This ongoing series explores the relationship between gentrification and climate change, and ways of organising around both. Through these sessions, we will collectively learn about how gentrification affects community integrity and highlight the importance of grassroots direct action and community-led organising. The intention is to create relationships and provide tools for organising that will continue to grow beyond this project. We have previously run a number of radical walking tours and talks as part of the programme.

Take Back the City: Community Gardening through Permaculture
with Graham Burnett

Wednesday 5th June, 6.00pm 

This session will re-evaluate the significance of public space; transforming community gardens into hubs of community organising, reclaiming them from corporate city planning which replaces public space with luxury apartments and offices, and raising ecological awareness through permaculture or counter-emissions pollution proposals.
This participatory session offers an introduction to using permaculture ethics, principles, and design thinking to mend communities and rebuild our fragmented society. Graham Burnett, who will deliver the workshop, is the author of ‘Permaculture: A Beginner’s Guide’ and ‘The Vegan Book of Permaculture’.
 
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Participatory Action Research on Social Housing Struggles:
Co-producing the People’s Plans
with Pablo Sendra
Saturday 8th June, 6pm
 

 
This session, we will be asking: how can we be anti-capitalist through activist-research? After conducting research on social housing for over a decade, Pablo Sendra decided to put his research into action, using his work as a platform to support communities living in council estates that are facing the demolition of their homes. This support consisted of working with residents to co-produce alternative plans.
Between 2019 and 2020, he worked with residents of William Dunbar and William Saville Houses, two tower blocks in North-West London facing demolition and redevelopment. Through five co-design workshops, walks with residents, a door-to-door survey, numerous conversations with residents, and participation in many events, they co-produced the “Community Plan,” which proposes to retrofit the existing homes and add new ones through infill. The “Community Plan” delivers much more social housing than the council’s plan and includes many more community facilities.
Between 2020 and 2021, he worked with residents from Alton Estate in South-West London, who are also facing the demolition of part of their estate. Through nine online workshops (during lockdown), a survey, and other face-to-face activities such as exhibitions and public presentations, they co-produced the “People’s Plan” with residents.
Residents used these plans, backed by evidence and research, to discuss with local authorities their vision for their neighbourhood and to push for an alternative that does not destroy their homes.
 
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HASL Raising: collective solutions from below against housing emergency and homelessness
with Housing Action Southwark & Lambeth (HASL)
Sunday 16th, 2pm 

Join us for a session with Housing Action Southwark & Lambeth (HASL) who will be talking about their experience of organising and the housing emergency. 
In the last year, the housing emergency has spiralled to devastating new heights causing unimaginable suffering with children bearing the brunt of this. Use of cramped, hazardous hotel accommodation has soared to record breaking levels meaning families cannot eat hot and fresh food for weeks and months on end. Families are being forced out of London. And homeless families are facing being made homeless yet again with an increase in private landlords requesting their properties back.
Meanwhile, overcrowding in social housing is at record levels with families trapped in 1 and 2 bed social homes unable to move into bigger homes. The housing emergency has reached terrifying levels we couldn’t imagine and we’re seeing problems that we’ve never encountered before which are further fuelling the homelessness crisis.
Despite all of this, our members in HASL have been tirelessly supporting each other, campaigning and fighting together for the high-quality council homes we all need and deserve!
Every day across south London (and sometimes beyond!) we are supporting people to understand and enforce their housing rights, we let people know that they are not alone, and we campaign for high-quality council homes for a life worth living.
Without financial or political ties to anyone from above, we become stronger every time a new member adds collectively to our struggles from below, in order to raise awareness, share solutions and achieve small or bigger victories in a bleak reality.
Sign up here: https://events.maydayrooms.org/e/26/hasl-raising-collective-solutions-fr...
 
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