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Friday Club at the Cottonmill Centre


Sopwell Residents Association (SRA) is a lively active group and represents around 7,000 people in 3,000 households in the Sopwell Ward of St Albans.

We deliver our 4-page SRA Newsletter ‘Community News’ to all households in spring and Autumn. Download the latest copy here.


NEWS UPDATES: You can also sign up here to our occasional news update by email for reminders of local events.


We share news and events on our social media pages. We have a lively committee that meets regularly often with reps from local police, local councillors, faith groups, community groups… We represent Sopwell ward on the council’s City Neighbourhood Committee, along with other ‘city centre’ wards.

Our three sub-groups organise events and work with local community groups: the Events Group – who organise local events including Quiz Nights and the Cottonmill Gathering; Cottonmill and Sopwell Hub group (CaSH) – who campaigned to get the Cottonmill Centre built – and plan a playground on site – and Sopwell eco-stars growing environmental sustainability and community resilience on our patch!

Sopwell Memories

Sandy Norman, an SRA committee member for many years, now looks after the extraordinary Sopwell Memories website and wrote a wonderful book – all about the history of Sopwell. You can see more – and buy the book -on the Sopwell Memories website.

Cottonmill Community and Cycling Centre

The Cottonmill Community and Cycling Centre is off Old Oak, Cottonmill Lane, AL1 2EF. It is owned by the council, and run by St Albans Cycle Hub. Join the Cottonmill Centre Facebook Group here for Whats On.

For hall hire and cycling info please go to St Albans Cycle Hub web page.

PAST EVENTS

LITTER PICKS November 2023 + March 2024

QUIZ NIGHT March 24

REPAIR FAIRS – 2023 & 2024 from Sopwell eco-stars


Broken toaster, kettle, bike, quilt cover, more? Don’t chuck it! Refreshments while you wait and Knife-sharpening demonstration. Organised by Sopwell eco-stars to encourage us all to keep the stuff we’ve got – to reduce, repair and re-use!


Cottonmill Gathering 2023 – Save the DATE for this year! Sun 14th July 2024

Autumn Festival October 2022

We held this in October 2022 at the Cottonmill Centre and it attracted 200+ people to enjoy the craft and food competitions; live music, pumpkin soup, stalls and crafts activities. It was a partnership event with SRA, Cottonmill and Nunnery Allotment Association, Grow Community-Sopwell, and the St Albans Community Pantry.


Larks in the Parks Sopwell 22

Larks in the Parks July 2022 was a great success – in the grounds of the new Cottonmill Centre! Thank you to 1300+ people who came to enjoy the day – with music, great food, kids activities including popular donkey rides, gift stalls, and local groups. And it was also the first ever eco-friendly Larks in the district – with vegetarian food, and single-use #plasticfree.


Thanks to the volunteers (some pictured here) who worked so hard to make the day such a success – including the council’s Larks’ team!

Image L-R: Janet Charles; Elaine Rainsford; Jo Cooney; Kate Swindells


Thanks to @BeePhotographyStAlbans, Jo Cooney, Janet Charles, Elaine Rainsford, Kate Swindells and Gail Jackson for these Larks photos!


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Photo credit for featured image at top of page: Andy Collin. Photo credits where otherwise not mentioned: Sopwell Residents Association