Where Community and Nature Thrive
Local people. Practical action. A stronger, greener community.
Hendreds Environment Group — HEG — brings people together to make a positive difference across the Hendreds. From growing and sharing food to reducing waste, supporting wildlife, creating welcoming community spaces and helping people learn new skills, our projects are all about one simple idea: when a community works together, small actions can create a big impact.
We believe caring for our environment also means caring for each other. That’s why HEG isn’t just about being green. It’s about people, place and belonging — creating opportunities to meet, volunteer, learn, share, grow and take practical action together.
Our projects have grown from ideas within our community and are powered by an incredible network of local volunteers. Rooted in the Hendreds, for the Springline villages.
The HEG Grows plot, East Hendred Allotments.
More than an environment group
HEG is about doing, not just talking. Growing a tomato. Sharing surplus food. Planting for pollinators. Making someone a cup of tea. Giving a book another life. Teaching a child how a seed grows. Volunteering for an hour. Helping a neighbour.
Individually, these might feel like small things. Together, they build a stronger, more connected and more resilient community. And everyone has something they can contribute.
What we do
- HEG Grows
- East Hendred's community growing project — fresh food for the Community Café, skills to take home, and space for nature.
- HEG Community Café
- A friendly, affordable and inclusive Monday café at Mill Lane Sports Pavilion — pay what you can afford, no need to book.
- HEG Community Larder
- Good food should be eaten, not wasted. A weekly SOFEA community larder at Snells Hall, open to everyone who registers.
- Space for Wildlife
- Mow less, leave a patch, and give wildlife room to move. If it looks a little wilder around the village, that's intentional.
- Orchard Lane Book Swap
- Our former bus stop, transformed into a little library. No membership, no charge, no need to register.
- Learning & Community Action
- Working with local children, schools, youth groups, residents and volunteers to share practical skills and take action together.
Our partners & funders
Everything HEG achieves is rooted in community — but we couldn’t do it alone. Our projects, activities and community spaces have been made possible through the generous support of grant funders, local authorities, partner organisations and our Parish Council.
Funding doesn’t simply buy equipment or pay for an activity — it enables volunteers to do more. It can become a shared meal at the Community Café, food saved from waste, vegetables grown at HEG Grows, a new wildlife habitat, a workshop for a young person, or simply a welcoming place where somebody can meet others and feel part of their community.
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Oxfordshire County Council
Connected Communities
Supporting projects that strengthen communities, reduce isolation and help create places where people can connect, participate and support one another.
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Vale of White Horse District Council
Climate Action & Warm Spaces Grants
Helping us deliver practical local climate action alongside welcoming, inclusive community spaces — food waste reduction, community growing, resilience and opportunities for people to come together.
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CAG Oxfordshire
Community Action Groups Network
Providing support, knowledge, connections and funding opportunities that help grassroots environmental groups like HEG turn ideas into action and learn from a much wider network across Oxfordshire.
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SOFEA
Working together to reduce food waste and support our local community — the Community Larder is part of the SOFEA network.
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FareShare
Fighting hunger and tackling food waste — helping to rescue good food and get it to people in our area.
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Replenish
Supporting our work around reducing food waste, sustainable food, growing, composting and helping our community make practical changes that are good for people and planet.
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Magnox
Providing valuable community funding that has helped us invest in equipment for the HEG Community Larder.
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East Hendred Parish Council
A key local partner supporting HEG projects, especially our new Period Poverty campaign, community initiatives and improvements that directly benefit East Hendred and the wider Hendreds community.
To all of the organisations that have funded, partnered with and supported HEG: thank you for investing in our community and helping local ideas grow into lasting action.
Come and be part of HEG
Whether you’d like to volunteer, visit the café, grow with us, share a skill, get involved in one of our projects or simply find out what’s happening locally — you’re welcome.
Get involved