Community Group Seeks £550,000 to Clear Loans for Green Space Purchase

A campaign organization, having successfully secured £300,000 for the acquisition of a green area in Gloucestershire, has announced an ongoing requirement to raise an additional £550,000 for loan repayments. The Heavens Valley Community Benefit Society (HVCBS) finalized contract exchanges last month for the purchase of Thrupp Farm, a 102-acre (41-hectare) site located in Stroud, which is locally referred to as the Heavens. This acquisition marked the completion of the initial phase of the initiative aimed at transferring the site into community ownership. A celebratory gathering is scheduled for Sunday to express gratitude to the nearly 700 individuals who purchased shares, thereby contributing to securing the site’s future. Karen Thomas, a director for HVCBS, informed BBC Gloucestershire, “We’re hoping as many people as possible be able to come and meet us in the Heavens Valley.” She further stated, “We’re going to say a few words again just to thank everyone. “There was only, I think, 250 acres of land in England under community ownership and we’ve just added another 102 to that. It’s quite incredible really.” The HVCBS required a total of £850,000 for the site’s acquisition. Two individuals from the community committed £550,000, while the remaining £300,000 was generated through fundraising activities and the sale of shares. The subsequent phase involves securing the additional funds necessary to repay the loans, given that the lenders will, from a technical standpoint, retain ownership of a portion of the site until the full repayment is accomplished. Ms Thomas commented, “So we will be redoubling our fundraising efforts and we are confident that the community will continue its support.” She further elaborated, “Meanwhile, we’ll do an ecological survey, but the best time to do that is in the spring. “We will possibly go down the conservation grazing route. We’re going to look at that very carefully.”It’s very exciting, all the things we could do,” she added.