About Us
Our Heath Barn Community Interest Company (CIC) is a community campaign with the sole goal to secure Heath Barn for the people of Boxmoor before June 2026.
CICs are limited companies which operate to provide a benefit to the community they serve.
We are not a developer. We are not a property company. We are local people who believe Heath Barn belongs to the local community.
Lisa Timms, Founder of Our Heath Barn CIC
Lisa Timms is a Boxmoor resident, community arts practitioner and the founder of Our Heath Barn CIC.
Her background is in creative workshops, arts and wellbeing. Work she has built around a deep belief that creativity is not a luxury but a fundamental human need.
She founded First Mummies Club, bringing together new parents through creative connection at a time when isolation is at its most acute. She has worked with people experiencing dementia, using creativity as a tool for connection and dignity, and has illustrated for mental health focused publications.
She joined The Box Moor Trust as a Trustee in October 2025.
In March 2023 Lisa discovered that Hertfordshire County Council planned to convert Heath Barn into five private dwellings. Rather than accept it, she started asking questions.
Three years later she has built a campaign backed by two MPs, local councillors, a heritage architect, a surveyor, a heritage expert and over 300 community supporters. She has commissioned research, challenged planning decisions, registered a Community Interest Company and is now establishing a Community Benefit Society that will allow the people of Boxmoor to own a stake in their own community building.
Lisa lives in Boxmoor with her family. Heath Barn is at the end of her road.
The Team Behind The Campaign
Lisa hasn't done this alone. Behind the campaign is a growing group of professionals, volunteers and community supporters who have given their time, expertise and belief to Heath Barn.
Hugo Hardy - Heritage Architect
Hugo is a specialist heritage architect who has worked on significant restoration projects across Hertfordshire including Frogmore Paper Mill. He has developed the architectural proposals for Heath Barn's sensitive restoration and reimagining, working with the campaign pro bono.
Jo Phillips - Co-Founder
Jo brought a professional background in primary education, therapeutic support and medicine to the early stages of the campaign. She co-founded Our Heath Barn alongside Lisa, co-wrote the original project proposal and authored the planning objection letter used by over 200 local people to challenge the residential development proposal.
Dave Catlin
Dave has a background in design consultancy, specialising in the planning of public and supporting space for many leading brand names. Dave has created the brilliant illustrations that can be found depicting the future community vision for Heath Barn including the cafe and barn space.
Rory Cullen — Heritage Expert
Rory assessed the condition of the building and wrote a formal letter of support for community use, raising concerns about the building's deterioration under the current plans.
Councillor William Allen - Boxmoor Councillor
William has been a consistent advocate for the community scheme from the earliest stages of the campaign, attending meetings, facilitating connections and co-presenting the new mixed-use proposal to Hertfordshire County Council alongside Hugo Hardy in January 2026.
Claire Gillespie
Claire works alongside Lisa on the strategy, marketing and communications behind the campaign. She helps to keep the vision focused, the messaging clear and the momentum going. She brings a professional background in connecting people with ideas that matter to them.
Mark Battram - Heritage Surveyor, Battram Associates
Mark carried out a detailed survey of the Heath Barn site, assessing the costs and feasibility of community conversion versus residential development. His findings were instrumental in challenging the residential planning proposal.
Our Volunteers
A huge thank you to the many volunteers, event helpers, survey respondents, pledgers and supporters who have given their time and energy to this campaign.
You are the reason we are still here.
Our Story So Far
In March 2023 a Boxmoor resident sent an email to Hertfordshire County Council asking about the future of a local building. She received a reply that it was to be converted into five private dwellings.
She didn't accept that.
What followed was three years of research, campaigning, community engagement, planning challenges, public meetings, press coverage and relentless belief that Heath Barn belongs to the people of Boxmoor.
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We have visited community hubs across the country for inspiration.
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We have commissioned architects, surveyors and heritage experts.
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We have knocked on doors, held events, run surveys and stood in the rain with placards.
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We have been to two MPs, challenged planning decisions and built a campaign from nothing into something that Hertfordshire County Council has formally recognised.
We now have an exclusive opportunity to make our bid and we are definitely not done yet.
Who Has Supported Us
We are grateful to everyone who has believed in Heath Barn and helped us get to this point.
Particular thanks goes to.....
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MP Mike Penning and MP David Taylor, both have written formally in support of the community scheme.
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Hemel Gazette, Watford Observer and a mention on Dan Walker's Classic FM Radio show have helped spread the word beyond Boxmoor.
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Plunkett UK provided free consultancy support for our Community Benefit Society development.
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WENTA Business Centre supported the registration of Our Heath Barn CIC and offered ad hoc business help. Co-operatives UK offered consultancy around the Community Benefit Society business model.
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SAVE Britain's Heritage added Heath Barn to their Buildings at Risk register in June 2025.
And a huge thank you to every single person who has signed up to our mailing list, shared our posts, attended our events, completed our survey or donated. You are part of this story.
The Buildings History
Heath Barn has been many things to many people over 500 years. A farm. A theatre. A music school. A wedding venue. It's always been a place where this community has always gathered in one form or another.
We have photographs dating back decades, archive material from the Horniman Museum in London and stories from local people who remember the building in its heyday.
Three years in the making
Four months to make it happen
We're almost there
How You Can Help
Every pound brings Heath Barn closer to the community.
Your donation goes directly towards our community bid.
No amount is too small as every contribution is a vote for what Boxmoor deserves.
Own A Piece Of Heath Barn
Become a founding member of Heath Barn by investing in our Community Benefit Society.
From as little as £200 you become a member-owner with a real vote on how Heath Barn is run, for generations to come.
Follow Our Journey
Be the first to get updates on our progress, upcoming events and ways to get involved.
Join 450 people already following our journey.
No spam. Just Heath Barn news when it matters.
Heath Barn has waited long enough. So has Boxmoor.
Wedding reception of Gill & Tony Broadbent, July 1998 - The inspiration of how Heath Barn can be again one day