About

Friends of Evington is a local, CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation) that is also associative, which means the charity is accountable to its members, making the charity’s Annual General Meeting an important event every year.

There are two main aims: enhancing our local community and supporting local environmental improvements. https://evingtonecho.uk/constitution-friends-of-evington/

On the community side, the trustees organise the publication of the Evington Echo magazine and post updates on their website https://evingtonecho.uk — covering local news, societies, events, local people, and other information that benefits residents. They deliver around 6,000 copies door to door and bimonthly, thanks to their excellent team of volunteer deliverers.

They also hold an umbrella insurance policy with Zurich. This allows them to support local not-for-profit groups—particularly informal groups that are not independently constituted—so they can operate and run activities safely. These groups are insured under Friends of Evington’s umbrella policy, with risk assessments in place.  As groups grow and become constituted, they typically move on to arrange their own independent insurance cover.

Our currently insured community groups are:

• Evington Social Group
• Scrabble Group
• Rummikub Group
• Friendship Group
• Zumba Group
• Gentle Exercise Group
• Yoga at Mayflower Church Community Rooms
• History and Heritage Group

On the environmental side, Friends of Evington also support and insure local groups that are involved in gardening. They work with Leicester City Council staff, who register these groups and have accepted the umbrella risk assessment arrangements for them.

Currently insured environmental groups (May 2026) are:

• Sedgebrook Gardeners
• High Street Flats Residents’ Garden
• Horton Hill Project
• Friends of Piggy’s Hollow
• Main Street, Evington

From 2012 to 2025, Friends of Evington referred to their charity’s environmental work as ‘Evington in Bloom’.  For 2026 the change is to refer to the main environmental work as an ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ group called ‘Main Street, Evington’, reflecting that many of their main Bloom activities took place along Main Street. Other activities that used to sit under ‘Bloom’ are now either independent, or are run by a group leader who is a member of Friends of Evington.

Some groups they previously helped now have their own insurance arrangements. These included Nurturing Roots and The Garden of Prosperity.

And the following groups are now insured through Grow Together (Charity No. 1193728):

• Friends and Neighbours Downing Drive
• Graceworks
• Evington Village Green and Hall

Friends of Evington have recently submitted a bid to Evington Ward for a new bench at the Evington War Memorial, as the existing wooden bench—installed in 2014—has now rotted away.  (May 2026).

They have applied for the full supply cost of £1,772.60 to Evington ward and they have confirmed with Leicester City Council that LCC can remove the old bench and install the new one.   In 2014, Friends of Evington delivered what they considered one of their best projects, working with Leicester City Council and a ward councillor, Baljit Singh,  to commemorate the start of the First World War.  The project upgraded the War Memorial site through cleaning and greening, supported by council work and funding, and they also secured National Lottery Heritage Fund, which was  funding for an opening event, special publicity, a bench and a time capsule. The opening event included the City Mayor, all the local schools, and a special tea and commemoration event. The time capsule burial was part of another community event and is to be opened in 2114.  

The charity is also campaigning for an Eco community centre at Evington Park House LE5 6DE.  

The campaign for a Neighbourhood Centre in Evington has taken many twists and turns.  Our preferred venue has always been Evington Park House.  In Nov. 2018, the Evington Park House was still not officially recognised as a Neighbourhood Centre but until December 2023 some daytime groups with their own fob access were meeting in Evington Park House.

By January 2023 all the people with access to Evington House were asked to leave, including the Parks Services officers who were managing Evington Park House.  The house was deemed to be an underused asset and no longer needed as an operational base.  Friends of Evington have put in a request for this asset to be transferred into community use.  The Council have confirmed that this time the application is valid, but will take some time to process.   In 2024, the charity have made a partnerships with Best Community Charity and Soar Sound Radio, and have put in for a Community Asset Transfer for Evington Park House (Oct. ’24).  We await the outcome.