, father or son. As a result of the war, Britain's economy plummeted and in 1921 there were 2 million people unemployed. Over six million men had served in the war. Of those who came back, 1.75 million had suffered some kind of disability and half of these were permanently disabled. At the Unity Conference held at the Queen's Hall on 14-15 May 1921, The Legion was formed with the through the amalgamation of The National Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers (1916), The British National Federation of Discharged and Demobilized Sailors and Soldiers (1917), The Comrades of The Great War (1917) and The Officers' Association (1920)

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By 1921, the tradition of an annual Two Minute Silence in memory of the dead had been established. The first ever Poppy Appeal was held that year, with the first Poppy Day on 11 November 1921. The Legion became The Royal British Legion in 1971, when it was granted Royal Status. In 1981 membership was extended to serving members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces, as well as ex-Service personnel, Now, anyone can become a member of The Royal British Legion. We welcome men and women of all ages, whether they have served in the Armed Forces or not, to continue the work that was begun nearly 100 years ago. There are Branches or ‘clubs’ of The Royal British Legion all over the UK, a place for those who served in the armed forces, as well as those who help the Royal British Legion fundraise today, can congregate and socialise. Though it falls outside of the Leecliffe Big Local area, the Borehamwood Club of the Royal British Legion is located at 289 Shenley Road (see picture above)

SOCIETY OF SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL https://www.svp.org.uk/ Known in the UK as the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SSVDP), named after Vincent de Paul, a French Catholic priest (1581-1660) who dedicated himself to serving the poor, the organisation was originally founded by the Catholic Church in France in 1833 to help the impoverished people living in the slums of Paris. Inspired by an article written about them by London-based Father Ignatius Spencer, who came to know the Society’s work during visits to Paris, the British chapter of SSVDP was founded at a conference organised by Monseigneur Paliano; an Italian restauranteur, and recent convert to Catholicism, who gathered 13 catholic men together in January 1844. In the intervening 160+ years, the SSVDP’s concept of poverty has broadened beyond the idea of just ‘financial’ hardship to recognise that ‘emotional’ and ‘physical’ poverty can be just as detrimental to a person’s wellbeing; especially amongst those who are sick, lonely, in prison, or suffering from addiction. The SSVDP currently has 10,000 volunteers who are committed to the meaningful and long-term befriending of individuals. This is achieved through visiting them in their homes, in hospital and in care homes on a regular basis and offering additional practical support such as food, furniture or financial help where needed. These volunteers also organise trips and events for older and isolated people. This is done without regard to that individual’s faith (or none), ethnicity, status or sexual orientation. The Borehamwood conference of the SSVDP reformed in 2015 and already assists multiple families across Borehamwood who need its support. The conference meets fortnightly in the More room of the Roman Catholic Church of Saint John Fisher & St. Thomas More based in Rossington Avenue in the North of Borehamwood.

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CIVIC BUILDINGS & HISTORY HERTSMERE CIVIC OFFICES

Located just outside the eastern edge of the Leecliffe Big Local area boundary - and with Borehamwood being the largest settlement within the Borough of Hertsmere - bigger than the other substantial borough towns of Elstree, Radlett, Bushey or Potters Bar - the Civic Office Building of Hertsmere Borough Council (known locally as ‘The Civic Offices’) is located in Borehamwood. The current building dates from the 1970s when Elstree Rural District Council (which governed Borehamwood) merged with the Urban District Councils of Bushey, Potters Bar and Watford to form Hertsmere Borough Council in 1974. The new council moved into the above building in Borehamwood. It is located on Elstree Way, the principal road out of Borehamwood that joins with the AI(M) motorway.

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ELSTREE & BOREHAMWOOD TOWN COUNCIL

Elstree was an ancient parish in the Casio Hundred of Hertfordshire. In 1894 it became part of the Barnet Rural District, and Elstree Parish Council was formed. In 1941 Barnet Rural District was renamed Elstree Rural District. The parish was part of the review area of the Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London, however it did not form part of the proposed Greater London area. In 1974 the parish became part of the newly-created administrative Borough of Hertsmere. The Local Government Act 1972 permitted parish councils to become town councils and allowed for the name of the parish to be changed if the district council was in agreement. The parish name was subsequently changed to Elstree and Borehamwood and the parish council became Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council. Located not far from the main road going through the centre of Borehamwood (Shenley Road), and at the southern end of Leecliffe Big Local’s boundary, Fairway Hall was built specifically as a new home for Elstree & Borehamwood Town Council, and officially opened in September 1986. On April 1, 1993, the boundaries of Elstree and Borehamwood were adjusted when part of the village of Elstree was transferred from Greater London and the boroughs of Barnet and Harrow, to Hertfordshire.

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LOCAL MEDIA

BOREHAMWOOD & ELSTREE TIMES

Known locally as simply the ‘Borehamwood Times’ - principally because Borehamwood’s name featured first - the ‘Borehamwood & Elstree Times’ was a local weekly newspaper that could first be brought from local shops and then, towards the end of its life in printed form, began to be delivered free to homes in Borehamwood. First published in 1949 as the ‘Borehamwood and Elstree Post’, the final edition of that paper went out in December 1986. Early the following year a fresh, new-look newspaper was launched as ‘The Borehamwood Times’. In 1998 the paper reverted back to its original name of ‘Borehamwood & Elstree Times’. In 2001 an online version of the newspaper was launched at https://www.borehamwoodtimes.co.uk/ (see masthead above). Since 2001, in direct competition with various free- to-view online news formats, with advertising money migrating from print media to online, and with readership decreasing, the physical paper version of the ‘Borehamwood & Elstree Times’ ceased to be printed in 2018; existing only now in its online form.

ELSTREE & BOREHAMWOOD TOWN CRIER Known locally as just the ‘Town Crier’, the ‘Elstree & Borehamwood Town Crier’ is a quarterly publication produced by Elstree & Borehamwood Town Council. First published as just ‘Autumn’ and ‘Summer’ editions in 2010, a ‘Winter’ edition was added in 2011 and a ‘Spring’ edition in 2012. The publication is delivered free to 15,000 houses in the Elstree & Borehamwood Town Council District. Acting primarily as a source of news about events which have taken place in the Elstree & Borehamwood Town Council District over the proceeding 3 months, the publication also and acts as a free space in which local organisations and community groups can advertise their upcoming activities. The publication also retains a ‘Directory’ section to which local organisations and community groups, without access to online platforms or advertising budgets, can submit their contact details for the purposes of community outreach.

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Ultimately, as a not-for-profit enterprise, advertising in the Town Crier is welcomed, and with priority given to local, reputable businesses. But space for it is limited to only that required to cover the costs of printing and distributing the magazine. EMPLOYERS Due to Leecliffe Big Local being ‘divided’ into the ‘north’ of Borehamwood by the main high road that runs through the town, the majority of the employers in the town of Borehamwood are situated to the ‘south’ or ‘east’ of Leecliffe Big Local’s official boundary. The following is therefore a list of the biggest employers within the town of Borehamwood – and therefore those most likely to be employers of residents living within the Leecliffe Big Local area.

ELSTREE FILM & TELEVISION STUDIOS

Though named after one of the roads (Elstree Way) on which it sits, Elstree Studios is very much in the town of Borehamwood. As well as being one of the most famously-named buildings in Borehamwood, let alone the UK, it is also one of the town’s biggest single employers. Sat on the junction of Shenley Road and Elstree Way, the Elstree Studios has existed on its present site, and in various shapes, sizes, and under various names, for the past 93 years. Over the years Elstree was the studio of choice for many legendary producers and directors from Alfred Hitchcock, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick. Some of the most famous feature films ever have been produced at Elstree Studios, including the Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies, Superman, Moby Dick, The Dam Busters, The Shining, Ice Cold in Alex, and Labyrinth. Over 800 feature films, and a similar numbers of television programmes, have been produced at Elstree Studios. Most recently Elstree Studios has been the studio of choice for films such as ‘The Danish Girl’ (2015) starring Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander, ‘Suffragette’ (2015) starring Meryl Streep and Helen Bonham Carter, ‘Grimsby’ (2016) starring Sacha Baron Cohen and Rebel Wilson, ‘Paddington’ (2014) and ‘Paddington 2’ (2017) starring Hugh Bonneville, ‘The World’s End’ (2013) starring Simon Pegg, ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’ (2011) starring Jude Law and Robert Downey Jnr, ‘Jack the Giant Slayer’ (2013) starring Nicholas Hoult and Ewan McGregor, Under the Skin starring Scarlett Johansson and, of course, multi award winning The King’s Speech starring Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush.

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Not only are major feature films produced at Elstree, but also some of the highest rated TV shows in the UK including high end TV Drama series such as ‘The Crown’ (Netflix), ‘Grantchester’ (ITV) and ‘Humans’ (Channel 4). Elstree is also home to BBC Studioworks. A number of Elstree stages have been fully equipped for HD multi-camera television production. Many productions have utilised the new facilities including, ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ (BBC One), ‘The Voice’ (BBC One/ITV), ‘The Voice Kids’ (ITV), ‘The Chase’ (ITV), ‘A League of Their Own’ (Sky One), ‘Pointless’ (BBC One), ‘Room 101’ (BBC One), ‘Celebrity Juice’ (ITV2) and ‘Have I Got News For You’ (BBC One). This makes Elstree even more desirable for television production. The Studios are also very popular for commercials and have provided stage space for Morrison’s, Gucci, Stella Artois, Littlewoods, BT Sport, River Island, NatWest and Burberry.

TESCO EXTRA Located next to Elstree Studios (the cream-coloured ‘George Lucas Sound Stage’ on the Elstree Studios lot is visible in the above photo), Borehamwood has a large Tesco Extra Superstore. This is a 2007 renovation of a smaller Tesco store that had moved from a previous site in the town to its current one during the 1980s, and onto land given up by the Studios during a period of contraction. As the biggest type and size of Tesco store, it is one of the biggest single employers in Borehamwood.

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CARDIF PINNACLE Situated on the Stirling Way Industrial Estate, on the southern most edge of Borehamwood, Cardif Pinnacle is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas Cardif, a worldwide provider of insurance and savings products. The business was formed in 1971 as Pinnacle Insurance Company Ltd, and established itself as a leading specialist provider of protection and investment solutions. Today the company is focused upon the provision of creditor, pet and motor warranty insurance.

THE VENUE LEISURE CENTRE The Venue Leisure Centre, known locally as ‘The Venue’, is located on the Elstree Way road (outside of Leecliffe Big Local’s boundary) which runs out of the east of Borehamwood and to the town’s junction with the A1 and beyond to destinations into Hertfordshire (north) and North London (south). Opened in 2001, The Venue is not only a large single employer in Borehamwood but also one the of the town’s principal entertainment venues; containing an indoor gym, 25m and 12.5m swimming pools, table tennis facilities, and various fitness classes such as ‘zumba’, ‘yoga’ and ‘aqua aerobics’.

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BOULEVARD 25 RETAIL PARK

The current ‘Borehamwood Shopping Park’ - located off of Theobald Street in the North of Borehamwood (and within the Leecliffe Big Local area) - was first opened in 1987 under that name; later changing its name in 2003 to ‘Boulevard 25’, and then once more to ‘Boulevard 25 Retail Park’ in 2008 when it was brought by the Hercules Unit Trust for £80m from its original owners Great Portland Estates. Though the retailers in the shopping park have changed over the years, as of 2019 ‘Borehamwood Shopping Park’ comprises 21 retail units and is currently home to: Aldi (under construction – due open in 2019), Argos (Extra), Boots, Carphone Warehouse, Costa Coffee, Debenhams, Hobby Craft, HSBC Bank, JD Sports, Lidl, Marks & Spencer (Simply Food), Metro Bank, New Look, Next, ‘Outfit’ Fashion Store (owned by the Arcadia Fashion Group and selling brands such as: Burtons Menswear, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Miss Selfridge, Topshop, Wallis, Oasis & Warehouse), Pets At Home, Poundland, Sports Direct, Starbucks & WH Smith. As such the shopping park, as a collective, is one of the biggest employers in Borehamwood.

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IMPERIAL PLACE

Located next to the Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, and built on land previously owned and sold by the studios, the Imperial Place Office Complex is the biggest single-site collection of office space in Borehamwood. The Imperial Place site, located on the junction of Elstree Way and Maxwell Road, is home to 4 identical office buildings of 4 floors a-piece. Each building is home to a different collection of individual companies. As of 2019, there are eighteen different companies occupying the four buildings. Theses companies (by building) are: Building 1 Alstom, Artsana, JBS Global, Pizza Hut (UK) Ltd, UK Addiction Treatment Group Building 2 Alternative Bridging Corporation Limited, Elysium Healthcare, Epoq Legal, Just Eat, Pierre Fabre, Southern Group Limited, Taylor Wimpey Building 3 Signet Trading (UK) Limited Building 4 Clarion Housing, Clarion Response, Dorel UK Limited, Elysium Healthcare, Just Eat, Smartbox Group, Regus On a single site, the Imperial Place complex houses and employs the most people in Borehamwood.

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BOREHAMWOOD HIGH STREET – THE ‘VILLAGE’ Known formally as Shenley Road - but referred to locally and generationally as ‘The Village’ (after the fact that Shenley Road used to be a residential street back in the days when Borehamwood was just a village), Borehamwood high street is the main street around, and off of which, the vast majority of Borehamwood’s shops are local eateries are located.

Shenley (High) Road, Borehamwood, c. 1900s

Shenley (High) Road, Borehamwood, c. 1915s

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Shenley (High) Road, Borehamwood, c. 1930s

Shenley (High) Road, Borehamwood, c. 1950s

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Shenley (High) Road, Borehamwood, c. 1960s

Shenley (High) Road, Borehamwood, c. 1970s

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Shenley (High) Road, Borehamwood, c. 2010s

The pictures on the proceeding pages show how Borehamwood’s High Street has evolved over the past 100+ years, going from a dirt-track through a village to a busy and modern high street through a town of around 32,000+ people. Although Borehamwood’s local high street has, in the past decade or so, become more a home for betting shops, charity shops, estate agents, fast food shops and restaurants – much in keeping with many other high streets nationwide whose famous old-name retailers have moved out of town due to the twin rises in online shopping and retail rates – Borehamwood high street (Shenley Road) still retains a few recognisible high-street brand-names, including: Boots Opticians, Iceland, McDonalds, Nandos, Pizza Hut, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Wimpey and Starbucks. As such, a great number of people are still employed in businesses, both multi-national and local, within the mile-long stretch of ‘The Village’.

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LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT CINEMA IN BOREHAMWOOD Due to the town’s long association with film-making, it is no surprise that there have been cinemas in Borehamwood, in one location or another, over the past one hundred years. The first cinema to open in Borehamwood was ‘The Gem’, located on Station Road (next to the train station). Though the official reasons behind why ‘The Gem’ came to be have been lost in the mists of time, it is believed it may have been opened and run in conjunction with the Neptune Film Company who set up in Borehamwood in 1914. It is not recorded whether ‘The Gem’ survived the purchase of the Neptune Film Company by the Ideal Film Company in 1917, or whether it remained in Station Road up until The Ideal Film Company ceased trading in 1924, but the next recorded cinema in Borehamwood was ‘Studio Elstree’ in 1936. In 1966 ‘Studio Elstree’ was given a makeover and ‘rebranded’ as ‘Studio 70’. ‘Studio 70’ closed its doors in 1981 due to a lack of audiences, and was demolished. Its owners, EMI, had offered to keep it open if the council would cover its losses, but the council declined. The giant front signage of ‘forthcoming attractions’ was moved to the local Civic Hall in Elstree Way, which had the space, albeit somewhat smaller, to show films. However, the Civic Hall itself, and the cinema inside it called ‘The venue’, was closed in 1996 (a gym and swimming pool complex named after the old cinema currently sits on its old site) and for three years Borehamwood had no cinema.

THE POINT – REEL CINEMA & GALA BINGO With the completion of an ‘entertainment hub’ called ‘The Point’, housed within the old Tesco superstore building adjacent to Shenley Road, and completed at the end of the last millennium, local Borehamwood resident Julian Senior opened a multiplex inside the building called the ‘Reel Cinema’. Despite changing hands since, the cinema has since been upgraded and is still showing films in Borehamwood to this day. ‘The Point’ is also the home to a branch of ‘Gala Bingo’.

96 SHENLEY ROAD Located on Shenley Road, in the centre of Borehamwood, 96 Shenley Road is a multi- purpose building. Coming about as the result of a partnership between Hertfordshire County Council, Hertsmere Borough Council, Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council, and built on land donated by the neighbouring All Saints Church, when it was fully opened in 2014, 96 Shenley Road not only became the new home for Borehamwood’s library and local museum, and support service Youth Connexions, it also became a venue for hosting additional entertainment events. These currently include events as diverse as theatre productions, comedy nights, live music and wrestling events.

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JUMP-IN TRAMPOLINE PARK

Located on Manor Way Road, outside of the Leecliffe Big Local boundary, but still near the centre of Borehamwood. Along with being an indoor arena full of trampolines on which families and children can bounce around and play with the safety of crash mats and padding all around them, the Jump-In Trampoline Park also boasts a range of other activities, including: hosting birthday parties, a café at which to ‘relax and re-fuel’, its range of ‘interconnected trampolines’, sessions of ‘dodgeball’ played on the very same, ‘basketball’ to allow ‘air jumps’ and ‘spectacular slam dunks’, a ‘tumble track’ on which to ‘perfect your somersualts’, a ‘battle beam’ bar from which to knock your opopnent into a foam pit with your padded beam, an ‘intercative wall’ that lets kids literally ‘bounce off the walls whilst scoring points’, a ‘soft play’ area for the under-5s, ‘drop slides’ and ‘twist ladders’. The Jump-In website (https://www.gojumpin.com/) promotes itself with: “Ever noticed how people are happier when they’re jumping up and down? Whether it’s toddlers jumping in puddles, kids pillow-fighting, teens pogoing at a live rock concert or adults celebrating that moment of success. We are all about creating happiness for everyone who visits our parks, small kids and big kids included. That includes designing and building an interactive environment that’s full of life and energy. And doing all we can to project our positive enthusiasm and spontaneity onto that environment. We are literally in the business of getting people jumping for joy!”

BOREHAMWOOD FOOTBALL CLUB BRIEF HISTORY Boreham Wood FC (often spelt alternatively to the modern spelling of the town name ‘Borehamwood’, but formerly ‘Boreham Wood’) was formed in 1948 through the amalgamation of two local sides Boreham Rovers and Royal Retournez FC. The 100th anniversary of this amalgamation was celebrated in style (in 2018) when the club celebrated an appearance at Wembley (in The National League Play- Off Final) and also beating a Football League club for the first time ever in the FA Cup! After having gradually progressed through the (regional) Mid-Herts, Parthenon, Spartan and Athenian Leagues - under the Chairmanship of local man Bill O’Neill and the management of fellow local man Mickey Hunter - the club won back-to-back promotions at Athenian League level, before being elected to the Isthmian Football League in 1974/75. Boreham Wood FC managed to remain at Isthmian League level, including in the Premier Division at that level for a spell of 5 or 6 seasons, before sadly being relegated from the Isthmian league in 1999/2000; despite Danny Hunter, son of previous Boreham

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Wood manager Mickey Hunter, having taken over as new Chairman of the club. Boreham Wood bounced back immediately and gained promotion back to the Isthmian Premier League in 2002. In 2006 Boreham Wood reached the semi-finals of the FA Trophy (the non-league FA Cup). The furthest the team had ever reached before or since. Three years later (2009) Borehamwood qualified for the Isthmian Premier League Play-Off Final, and defeated Kingstonian 2-0 to get promoted to the 2nd tier of non-league football. At the time, the highest level of non-league football the team had ever reached. Five years later (2014) Boreham Wood won the Herts Senior Cup (county non-league cup competition), defeating local rivals Bishops Stortford on penalties in the final. The following year Boreham Wood reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup, culminating in a 0-0 draw with Carlisle United at their Meadow Park ground. Unfortunately, Boreham Wood would go on to lose the replay 2-1. In May 2014, Boreham Wood completed construction of their new 870-seater West Stand, at a cost of £750,000. The stand was officially opened on Saturday 19th July, 2014 by Arsenal FC manager at the time, Mr Arsène Wenger, in front of a bumper crowd of 3,400. Afterwards Boreham Wood played before a specially-arranged friendly against an Arsenal First Team. In 2014/15 Boreham Wood FC had its most successful season ever, gaining promotion to the 1st tier of non-league football season by defeating Whitehawk FC 2-1 in extra time in the Football Conference South Play-Off Final. With Boreham Wood FC becoming the club with the smallest-ever average attendance to ever win promotion to the top tier of non-league football! (National League) Since gaining promotion to the top flight of non-league football, Boreham Wood managed to just to survive their first season (2015/16) by finishing 19th (2 places above the relegation spots), then 11th (2016/17), and then 4th in 2017/18 – Boreham Wood FC’s most successful season ever! This entitled Boreham Wood to take place in the 6-team play-off competition. Boreham Wood managed to get to the final, and their reward was a first-ever trip to Wembley Stadium to face Tranmere Rovers FC (and ex-Football League team). However, there would be no fairy-tale promotion to League Football, as Boreham Wood lost 2-1 to Tranmere. But Boreham Wood did play in front of its largest ever crowd, 4,000 people, and on the historic Wembley turf! During the tenure of current chairman Danny Hunter Boreham Wood FC have invested or raised over £14 million to greatly modernise the club’s infrastructure, ground and facilities. In 2017 Mr Hunter further secured an investment of £1.8 million to build a new training facility, laying a Premier League- quality pitch and installing new floodlights and dugouts. BOREHAM WOOD FC COMMUNITY FACILTIES Boreham Wood’s leading facilities have a 90%-use rate for 52 weeks of the year. The club houses the largest sports education programme in the whole country, which has now been established for well over a decade. It is a programme that boasts over 600 scholar/students for the next academic year and 2018/19 season. COMMUNITY P.A.S.E. ACADEMY Boreham Wood FC launched its P.A.S.E. programme (Programme for Academic and Sporting Excellence), in conjunction with Barnet Southgate College in north London, in 2002, with the aim of stopping talented young footballers from falling through the net, and giving them a chance to progress their talent with top quality coaching. Boreham Wood FC has developed an environment where young players can continue their studies and achieve in higher education. As cost can often be an issue, P.A.S.E. is FREE to local students (apart from a heavily subsidized fee for training kit). There are seven UEFA and FA licensed coaches at the

Leecliffe Big Local - Profile P a g e | 58 club and a full-time medical department who deal with player injuries and rehabilitation. The courses on offer range from 1 to 3 years, and Boreham Wood is in partnership with three education sites, including study facilities on site at the club. Over 200 graduates from the scheme now play semi- professional football. For those who do not make the grade as professional footballers, P.A.S.E. can be used to create an alternative future and career path. The P.A.S.E. Scheme has graduates continuing their education in ‘Soccer Studentships’ in the USA. To date Boreham Wood have placed 10 players in California, Washington D.C., Texas and Connecticut, with another 55 students going on to universities in the UK.

COMMUNITY ASTRO TURF HIRE Boreham Wood FC’s 5th-generation astro-turf is available to be hired out for use to the local community. The same astro turf facility also hosts Boreham Wood FC’s first team, the club’s P.A.S.E. Academy students, all age groups of the Arsenal Ladies Football Club, plus both Arsenal and Excels development centres. According to Boreham Wood FC: their “new facility has been designed to cater for improved parking and better sight for spectators who are watching their loved ones use our Astro pitches.” [They also] “feel our viewing and seating areas now befit a club of our stature; an underdog club who plays its football at National League level.” The astro turf can be hired out by local 7-a-side teams (£55-£70 per hour), and for 11-a-side teams (£275 per 2 hours). COMMUNITY FUNCTION ROOM HIRE

Boreham Wood FC offers the local community an on-site function room for 100 people for stand-up events, or 70 for sit-down events. The function room is completely self-contained and includes its own entrance, in-house bar, dance floor and stage. Boreham Wood FC is also able to offer both hot and

Leecliffe Big Local - Profile P a g e | 59 cold food through exclusive caterers, and allows for those on a budget to bring in their own. The club also provides the option of managing a function from start to finish for an additional fee.

‘THE VENUE’ - LEISURE CENTRE The Venue Leisure Centre, known locally as ‘The Venue’, is located on the Elstree Way road (outside of Leecliffe Big Local’s boundary) which runs out of the east of Borehamwood and to the town’s junction with the A1 and beyond to destinations into Hertfordshire (north) and North London (south). Opened in 2001, The Venue is not only a large single employer in Borehamwood but also one the of the town’s principal entertainment venues; containing an indoor gym, 25m and 12.5m swimming pools, table tennis facilities, and various fitness classes such as ‘zumba’, ‘yoga’ and ‘aqua aerobics’.

PUBLIC HOUSES With no nightclubs within either the Leecliffe Big Local area, or Borehamwood as a town, the pubs in Borehamwood are often the focus of local nightlife. Between 2000 and 2017 the number of pubs in operation in the UK fell from 60,800 to 48,350 – a drop of 21.5%. Not immune to this National trend, over recent years the number of pubs in and around Borehamwood has also declined. There are now (just) five public houses within the town of Borehamwood: The Oak [1] (the sole public house in the north of the town), The Alfred Arms [2], The Wishing Well [3] and The Hart & Spool [4] (which can all be found on Borehamwood’s principal high street – Shenley Road) and The Mops & Brooms [5] (situated in the far east of the town’s boundary). Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/310723/total-number-of-pubs-in-the-united-kingdom/

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1 2 . .

3 4 . .

5 .

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TRANSPORT LINKS ROAD (BY CAR) Aside from internal roads running through Hertfordshire from the North of the county to the South, where Borehamwood resides (right on the border of the London Borough of Barnet), Borehamwood is principally accessed via the A1(M) Barnet By-Pass. This runs to the south of the town and is the main transport artery by car into north London (heading southbound) for connections to the nearby towns of Edgware (3.7 miles, 12 minutes)*, Mill Hill (5.0 miles, 14 minutes)* and beyond into central London (12.8 miles, 46 minutes)*. To the east, the nearest major town accessible by road is Barnet (4.1 miles, 14 minutes)*. Heading northbound into Hertfordshire using the AI(M), or the network of internal A-roads, the nearest principal towns to Borehamwood that are accessible by car are South Mimms (3.9 miles, 11 minutes)*, Potters Bar (7.3 miles, 16 minutes)*, Hatfield (10.0 miles, 16 minutes)*, Hemel Hempstead (12.6 miles, 23 minutes)*, Welwyn Garden City (12.6 miles, 18 minutes)* and Stevenage (20.7 miles, 27 minutes)*. The three principal and nearest shopping destinations to Borehamwood, those that host large shopping/retail centres (excluding central London, which is immediately accessible by direct train link), are: The Galleria Shopping Centre in Hatfield (10.0. miles, 16 minutes)*, The Brent Cross Shopping Centre in Brent Cross (7.2 miles, 21 minutes)* and the Intu Shopping Centre in Watford (9.1 miles, 23 minutes). *all distances and travel times according to Google Maps

RAIL ELSTREE & BOREHAMWOOD TRAIN STATION The principal public transport link in Borehamwood is the direct train link into the centre of London running out of Borehamwood’s ‘Elstree & Borehamwood Station’ situated in the centre-west of the town (see map below). There has been a train station in Borehamwood since its neighbour, Elstree, became a stop on the London-to-Bedford Midland Railway line in 1868. Borehamwood gained its ‘independence’ from the parish of Elstree in 1909, and since the 1920s the name ‘Borehamwood’ has appeared alongside the station’s original name of ‘Elstree’ on the station sign. As of February 2019, Elstree &

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Borehamwood Station is located in (Operating) Zone 6 of Transport for London (TfL) – TfL’s outermost operating zone – and, as such, falls within the TfL fare-pricing system for travel to stations between Borehamwood and central London and out beyond to stations within TfL’s pricing zone the other side. Elstree & Borehamwood station is one of sixteen stations on the Bedford-to-Brighton branch of the Thameslink Railway franchise which, as of February 2019, is being operated by Govia Thameslink. In addition to the branch line that Elstree & Borehamwood sits on, Govia Thameslink operates a franchise which encompasses a further six branch lines (including one through central London) that serve a total of 115 stations. These branch lines reach as far north as Peterborough and Cambridge, and as far south as Brighton. As of February 2019, a typical journey on the northern section of the Bedford-to-Brighton line (see picture right), from Elstree & Borehamwood into central London (to Kings Cross St Pancras station), may take anywhere between 20-25 minutes (depending on the type of service – flyer or all-stop) and cost anywhere from £7.40- 14.20 depending on the type of ticket (single or return) and the time of day of travel. Because Elstree & Borehamwood Station falls within one of TfL’s operating zones, an ‘All-Day Travelcard’ can be purchased and used from the station. As of February 2019, costing between £18.10- £12.60 - depending on purchase in or out of peak hours - the Travelcard entitles the holder to travel to and from London, on all trains that operate within TfL train zones (1-6), on all TfL Underground lines, TfL tram services and TfL bus routes for a period lasting from the time of purchase until 4:30am the following day. TfL’s ‘Oyster Card’ system – a so-named pre-paid/topped-up swipe card that can act as both a one-off payment for a journey or hold electronic versions of daily, weekly, monthly or annual train tickets – can also be used from Elstree & Borehamwood station for destinations into London and within TfL’s 6 operating zones. An ‘Oyster card’ can be pre-paid/topped up at participating stations or local newsagents. Due to the short journey times into central London, over decades Elstree & Borehamwood has become an extremely popular commuter town; as a result regular overcrowding at commuter times (07:00-09:00 and 16:30-19:30) is still an issue. As recently as spring 2016, the 07:24 service (as was) on the Bedford-to-Brighton Thameslink line (the branch line on which Elstree & Borehamwood Station sits) was, on average, running at 185% capacity1. In May 2018 Govia Thameslink introduced a fleet of new class 700 trains, promising an increase of 2,100 seats on the Bedford-to-Brighton line during peak hours 2.

1 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/633081/top- 10-overcrowded-train-services-england-and-wales-spring-and-autumn-2016.pdf 2 https://www.thameslinkrailway.com/travel-information/plan-your-journey/bedford-changes

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BUS SERVICES (TRANSPORT for LONDON) As of February 2019 Transport for London (TfL) operates two bus routes which pass through Borehamwood. These are the 292 route (taking approx. 55 minutes from Rossington Avenue, (North) Borehamwood to Colindale Asda Superstore, North London, covering 42 stops) and the 107 route (taking approx. 35 minutes from Edgware Bus Station, North London to New Barnet Rail Station, North London, via Borehamwood, and covering some 20 stops). As of February 2019, the frequency of these buses is every 15 minutes Monday-Saturday and every 20 minutes on Sundays and public (bank) holidays. 292 Bus Route

107 Bus Route

BUS SERVICES (HERTFORDSHIRE) Alongside the two routes provided by Transport for London (above) which run from and through Borehamwood into North London, Borehamwood also sits on bus routes run by firms, on behalf of Hertsmere Borough Council, for journeys north into the county of Hertfordshire. However, as with many ‘rural’ bus routes, these are often much more expensive and infrequent than those operated by Transport for London. As of February 2019, there are five ‘county’ bus routes on which Borehamwood is a stop, these are: No. Run By Type Taking In… Terminates – Minutes Via 306 Sullivan Public Borehamwood Watford 60 Bushey, Elstree & Garston Dur 358 Sullivan School Borehamwood Oaklands College 63 Shenley, London Colney, Smallford 398 Sullivan Public Borehamwood Brookmans Park 50 South Mimms, Potters Bar 601 UNO Public Borehamwood Welwyn Garden City 86 Radlett, St Albans, Hatfield 614 UNO Public Borehamwood Hatfield 95 Barnet

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WELCOME TO LEECLIFFE BIG LOCAL… WELCOME TO BOREHAMWOOD!

Even though the signs on all the roads into Borehamwood (like the one above) will never hesitate (contentiously) to only associate the town in the same breathe as its nearby village neighbour – linking it to the historic, but long geographically-incorrectly-named Elstree Studios that actually lie within the town of Borehamwood itself - Borehamwood on its own is still a varied, colourful, vibrant and community-spirited town of 33,000+ people who, if you scratch a cynical surface that any town up and down the UK can have, is full of individuals and organisations whose efforts and industry in helping those around improve their lives does not go unappreciated; if sadly, too often unreported or unremarked by those who do not seek it out. We at Leecliffe Big Local are therefore entirely grateful for the opportunity to be on this front line of supporting, funding and organising as much as we can, and as much as others can engage with us, to help improve the lives of those who live in the Leecliffe Big Local community. And so long as we are making a difference, and with the help of the Lottery Community Fi=und, and support of Local Trust, we hope to do so for many years to come!

Leecliffe Big Local - Profile