Friends of Abingdon is Abingdon’s Civic Society. Its broad aims are to preserve and enhance the character of the built environment of Abingdon. We are a member of The Civic Trust, the national umbrella body for Civic Societies. Civic Societies are voluntary organisations promoting high standards of planning, conservation and regeneration for the benefit of their local communities. They also undertake practical projects,including restoring old buildings, improving the quality of public places and finding solutions to traffic problems.
Civic Societies have a formal role as community watchdogs commenting on planning applications for new buildings and developments and guarding against unsympathetic changes to Conservation Areas and historic buildings.
By pooling the resources of Civic Societies the Trust has campaigned nationally on issues such as reuse of derelict land, reducing the damage done by heavy lorries and safeguarding the vitality of our towns and villages.