2026-02-07 FCF meeting

FCF meeting on 9 February 2025

Thanks to everyone who came to today's meeting at Fulham Cross Girls School. There were 10 attendees: Francois, Daniel, Annette, Philippa, Marianne, Maya, Victoria, Kelly, Rebecca, and Marilyn.

Here's what we discussed:

• Agreed on the date for our next public walk: Sunday 29 March 2pm:

  • Open to the public

  • Publicity via: Fulham Society newsletter, The Parson newspaper, other Friends groups, posters on cemetery gates & Lillie Rec

• Discussed plans for the year:

  • Tree watering, particularly new cherry trees

  • Painting the waiting room

  • Planting the rosebed by the waiting room

  • Continuing bramble and alkanet removal

• Discussed issues to raise with the Council:

  • Walkabout with Council & Idverde on 12 Feb 12.30-1.30pm

  • Hedge cut along Fulham Palace Rd: bird nesting; protecting railings

  • Trees along south border: pruning & ivy

  • Rose bed between lodge and chapel: protecting from cars parking

  • Tree planting (currently on hold as the Council says their map is out of date)

  • Creating a new logpile on the site in front of Bronsart Rd wall

  • Finding out where bulbs were planted

  • Cemetery wall repair

• Tree pruning work by unknown person in cemetery:

  • Some members have seen a person with a saw, but unsure whether he works for the council or not

  • Bear in mind that Idverde is not supposed to do tree works

  • Members should take pictures if they see him again

  • Possible that a council contractor is going “off script”

  • Will discuss it with Council

• Management updates:

  • Charity application: may take up to 23 weeks to hear from Charity Commission

  • We will start charging a membership fee of £6 / annum later this year, following example of Margravine Cemetery

  • AGM likely to be in November

• Accounts updates:

  • We are currently out of pocket by about £300, as a temporary loan from founder

  • We are still able to accept donations at any time via JustGiving on website

  • We can get tax relief on donations once we are a charity

  • We have £1,000 grant from Veolia for tree planting, but tree planting is currently on hold

• Adding another noticeboard: possibly on the waiting room, or wait and see until the Council installs a cemetery signboard

• Cemetery wall repair: discussed the planning application for fixing the section along the school. Will hopefully find out during the Council walkabout whether it's going ahead

• History update:

  • Demonstrated 3D model of the chapel

  • No news from Historic England re chapel listing yet

  • No news regarding Seddon grave yet (attempted to contact the family regarding grave restoration)

  • Margravine Cemetery: example of Jeanne Deroin grave restoration provides inspiration

  • Recent articles on website: east lodge, Elliott family, Captain George Hyde, and William Sall

  • Discussed guest articles for the website, e.g. Fulham Workhouse

  • Oral histories: discussed plans for interviews later this year. Agreed to work with the IHR 

  • Tying in with local theme of “Life by the river”

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission – no progress on a getting a volunteer to talk to us

• Noted we were nominated for a Civic Honours Award (but didn’t win)