George Downing Estate. An urban community site.
COMMUNITY WEBSITE BY RESIDENTS OF GEORGE DOWNING ESTATE, IN HACKNEY. Estate website
This website has been created as a result of our residents meetings. It can be used to share information, local knowledge and resources, helping us care for our estate and connecting and empowering our community. It’s a work in progress and we hope it will continue to evolve to meet residents needs.
The main issues residents are experiencing have been compiled in a list. We’re adding updates as they come in.
Get in touch if you’d like to share any thoughts or feedback.
Resident meetings
Residents gather roughly once a season in the Boiler House to discuss issues and share thoughts and ideas.
The next meeting will be Spring / Summer 2025. More details on the meetings page.
We are also having estate walkabouts with Southern Housing on a fairly regular basis.
Estate management
The estate residents group formed in 2021 due to growing frustrations and a serious lack of presence, engagement and action from Southern Housing and their contractors.
During the course of 2023/4, we have seen some improvements, although many issues continue to go unaddressed. Residents have been communicating with one another, raising complaints with Southern Housing and the Housing Ombudsman and collaborating with our local Councillors and the Mayors office.
With complaints being processed we saw some increase in engagement, presence and action.
We’ve also been in communication with Southern Housings Director of repairs and estate transformation who attended a meeting in November 2023 with residents, to hear more about our issues. A year of monthly walkabouts with Southern Housing representatives was recommended (see segment below)
A year on there have been improvements but unfortunately the general feeling is that issues are still predominantly going unaddressed.
Topup Truck
The TOPUP TRUCK - a zero waste / refill shop on a repurposed milk float, has been visiting the estate. We’re not currently on the trucks regular scheduled route, although they do occasional visits and can be booked for deliveries. You can join the Topup Trucks George Downing Estate WhatsApp group to stay updated. Join group
SNUG quiz night
A team of George Downing estate residents recently came second in a quiz night put on by the Stoke Newington Common Users Group at the Boiler House. Having scored joint first out of 10 teams, Estate of Mind were defeated following a tiebreaker question.
The quiz night raised funds for our local Common, including the creation of a custom piece by the Hackney Mosaic project.
Hailed as a successful and fun night with tickets sold out - SNUG have plans to hold more events like this in future 💫
Boiler House Development
APRIL 2025
The development of the community space is progressing. The new sports pitch, or MUGA (multi use gaming area) is now open and being well used. The old MUGA will be finding new life as part of a series of garden spaces. There are plans for a forest garden, a rain garden (capturing rainwater) and various spaces for growing plants and food, with opportunities to learn about gardening, nature and wildlife.
Through community design sessions, Heard Landscapes and the Boiler House charity have been working with local people, developing plans for the space, with an emphasis on greening, growing, climate resilience, community connection and wellbeing.
The next Community Consultation will be on Thursday 15th May 2025 at 3.30 - 4.30pm, at the Boiler House.
Resources for older residents
WE NOW HAVE A PAGE WITH RESOURCES FOR OLDER RESIDENTS.
Please have a look and share with anyone who may find it useful. We welcome feedback and suggestions.
Southern Housing walk-arounds with residents
DECEMBER 2024
Over the past year residents have been working with Southern Housing to arrange walk-arounds of the estate, as recommended by Southern Housings Director of repairs and estate transformation.
Walk-arounds enable us to speak directly with Southern Housing, giving them a clearer idea of the estates unaddressed and reoccurring problems and pointing out specific issues.
Over the past six months Southern Housing have conducted 5 walk-arounds with residents on the estate. We were prescribed a year of monthly walk-arounds so we hope the remainder will be fully made up over time.
More info and summaries of the walk-arounds here.
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Our landscaping is managed by Southern Housings garden maintenance team.
The condition of greenery on the estate is important to residents. There’s been concern about the amount of plants and shrubs that have died off over the past few years, leaving empty areas in beds across the estate.
The residents association has begun a dialogue with the head of the gardening maintenance team and the estate home services manager. During summer 2023 we had a walkabout meeting to raise residents concerns and see where improvements might be made. Read the minutes
In October 2024 some new planting has been added in spaces raised by residents.
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There’s been a wave of resident gardening activity on the estate, with mini wildflower meadows and other growing projects. There
The gardening maintenance team are keen to hear residents thoughts and are open to various forms of resident involvement. They would especially appreciate residents helping give extra care to the greenery during hot, dry spells.
If you have thoughts or ideas you’d like to share, come along to a meeting or get in touch
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The campaigns section of this website could help residents wishing to collaborate - share ideas and plans, explore funding opportunities, or promote any potential groups or projects.
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The Boiler House charity is leading a project to create a community forest garden on the estate, as part of the Boiler House community space development. The space could create opportunities for community connection and wellbeing while improving our estate environment.
What’s a forest garden?
A forest garden is a sustainable and diverse agricultural system that mimics a natural woodland system. It combines trees, shrubs, and other plants to create a self-sustaining environment with the diversity, stability and resilience of natures ecosystems.
Three garden design workshops are planned for December, open to anybody from the estate and the wider community. Details of the work shops are in the development section further up the page.
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Recycling facilities on the estate include general recycling, food waste, garden waste and a clothing and textiles bin.
We currently have a fortnightly visit from the Topup Truck to help reduce packaging waste.
Does anyone have ideas or suggestions to make our estate more environmentally friendly?
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As well as helping our greenery flourish, spaces that attract wildlife create a healthier ecosystem.
Our estate is home to a range of animals, birds, bugs and bees - we even have a resident beekeeper working to increase our bee population.
What else could we do to make our estate a more wildlife friendly place?
Green George Downing🌿
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