Thanks to our contractors Garden and Grounds, and the warmer weather, the estate lawns and flower beds are looking lovely. We feel fortunate to have access to so much green space — though a little more rain (but not too much) would be welcome! Summer has well and truly arrived, and many of us have been enjoying the blooming landscape and brighter evenings.

We were pleased that the May General Meeting was able to go ahead. At the end of our General Meetings, we typically have some social time with refreshments and snacks, and we’d love to see as many of you as possible at our forthcoming Annual General Meeting on 8th July at 7 pm. Before the socialising began in May, however, we discussed various maintenance and finance issues, and our Chair, Maureen Poole, delivered the following report:

CHAIR’S REPORT

New Furniture and Equipment: New chairs and a larger screen for meetings have been acquired through the Small Improvement Budget (SIBs). We need to find a home for the old chairs, and the office staff will try to donate them to a local community or church hall.

Residents’ Conference: Wandsworth Council (WBC) has set the date for its annual Residents’ Conference: 15 October 2025. This event is open to all tenants, leaseholders, and committee members. Last year’s conference featured sessions on fire safety, Wandsworth’s 2025 Borough of Culture status, the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, energy savings, cost of living support, tenant engagement, and damp and mould prevention. Numerous relevant organisations will once again be attending this year’s event. Find out more here.

Committee Training: The committee was meant to have a series of governance training sessions recently, but unfortunately, these had to be postponed. The training will now take place in autumn.

Estate Update: We have one vacant property as the resident has moved into a care home. New tenants are likely to move in within the next six weeks. The property will need a new bathroom. WBC reimburses the Co-op for the bathroom and provides an annual budget for voids.

Property Improvements: We are currently receiving quotes for kitchens in council-owned properties on the estate. WBC is reimbursing the cost to ensure all properties meet the Government’s decent homes standards and to upgrade electrical systems.

Policy Updates: The Co-op’s policies are being updated by Gill Chapple, one of our committee members. Shorter policies have been completed; however, the longer, more complex policies will be updated following the governance training.

In Memoriam: We are sorry to report two recent deaths on the estate. Jenny Dickson, who grew up on the estate, passed away on 12 March. Mrs Maura Kane (96), who was one of the first residents to live on the estate, passed away on 26 April. Condolences were expressed to both

“Climate action leadership at Wandsworth Council (WBC) has been awarded a top ‘A’ grade – one of just five authorities in London to receive the highest score. The accolade from international environmental body, Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), has been awarded to just 112 cities worldwide in this year’s climate action listings.”

You can read more about this award and why WBC received it on the council’s website or about the council’s overall Climate Change strategy here. 

Wandsworth Awarded Top A grade by the Carbon Disclosure Project & Sustainable September Microgrant Opportunity

“Climate action leadership at Wandsworth Council (WBC) has been awarded a top ‘A’ grade – one of just five authorities in London to receive the highest score. The accolade from international environmental body, Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), has been awarded to just 112 cities worldwide in this year’s climate action listings.”

You can read more about this award and why WBC received it on the council’s website or about the council’s overall Climate Change strategy here. 

In 2024, WBC initiated Sustainable September and is doing so again this year. Microgrants of between £100 and £500 are available. Find out more here. WBC are running a drop-in event at the Townhall on 1^st July between 11 AM -1 PM, where residents can ask questions and discuss their ideas. They are “especially interested in supporting projects and ideas that demonstrate a wider community benefit – from involving your neighbours to supporting disadvantaged members of the community.” Rewilding a community space, a mend-and-repair initiative or a sustainable street festival are all possible, along with other suggestions on the WBC site.  The deadline for microgrant applications is the 25^th of July. 

Refuse Collection

While the transition from the old refuse collection system to the current one has been a bit bumpy, residents have lately reported that things have improved tremendously. We were pleased to hear positive reports from residents on the estate. In one instance, a refuse collector went above and beyond to make sure he had collected everyone’s food waste. How food waste will be collected from the blocks has not yet been resolved, as the bin sheds on our estate are unusual compared to the rest of the borough, but discussions are ongoing.

Further good news, however: you can now leave out small electrical items, and the council will take them for free. In addition, to discourage fly-tipping, Wandsworth residents may now also leave out two bulky items a year, and they will be collected free of charge.

In addition, to discourage fly-tipping, Wandsworth residents may now also leave out two bulky items a year, free of charge. However, you must book and can do so here. Once you have used up your free removals, you can pay for further items to be taken away.

New Kitchens and Bathrooms

WBC is undertaking a drive to update tenants’ kitchens and bathrooms that are particularly outdated or in disrepair. This initiative has been accelerated by current councillors following a negative report from the Housing Regulator, which came after a long history of mediocre assessments. You can visit the council’s website to view past assessments and reports dating back to 2021. The next annual report will be published in the September issue of Homelife. Meanwhile, the council has identified a small number of kitchens in council-owned properties on the estate that will be addressed within their improvement programme. Residents will be notified if their kitchen has been identified for upgrade, if they have not already been informed.

Finally…

The co-op had its annual financial audit in June. We will have to wait a few weeks to have the final results, but all seems to be in good order.

Please find a schedule of Co-op meetings for the rest of the year below. We’re looking forward to seeing some new faces at this year’s AGM. The AGM provides a great opportunity for people to join the committee as we vote on positions (although we will welcome residents who wish to get involved at any time).

Meeting Schedule