About Us

Daleham Mews – credit: Luke Collins

The Belsize Society (registered charity 1180842) is an amenity society covering Belsize ward, its adjacent areas and historic environs.  The Society has over 500 members. It does not make profits and is non-political. Recently becoming a charitable incorporated organisation, the Society has been a feature of the Belsize area since the 1970s.

Belsize is a vibrant and historic part of London and the Society seeks to preserve and enhance this.  Our activities depend on volunteers. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in the Belsize area, with members living in the area between Lyndhurst and Adelaide Roads from north to south and between Fitzjohns Avenue and the approaches to Fleet Road from west to east.  To join us, please see here

Our charitable objectives are:
1. To promote for the benefit of the public high standards of architecture, conservation, planning, design, and use of buildings and infrastructure in and/or affecting Belsize Ward, its adjacent areas and its historical environs, and to promote the protection, development, and improvement of features of historic or public interest in that area.
2. To encourage and promote for the public benefit high standards in urban planning, infrastructure, and transport including in the identification of traffic solutions, the maintenance and improvement of streets and public places, the protection of the environment, and improvement of air quality in Belsize Ward, its adjacent areas and its historical environs.
3. To foster interest amongst the public in Belsize Ward, its adjacent areas and its historical environs, and to educate the public in the history, including natural history, and architecture, of the area by organising lectures, visits, and other events.
The full constitution may be seen here.

Our activities include:

  • Checking all local planning and tree applications; commenting or objecting where appropriate. We also seek to influence planning policy. The BelSoc response to all applications is listed in the minutes of our monthly committee meetings. To receive notifications of neighbourhood applications, sign up here. For advice on how to object or comment on a planning application to Camden Council, please see here.
  • Raising concerns about and responding to consultations on local public services, traffic, parking and transport. Meeting regularly with councillors to discuss local issues.
  • Providing information about local issues and activities through quarterly newsletters, two noticeboards and this website as well as publishing an annual booklet (“Tradesmen You Can Trust“) listing tradesmen recommended by our members..
  • Noticeboards: the BelSoc has noticeboards in Belsize Village and on Haverstock Hill. These are used to publicise community activities and provide community information. For guidance on displaying posters, see here.
  • Organising a programme of social events. See here.
  • The BelSoc would sometimes act as a channel of communication between the community and those who provide our public services, but we do not lobby or act directly on behalf of individual members, nor can we provide legal or planning advice.

Volunteer Helpers and Committee Members: BelSoc always welcomes helpers for various tasks involved in our events, catering, distribution and public relations activities and/or in joining our committee. If you would like to volunteer, please download and complete this form, then send it to the address shown.

Annual General Meeting
Our AGM takes place in March each year. The annual reports, accounts and minutes of the meetings are available here.

The Trustees and the Committee
The BelSoc has five trustees who are elected by the membership at the Annual General Meeting and serve three year terms.  The current trustees are:
Prabhat Vaze (chair)
Barbara Abraham
David Thomas
Michael Jampel
Anne Stevens
They meet as necessary and are supported by a committee, also elected at the AGM. Committee members take responsibility for specific topics based on their particular interests and skills and meet each month except August. Committee minutes are available here.

Chair chair@belsize.org.uk
Belsize Community Library Liaison
Community
Constitution and Governance
Events
General Enquiries info@belsize.org.uk
Membership Secretary membership@belsize.org.uk
Newsletter Editor & contributions  info@belsize.org.uk
Planning  info@belsize.org.uk
Secretary
Tradesmen You Can Trust  tyct@belsize.org.uk
Treasurer
Trees & Streets

For more information see these links: