Get involved in your local community

We work in partnership with Parks and Environmental Services as well as organisations such as:

• Lancashire Wildlife Trust
• Lancashire County Council
• Groundwork
• Housing Associations
• Local Charities
• Community Groups
• Community Centres

Our aim is to work together and develop opportunities for you to get involved with your local community to help make them greener, safer and better places to live.

Current opportunities

Below you will find current opportunities available to get involved in your local community:

Community Centres

We work with local Community Centre organisations, please visit the Community Centres page for a list of contact details for hire and use of the building.

Local Community Centres

Let's Grow Preston

Let's Grow Preston (LGP) is a community based charity that pulls together people and projects from around the city, allowing them to meet, share ideas and support each other.

The forum is open to anyone and hopes to encourage people to work together to grow a greener city.

LGP is currently developing a base in Ashton Walled Garden at Ashton Park and aims to use this site to provide support to the wide range of community environmental groups and activities in Preston.

The group meet every second Tuesday of the month at 6.30pm at the Ashton Walled Garden.

To keep up to date with what is happening in Preston visit the Let's Grow Preston website or follow LGP on Facebook - Let's Grow Preston.

Friends groups and community groups

There are many friends groups and community groups across Preston. These groups are a great way for local people to develop the ability to improve and enhance a green area like a park, a woodland or even a community garden. They are also a great way to get to know people with similar interests. Local examples include:

• The Friends of Ribbleton Library
• Friends of the parks
• St Barnabas Place

Community food growing projects

Growing your own food provides very cheap food but is also healthy and fun. 

If you would like to get involved with a community food growing project in Preston or would like to set one up contact, communityinvolvementteam@preston.gov.uk or call 01772 906453.

Big Local - Inner East Preston

Big Local is a 10 year programme that aims to achieve lasting change in 150 areas in England.  

The Fishwick and St Matthews wards or Inner East Preston were chosen as one of the 150 areas due to the area not receiving a proportionate share of Big Lottery funding over several years.

The project seeks to enable people who live in the areas to build on local talents and aspirations so they can identify and act on their own needs to make their areas even better places to live, both now and in years to come.

Big Local supports communities to identify issues and plan and develop solutions.  This provides a sustainable approach to long-term issues and ultimately creates even better places to live. 

Friends of Fishwick and St Matthews (FOFS) were delighted when the Big Local awarded the £1 million for Fishwick and St Matthews area. 

The group used the outcomes from the Inner East Preston Neighbourhood Plan consultation and combined them with the findings from the Big Local Plan consultation.  

For up to date information visit Facebook - Fishwick StMatts, X - FOFS or visit Open Collective - Friends of Fishwick and St Matthews.

Preston Work Club Network

Across Preston there are a number of  work clubs, held to assist local people with their job searching.  Many of the work clubs are run by volunteers.

We support these volunteers through a Preston Work Club Network. Every 3 months the network meet and share ideas, issues, look for solutions, discuss relevant matters and receive up to date information.  It is a great meeting which all participants find very useful.