We recently appointed Travis Perkins Managed Services (TPMS) as our new supplier for building materials.

The contract will see TPMS predominantly supply building materials from its Travis Perkins branches in Croydon and Peckham, supported by a further seven branches in the wider to ensure a good supply of stock.

Francis Burrows, Executive Director – Customer and Operational Services, Wandle Housing Association, said: “With 7,000 properties across nine boroughs, it was vital for us to appoint a supplier who would be able to provide us with a range of materials at short notice. We were hugely impressed with Travis Perkins Managed Services, and they gave us confidence that no matter the job, they will be able to supply us with exactly what we need.

“We’re working with experienced management consultants Lumensol to find ways to improve our systems when managing repairs at residents’ homes, and the TPgo Data platform builds on this perfectly. We can track where our team are purchasing products and ensure that whatever they need for a job is available for pick up straight away, helping to keep residents informed, improve first time fix rates and reduce both our costs and carbon footprint.”

Sarah Narracott, Head of Business Development at Travis Perkins Managed Services, said: “This is a fantastic new partnership for Travis Perkins Managed Services, and we are really pleased to be able to supply building materials across Wandle’s extensive portfolio of properties.

“By servicing their requirements through our network of branches, Wandle can be confident that no matter what materials they need, they’ll be able to get hold of them quickly.”

Wandle will be using TPMS’ proprietary TPgo Data platform, which provides dynamic insights into purchases, product tracking and data analysis.

Sarah added: “With such a broad range of product material requirements across south London, the use of TPgo Data will mean that Wandle will always have the most up-to-date information at their fingertips, reducing unnecessary costs and enabling data-led decision making to improve efficiencies.”

The contract was awarded through the Cirrus Framework, which supports local authorities, NHS Trusts, schools, universities, registered charities and social housing providers to access goods and services, including materials and building supplies.

The partnership will also see TPMS work alongside Wandle on several social value projects in the south London community.

Through a phased approach and analysis of the most frequently purchased products, Travis Perkins and Wandle will work together to devise van stock profiles, with a view to rolling out the TPgo Van Stock system in the future.

Van Stock ensures that operatives always have their most used products and materials in their vans, helping to ensure they have everything they need on hand.

Work is well underway at the historic County Hall Kingston in southwest London, where the development has reached Golden Brick stage.

Wandle is to deliver 26 affordable homes for social rent as part of the ambitious redevelopment.

The 5.2-acre site which is being redeveloped by London Square includes the Grade II listed former headquarters of Surrey County Council. The scheme will bring 292 high-quality new homes to the area, including 26 for social rent, alongside extensive landscaping, new green spaces, and commercial space.

In addition, the restoration work is sensitively refurbishing the historic County Hall to deliver new homes and commercial spaces, along with the new-build elements of the scheme.

Yinka Bolaji, Executive Director of Property and Development said: “I am delighted that we have reached Golden Brick at County Hall Kingston.

“Wandle is committed to delivering affordable housing that is safe and secure. We will be providing much needed social rent homes in Kingston, and extending our provision will only increase our presence in the borough.”

Daren Nathan, Partnerships Director, London Square, added: “We’re proud to be working with Wandle at County Hall Kingston to bring forward much-needed affordable homes for Kingston. Since we got on site in spring 2025 our focus has been on maintaining momentum and working collaboratively with Wandle so residents can move into new, well-designed homes as quickly as possible.

“Progress on the wider scheme, its amenities, landscaping and play spaces for families also continues at pace and we are on track to complete County Hall Kingston in early autumn 2027.”

Take part in our residents’ photography competition for a chance to win a £50 Amazon Voucher!

We’re excited to launch our new residents’ photography competition, with this year’s theme ‘Housing in London’.

We will choose two lucky winners, with each also having their photo displayed in one of our resident meeting rooms at our Blackfriars office. The photos will also be featured in our next issue of Wandle News later this summer.

You can only enter once, and please only send ONE photo, your name and address to communications@wandle.com by Monday 18 May 2026. The lucky winners will be contacted shortly after this date and will be announced online via our Instagram and Twitter accounts. Good luck!

We are supporting Register My Appliance week.

Register My Appliance week is a consumer and public safety campaign to help encourage people to register their household appliances. The campaign is run by the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances (AMDEA).

Registering your household appliances helps manufacturers know where the products are in case a repair is needed or if it is recalled. In small cases manufacturers may identify a problem with one of their products.

You could also save money by registering your appliances as it entitles you to an extended guarantee or warranty period. 

You can find out more information here:

Website: www.registermyappliance.org.uk

Instagram: @amdea_uk   

Twitter: @amdea_uk   

Facebook: amdea.uk

TikTok: amdea_uk   

We are delighted by announce that our Chief Executive, Anne Waterhouse, has been appointed to the PlaceShapers board. Anne joins James Francis ( Saffron Housing) and Kevin Rodgers (Citizen Housing), to complete a trio of appointments announced today.

Anne Waterhouse said: “I’m thrilled to join the Placeshapers board, an organisation dedicated to championing the power of place and community. Wandle has been a proud member of PlaceShapers for many years, and by joining the board I’m eager to help our members overcome the challenges we face in delivering this mission. Now more than ever, it’s vital to highlight the positive impact we bring to our communities, and the opportunity to bring a London perspective to this work inspired me to become a board member.”

Matthew Walker, PlaceShapers Chair and Chief Executive of Leeds Federated Housing Association, said: “Individually Anne, Kevin and James are outstanding additions. Collectively their diversity in terms of type of organisation, geography and size adds even greater strength to our board.

“This is an exciting but challenging time for the sector. There is refreshed energy through the government’s commitment in the Social and Affordable Housing Programme combined with a renewed focus on place-based regeneration. At the same time members are facing many challenges in their work to help communities thrive. All three bring a passion to drive forward PlaceShapers to support the sector in its place-shaping ambitions.”

PlaceShapers is a vibrant national network of place-shaping housing organisations. They support and enable social housing providers to fulfil their place-shaping ambitions to help communities to thrive.

We look forward to seeing the value and expertise Anne will undoubtably add to PlaceShapers.

Christmas festivities have begun, and you may have already or be thinking about decorating your home.

However, when Christmas decorations are not displayed correctly, they can become a fire or safety hazard.

Christmas decoration safety

• Never overload electrical sockets and always switch off your Christmas lights when you go to bed or leave the house.
• Never place candles near your Christmas tree, garlands or decorations.
• Keep candles out of reach from children and pets and never leave candles unattended.
• Do not light cigarettes or leave ashtrays near decorations.
• Do not attach decorations to lights or heaters, as they can get hot and start a fire.
• If you have an open fire, take care when decorating the fireplace and have nothing hanging over the edge.
• Check your Christmas lights have the British Safety Standard sign either on the battery pack or on the plug.

Christmas cooking safety

Christmas usually means extra time cooking in the kitchen when hosting gatherings with friends or family, therefore it’s especially important to take further precautions this season, to keep you and your home safe.

• Many Christmas dishes require a longer period in the oven, therefore avoid leaving the oven on unattended and don’t leave your oven on when you leave the house.
• Avoid cooking under the influence of alcohol.

Christmas home safety

• When wrapping gifts, make sure you are not near any open flames or lit cigarettes.
• Do not burn wrapping paper in the fireplace, as it burns very quickly and could cause a chimney fire.
• Make sure guests visiting your home know the emergency exits.
• Test your smoke alarms.
• Always blow out candles.
• Check in on older and vulnerable relatives and neighbours, to ensure their homes are safe.

And remember, never try to tackle a fire yourself. Get out, stay out and call 999.

Wandle colleagues and residents celebrated the newly built Rowan and Alan House in Lewisham with a ribbon-cutting ceremony together with Featherstone Homes.

The scheme provides 61 homes in total, as well as a commercial space and transforms a vacant site next to the historic railway arches, kickstarting a wider regeneration of the new Bermondsey neighbourhood.

Wandle have purchased 29 affordable homes from Featherstone Homes, working closely together over the development phases.

Alan House provides 16 shared ownership homes, and Rowan House provides 13 social rented homes. The 29 affordable homes, funded by Wandle with grant support from the Greater London Authority (GLA) are located only a 10-minute walk from South Bermondsey and Surrey Quays station, with direct links to the city.

Anne Waterhouse, Chief Executive of Wandle, said: “Our roots are firmly and proudly south London, and it’s an exciting time for us to be involved in the regeneration of South Bermondsey.

“Wandle now has 336 homes in Lewisham, and where the opportunities arise, we are committed to delivering more new homes that are safe, secure and sustainable in the borough.

“At this scheme we were able to fund a further eight affordable homes over and above what was originally required by the planning consent. This means that we can now provide homes for eight more local families, setting them up for success in this developing community.”

Valerie Vaughan-Dick, Chair of Wandle’s Board, said: “We are building new homes that meet the needs of our communities, by working with housebuilders, developers and other partners to bring our vision to deliver 500 homes by March 2028 – including these 29 affordable homes – to life.

“It was a pleasure to see first-hand the positive impact these homes have had for our new residents, many who have been in temporary housing for far too long.”

Wandle resident, Helen Ademiluyi said, “My home is peaceful and safe. I have recently moved to Rowan House with my children after we previously lived in a hostel for seven years. It was cramped and not ideal, so it is wonderful to now have the space to relax and make a home.”

Joe Brennan Training (JBT) have an opportunity to join their team as a Plumber Apprentice (Level 2) which has been exclusively offered to Wandle residents first.

Summary of the role:

• Plumber Apprentice (Level 2)
• The candidate will be working alongside skilled trades people on a large new build site in the London Borough of Merton. 
• Working Week: 40 hours
• Hourly Wage: £12.25

Please see below for the full job description. If you would like to apply for the role, please send in your application to CSR@higginspartnerships.co.uk, by Friday 5 December 2025.

On Friday 14 November, we welcomed Helen Hayes, MP for Dulwich and West Norwood at our French, Finch and Margerat blocks to view the fire safety works we are undertaking. 

The proposed works, being undertaken for us by Higgins Group involve removing the existing insulation and replacing it with non-combustible materials. In addition, the timber decking will be replaced with fire-safe aluminium decking. The project is expected to last 18 months and is due to be completed by October 2026. 

The work relating to the leasehold homes has been funded by the Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS), and no costs have been passed onto homeowners. In contrast Wandle is funding approximately £2.34 million for the works to the social rented homes due to not being eligible to access the additional government funding, because of the works contract being in place ahead of the funding being announced.   

Anne Waterhouse, Chief Executive of Wandle, said “The safety of our residents is our priority and appreciate how disruptive the work is. We want to make the experience as stress-free as possible, and we keep in close contact through monthly meetings, with a dedicated website that all impacted residents have access to. 

“We welcome any opportunity to meet with elected officials who represent our residents and share how we can work together to deliver homes that are safe and sustainable.” 

It was useful to discuss our approach with Helen and raise the wider implications of having to fund the cost of works to the social homes ourselves.