Friends of High Town (FoHT) is a local residents’ association dedicated to making the High Town area of Luton a great place to live and work.
Together, we want to conserve and enhance the quality of life in High Town, foster pride in our local area and help create a strong sense of community.
Our group is:
- non-religious,
- non-sectarian and
- non-party political
You can read more about what we want to achieve in the Friends of High Town Association Constitution [PDF]
Monthly public meetings
We meet every second Tuesday evening of the month at the Methodist Church Hall on High Town Road. Meetings are open to members and non-members, so come along to find out what’s going on. For the date of the next meeting, see Meetings and events calendar.
Committee members
The Friends of High Town committee consists of a Chair, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and a Media and Marketing Officer. A new committee was elected at the Annual General Meeting in May 2018.
Chair – David Landau
Treasurer – Simon Barrow
Secretary – Gillian Berg
Media – Sam Willis
For contact details of the committee, see: Contact us
Working groups
We have two working groups:
History of Friends of High Town
The group was formed in April 2010 following a meeting of around 40 residents at the High Town Methodist Church. We decided to set up the association with the aim of fostering and maintaining pride in the Luton Borough Council ward of High Town. You can read more about what we want to achieve in the Friends of High Town Association Constitution [PDF].
Since 2010, we’ve gone on to:
- help organise the annual High Town Festival
- contribute to the High Town Masterplan
- have clean-up days around High Town ward
- work to improve the Hightown Community Sports & Arts Centre
- work with Bedfordshire Police, Neighbourhood Watch and residents’ groups combating anti-social/criminal behaviour
- carry out environmental improvements in People’s Park with Luton Borough Council and the charity Groundwork
- help choose the ‘Outdoor Gym’ sited in Bells Close (People’s Park) in 2015
- produced and delivered a bi-annual High Town newsletter
- transform and maintain small plots of land with Edible High Town
- organise and host community events such as talent shows and fix-it days
A short introduction to High Town
High Town is one of Luton’s most historic areas, situated just north-east of the town centre, with easy access to the main railway station, a wide range of shops and attractive parks.
Around 10,000 people live in the ward in a mix of homes from the Victorian era to the present day. Within High Town, there is a Conservation Area, formed mainly of the Victorian and Edwardian shops on High Town Road.
High Town is known historically for hat-making and there are still many businesses in the ward associated with millinery, as well as other trades and light industry. The area’s proximity to Luton Airport and the Vauxhall plant, as well as the fast rail line to London, make it an attractive place to live for people seeking work.
Residents of High Town can enjoy a range of leisure facilities on their doorstep, including the Hightown Community, Sports & Arts Centre, People’s Park and Wardown Park, Stockingstone Road allotments and a number of traditional pubs.
For more information about our ward, visit Wikipedia’s page about High Town.
For details about the High Town conservation area, see Luton Borough Council’s conservation area information.
Autumn colours in People’s Park