Making things happen
Friends of Honley are a hands-on community group that concentrates on making the village look and feel better for residents, businesses and visitors.
Established in 2015, Friends of Honley rely on volunteers and the generosity of local people, grant money and businesses to fund and carry out projects that make our village a nicer place to live. Each year they put in around 4,500 plants, install more than 32 hanging baskets, and collect tonnes of litter from our streets, fields and woods. Not to mention painting anything that doesn’t move to make it look cared for.
Stronger together
But it’s not all about gardening and litter. Friends of Honley see themselves as a small part of a strong community and work in partnership with other community groups, businesses and councils to run projects that benefit everyone in Honley. They led the Covid Volunteer team and are now working on the “Ask Honley” Action Plan which asked us what we liked, didn’t like or wanted to see improved within our village. The feedback gathered has seen the introduction of a Pen Pal Scheme in partnership with Honley & Infants Junior school and Honley Library. It’s gone down a storm, giving residents and pupils a chance to learn from each other, whilst having a bit of fun along the way.
Help make Honley a better place to be
It’s easy to get involved with Friends of Honley. They’re a friendly bunch, and things usually start or end with a cuppa. If you’ve a talent you want to use, it will always be welcome, – whether you’re a handyman or woman, you like applying for grants, or if you want to help but don’t know how – just give them a call.
They meet at 10am on the first Sunday of every month, outside the Library and spend the morning making Honley look better. Depending on what needs doing, you could find yourself, painting railings, collecting litter, or weeding and planting flowerbeds.
Everyone is welcome; all you need is a willingness to get stuck in! There’s no ongoing commitment; just turn up when you can. Afterwards, if you have time, the volunteers usually pop into a local café for well-deserved refreshments.
If you’d like to get involved with Friends of Honley contact Sylvia Sellen on email or turn up at the library at 10am on the first Sunday of the month. Hope to see you there.