The precious meadows, woodland and riverbank at Rodborough Fields are on the open market. A community buy out has been launched and the fantastic news is that the community bid of £200,000 for Lot 1 - the 9.42-acre meadow and woodland between Arundel Drive and the River Frome - has been accepted. They now need donations to complete the purchase.

The land is a key wildlife site. It includes the fields, which are a fine example of traditional hay meadows that have never had artificial fertiliser applied to them. The fields are ablaze in the summer with wild flowers, which attract many species of butterfly and other insects.

The clear, unpolluted waters of the Frome and its wonderful tree-lined banks provide for birds including Kingfisher, Dipper and Grey Wagtail together with mammals including otter and several species of bat.

This is an historic opportunity to secure the future of this land. The last time it came on the market was in 1995, since when there have been several failed planning applications to build on the land and overbridge the river. The community buy-out will conserve, protect and improve the land, promote biodiversity and enhance links to the wildlife corridor along the riverbank. It will also give public access to Stroud town centre and Rodborough Common.

For further details: https://rodboroughfields.org.uk/

In 2025 an appeal was launched to secure Slade Wood – 6 acres of mainly beech woodland above Summer Street in Stroud – for community access and thriving nature.

Shares of £600 each were offered to anyone wishing to invest, and the goal of £66,000 was reached in a few months. There are now over 90 shareholders in Slade Wood.

The sale of the land to Stroud Woodland Co-op (whose members already own the 3-acre Folly Wood, off Folly Lane in Uplands) is currently in the hands of solicitors.

Thank you to all our supporters. We now have a waiting list for shares, which you can join via our website, https://stroudwoods.org.uk/sladewood/.

Last year we set ourselves an ambitious goal: to raise the money to buy the Trinity Rooms by the end of the year. From the outset, we knew this could only happen with the support of our community.

The Trinity Rooms was valued at £200,000 in 2023. By September 2025, we had already raised £34,000, with a further £100,000 pledged. While this was a strong start, donations were slowing and the campaign needed fresh energy.

In September a small group came together with a clear purpose: to raise the remaining funds by Christmas. The timeline was tight, the ask was bold; we decided to trust that our community would support us enough to get us over the line, rather than applying for grant funding. 

Match funding from three generous donors transformed the campaign, doubling donations and building momentum. Fundraising events followed - from homemade chutneys and cakes at the Friday café, to music nights with local musicians and calming sound baths - all in support of the hub.

Just before Christmas, we reached our target! This success was made possible with the time, energy, generosity, and belief of our community, and by the strong foundations built at the Trinity Rooms over the past five years. We are truly grateful. 

Further information:   stroudtrinityrooms.org