The story so far
by Desiree Shelley
Chair of the Trustees

Over the years Combs has lost all facilities including the village school, the Post Office and shop, the Live and Let Live and the Gardeners Arms pubs. Little Finborough never had any amenities. This had left our community with no indoor or outdoor facilities in which to gather together and socialise.

Oaks Meadow, once part of Fenn’s Farm, was transferred to me by Victor and Daphne Scarff in 2005. The village fete was held there for 11 years as was the occasional celebration, such as the Combs village school reunion and maypole dancing, but otherwise the meadow had stood bare and desolate. It has been my privilege to lease this meadow to the Oaks Meadow Project to provide a lasting legacy to the villages for future generations and to reduce our carbon footprint by doing our bit to offset climate change. 

The Covid lockdowns showed us how important strong communities are and how much people value local green spaces. Oaks Meadow fits well with that spirit of community revival.

An original concept plan produced at the beginning of 2021 was soon acted upon with the help of local volunteers and in collaboration with a range of organisations. This resulted in the planting of woodland and hedges, the digging of the pond, design of the reflective space, planning and planting of our orchard and the ordering of composting toilets.  

If you would like to know more or if you feel you can support this exciting community-led project through funding, joining our volunteer teams or in any other way, we would be delighted to hear from you.