News

Community Christmas 2025

Post author By Jaqui Smith
Post date 13 February, 2026

Christmas day at PCG was a huge success, thoroughly enjoyed by all!

Members of our community and staff had a delicious meal cooked and served by a dedicated group of Xmas volunteers.

This is the 2nd Xmas we have run this type of festive meal, and was very welcomed by our community – most of whom, wouldn’t otherwise have had a Xmas dinner.

In the spirit of Xmas goodwill, also wrapped up lots of Xmas presents for children living in our local community. A number of households were also given festive hampers that helped them through the Xmas period.

Many thanks to the organiser of the project Cassie Witts, who did a fantastic job.

News

Welcome Laurie!

The Directors of Paganhill Community Group Community Interest Company have recruited the Group’s first paid Community Hub Manager for Farmhill and Paganhill, Laurie Davies! A grant to fund a 20-hour-a-week post for two years was match funded by Stroud District Council and Gloucestershire County Council Public Health.

Laurie has joined at a key time; The Octagon off Farmhill Lane will be opening up as a Community Hub with a range of activities, some still in the planning stage and, most importantly, a Big Survey being organised with the help of Stroud Town Council and the University of Gloucestershire.

Laurie will be based in The Octagon Community Hub and will also be out and about in Farmhill and Paganhill to hear residents’ ideas and signpost any help or support needed.

Her appointment is a welcome relief for PCG Chair, Jaqui Smith and her fellow Directors of the Paganhill Community Group CIC – Sally-Anne Wherry and Haydn Sutton, as Laurie will take on a lot of the day-to-day work in the community off their shoulders.

Laurie says: “I am so excited to start my role, learn more about the local community, meet as many of you as possible and start the hard work needed to build upon the amazing work and commitment that has taken place to make Paganhill Community Group the amazing community asset that it is.

“I have worked as a Project Coordinator for Gloucestershire Community Foundation, as a Senior Caseworker for David Drew when he was our MP and I worked in Bristol as a Project Coordinator for a youth charity helping young people set up their own community-focused social action projects.

“I have also been on the Stroud Town Council for five years and I was recently elected as District Councillor for the area I live in, often known as the ‘top of town’.”

Laurie grew up in Stroud and went to Archway School. She left the area at 19 but came back seven years ago to raise her son.

Contact Laurie on 07828 168857 or email laurie@paganhill.org.uk if you want to chat or are interested in helping with our survey.

News

Wyatt House – a community venue?

Post author By Jasmin Gardner
Post date 23 April, 2021
2 Comments on Wyatt House – a community venue?

Could Wyatt House become a community centre?

Could Wyatt House – the former care home on Mathews Way, Paganhill – have a future as a community centre?

Paganhill Community Group has been using the former Baptist church – re-named The Octagon – off Farmhill Lane as our Food Hub during Covid. However, our continued use of this building is currently being negotiated, so we are also looking at other options for a permanent base.

Wyatt House has been empty since 2019. As Jaqui Smith, Chair of Paganhill Community Group recalls: “It was a sad day for many when it closed; it is a loved building and unique. Paganhill Community Group would like to see it become a Community Hub and have written a plan which has been well received by local Councillors, Stroud and South Gloucestershire College, The Grace Network and Stroud Town Council.

“Now we need to convince the building’s owner Gloucestershire County Council that local people need this building and that Paganhill Community Group can make it work as a Community Hub.

“We would like to hear what you think of the plan and if you have any ideas to add.” Please email info@paganhill.org.uk

Here is the pdf of the plan.

Supporting local tenants

Why PCG?

Learn more about us – video by The Barnwood Trust. Autumn 2020.

Food

First apple from our community orchard

Post author By Jasmin Gardner
Post date 19 October, 2020
No Comments on First apple from our community orchard

Callowell School pupil Cosmo Thomson, aged 10, from Farmhill holds the giant apple harvested from the Paganhill Community Group’s orchard

Green-fingered Farmhill and Paganhill residents celebrated after harvesting the first apple from their community mini orchard. And what a whopper it was!

“I’ve never seen an eating apple this size before,” said Jaqui Smith, Chair of the Paganhill Community Group. “The apple trees were grown by Day’s Cottage, donated by Stroud Valleys Project, Stroud Town Council’s green team helped us to plant them and our community garden project members have been tending the young saplings.

“The harvest this first year was only one, huge, apple, but there will be more in the future on the five apple trees planted last year.”

Paganhill Community Group has brought people living in Farmhill and Paganhill together as good neighbours to support each other, particularly during the Covid crisis, collecting prescriptions and shopping for people self-isolating.

It also launched the successful Bus Stop Free Shop, opposite the Anti-Slavery Arch in Farmhill Lane. Surplus food from local supermarkets, fresh vegetables grown in the community garden, books and children’s toys were shared freely among locals in need during the summer and early Autumn of 2020.

Now we share good food with good neighbours at The Octagon Community Hub, Farmhill Lane, GL5 4BX.

Supporting local tenants

Tenants information poster August 2020

We are working closely with a range of local organisations, including Stroud District Council which is the landlord for many of our residents. We worked with the Council to help design a new poster making it easier for tenants to find out how to report issues.

Tenants information poster August 2020

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