Welcome to our new South Gardens RA website and mailing list, set up to be the main portal of the South Gardens Residents’ Association (SGRA) and Arum and Henderson Residents’ Association (AHRA).
7 years ago, on the 18th February 2017, around 30 residents came together in the residents’ room to form the SGRA and establish a committee to represents leaseholders, renters and wider residents across our South Gardens community. This built on the work of the AHRA, which was established by Arum & Henderson residents in 2016. Since then, we have worked closely together to provide a strong voice for all.
As the RAs, we hold regular 6-weekly meetings with Savills, the managing agent, to feedback views from residents and input into the operations of the South Gardens estate and the wider Elephant Park, along with regular discussions with Lendlease and L&Q. We have also built important networks with the other RAs across Elephant Park to work together on common issues such as the greater wider estate.
Over the years, we have held socials such as the world food summer party on the allotment roof and drinks in The Rosy Hue.
We have also represented the interests of leaseholders at meetings, including holding Lendlease to account over fire safety remedial work and campaigning to get better pathways put across Elephant Park. One of our earliest victories was getting regular window cleaning established.
Our focus over the last year has been on challenging unaffordable large increases in our service charge. Last summer, we organised an email campaign to our local MP Miatta Fahnbulleh and Southwark councillors to highlight our concerns about these rises and have held several meetings between them, Savills and Lendlease since, including a productive session last week. We will continue to work hard to ensure service charges are brought under control and push that they do no escalate further (unfortunately that is somewhat out of our control), working with Savills to see where savings can be made. We will also campaign on our long term ambition to get Southwark Council to adopt Elephant Park, relieving the leaseholders across EP of a massive financial burden as we shoulder the costs of what is effect a public park.
We would like to invite members of the South Gardens community to volunteer to serve as an officer on the SGRA, whether you are a leaseholder, in a share ownership flat, in a social housing flat or a renter. We want to ensure everyone’s voice is included. Please do contact us via our new email address: info@southgardens.org.
Our RAs rely on the work and commitment of our residents who volunteer their time. We would like to make a particular mention to two long serving committee officers, Rhys Fowler, Secretary of AHRA, for his administrative prowess and vigorous campaigning and Philip Brassington, Treasurer of SGRA, in leading on the work on controlling our service charge. Thank you both!
Finally, we would like to share a save the date for the upcoming AHRA and SGRA AGMs, which will be held on Wednesday 19th March via Teams (more details to follow). This will be an opportunity to stand for and elect your committees for 2025/26 and discuss our priorities for the RAs.
By coming together, we enable a strong voice for all residents in working with and holding to account Savills and Lendlease.
With warm wishes,
Ollie Parsons (Chair, SGRA)
Isabel Palmer (Chair, AHRA)
On behalf of SGRA & AHRA
South Gardens Residents' Association 