Fairfield Association History

The Fairfield Association was formed by residents and friends of the Fairfield area of Lancaster (England) in October 1996, in response to the threat of housing development on a long-established children’s play area known as Fairfield Green. The Fairfield Association saved the play area, improved it and installed new play equipment in 2004.

QE II Fields in Trust

In 2012 Fairfield Green was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II “Fields in Trust” status which ensures it remains as a recreational area in perpetuity.

Other projects include the Millennium Green and Community Orchard which was created in 2000, and the nature reserves which were established in 2012/13 on nearby farmland: first Fauna and then Flora.

All our projects have been initiated by the community, and we are committed to full public consultation throughout the period that plans are being developed. We are applying for formal designation as a Local Nature Reserve which would give the area extra protection and ensure it appears on the Local Plan and O.S. maps.

Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

In 2017 we were thrilled to be awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2017. This award was created by The Queen in 2002 to mark the occasion of her Golden Jubilee, recognising excellence in voluntary activities carried out by groups in the community.

The award is for all of us as volunteers and recognises our achievements as a grassroots community in creating more than 50 acres of green space for people to enjoy. It was a great honour and a wonderful way to mark 21 years as a volunteering community.

Ian and Suzanne at the Palace — Fairfield volunteers, Ian and Suzanne, who represented the Association at the Buckingham Palace Garden Party

If you are interested in reading more about the history of the Fairfield Association, an article tracing its development was published in the local history journal Contrebis (Volume 35 pp. 70-78) in 2017.