Thank you Lev for those kind words and all your support over the years, wearing many different hats, and involving so many people. We are at the beginning of living in this new community - but we should all get together soon and remind ourselves of the story of how we got to this point! RUSS is drawing breath right now, and planning summer and early autumn events to invite everyone we want to thank and celebrate with.
Congratulations to the Rural Urban Synthesis Society! Residents are moving in after they achieved practical completion of the construction works recently. This is one of the most ambitions and successful #communityledhousing projects I know. I feel privileged to have been a part of the journey, involved from very early on, helping Lewisham Council think through their approach to community led housing and self-build, getting approvals and running a procurement process, and more recently again for CDS Co-operatives who will be delivering housing management services for RUSS, and acting as the Registered Provider landlord of social rented and intermediate shared flats. The scheme pushes innovation in environmental sustainability, a full range of affordable tenures in perpetuity, various typologies, and most importantly community collaboration and resident empowerment in their own homes. One of my most treasured possessions is a 12 inch record presented by Kareem Dayes after raising money with music to start RUSS. The message is of positivity and unity. There are probably too many people to name, but it has been a pleasure to work with: Anurag Verma, Eleanor Margolies, Sam Brown, #EmmaGittus, Chris Carthy, Dinah Roake, Jeff Endean, Osama Shoush, Nigel Moore, Linda Wallace, Tom Bremner, Jessica Tsang, Charli Bristow, Darshan Chatha and many others. In many ways this is just the beginning. As the community take residence and bed in, we will see the tangible community as these homes mature. The difference of #communitylandtrusts #cohousing #housingcoops https://lnkd.in/eM83uQuA
