A group of green fingered residents in Croydon have transformed their communal space into a bountiful garden.

Gloria, a Wandle resident living in Wingate Crescent in Croydon was fed up with the amount of drug-related crime and fly-tipping that was taking place outside her home. The illegal activity went undetected for so long because perpetrators were obscured by overgrown bushes.

She reached breaking point in 2016, when her son was mugged on his way home. Already a member of Mitcham Common Litter Pickers, she reached out to her neighbours to join her in a communal litter pick of Wingate Crescent.

It was then decided that the outdoor space could be transformed into an urban vegetable patch that could encourage the local community to grow their own vegetables and improve their wellbeing.

Gloria contacted Croydon Council for funding to kick-start the project, as well as enlisting the super talented Marcus who has helped transformed the once neglected space into an incredible garden that feeds the local community. In addition, the residents of Wingate Crescent feel safer due to the decrease in anti-social behaviour and littering.

Most recently, Soul food garden won our annual Greenfingers gardening competition for best communal garden. They plan to build a greenhouse with their competition money so they can continue to grow crops throughout the winter months.

If you would live to follow Soul Food Garden, you can find them on Instagram by searching @soulfoodgarden.

As part of our 16 days of action against gender-based violence, we will be including real-life examples of how we support residents enduring domestic abuse.

Ms F*, a Wandle resident fled her home in March 2022 due to the abuse she was facing from her ex-partner and father of her two children.

It later transpired that her ex-partner had a history of using violence in previous relationships but Ms F* was unaware of this at the time.

Frustratingly, she was denied access by the Police to necessary information about her ex-partner’s past under ‘Claire’s Law’ that could have helped keep her family safe.

Earlier this year, her ex-partner turned up at her home unexpectedly, shouting abuse and making violent threats. Understandably, she was terrified and ran away to safety.

She approached her local authority in Bromely for housing assistance because she wanted to move to a new home away from her ex-partner. In order to do this, our neighbourhood customer services officer carried out a risk assessment which yielded a low score. However, she was offered temporary accommodation that was later made permanent.

The forced move has been stressful and unsettling for both mother and children, but they are slowly starting to feel comfortable in their new home and settling in nicely at their new school.

We don’t tolerate domestic abuse in any form, and there is more information about how we can support you on the domestic abuse page on our website.

An average of 2.3 million people in England and Wales endure domestic abuse every year. It’s very likely that someone you work with, or employ will experience abuse at some point in their lifetime.

The last few years has changed how we work, and many of us now work a hybrid pattern between home and the office. For those experiencing domestic abuse, these changes to the workforce have been particularly difficult to navigate. Those forced to work at home may have been further isolated from their support networks by their abuser. People returning to the office may be worried about how the abuse they’re experiencing will impact their new work routine.

Domestic abuse is still very much a hidden crime. Therefore, it’s important to know the sights and know to respond effectively and safely.

If your team are working remotely

If your team is continuing working virtually, it can be near impossible to spot the signs. However, if someone seems anxious or worries, or they never turn their camera on, it’s appropriate to be inquisitive about this. In addition, a sign might be a colleague experiencing continual IT issues, because their abuser has broken their work equipment to exert control.

If your team has returned to the office, it will be easier to spot more obvious signs of domestic abuse such as bruising or physical marks. Also, they may stay in the office until late in the evening or arrive early as their home is not a safe place for them to be.

If a colleague or employee has an increased number of sick days, and has become withdrawn, this can be an indication they are in an abusive situation.

How can I help?

If you are concerned a colleague or employee is experiencing domestic abuse, you can contact the Respond to Abuse Advice Line. This is a confidential support line where employers and colleagues can get advice on how to respond effectively to disclosures of domestic abuse, and signpost appropriate local specialist services. You can call the advice line on 07770480437 or 0203 8793695, or email adviceline.EB@hestia.org.

We are supporting this year’s 16 days of activism against gender-based violence campaign. The theme for this year is #LetsEndFemicide.

Femicide is the most extreme form of violence against women and the most violent manifestation of discrimination against women and their inequality. Today alone, globally, more than 100 women will be killed by an intimate partner or family member because they are women.

Domestic violence takes many forms and the deaths of women killed by intimate partners does not usually result from random or spontaneous acts, but rather a culmination of prior gender-related violence.

Femicide also occurs in the world of work and in politics. Some women face a higher risk of it based on factors such as age, race, ethnicity, caste, gender identity, migrant status, and disability.

Throughout the two weeks, we will be sharing information and case studies to educate about domestic abuse, different displays of abuse, how to spot the signs as well as where to access help.

You can also sign a petition to declare December 6 as the International Day to End Femicide.

We have published the Autumn edition of Wandle News.

The UK is facing a very difficult time, and we know many of our residents are worried about the rise in energy bills, food, and other essentials.

We have put together this special edition of our newsletter to provide as much information as possible on where to seek support.

We have also included information about our Christmas opening hours, as well as the rise in domestic abuse during the World Cup.

If you would like a translated and/or accessible version of the report, please email communications@wandle.com.

Our Resident Annual report 2021/2022 outlines how we’ve supported our customers over the past year. Thank you to our customer experience panel for working with us to create this report.

The report gives an overview and insight into what we have been doing over the last twelve months. It covers the improvements we have made to our complaints handling process, damp and mould project and information on the diversity of our board. We also acknowledge were we need to make improvements.

If you would like a translated and/or accessible version of the report, please email communications@wandle.com.

Today the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has published the result of our In-Depth Assessment, which happened earlier this year.

The regulatory judgement confirms our G2/V2 rating of governance and viability. Wandle has changed significantly since its previous IDA. The presenting issues of 2018 have been resolved and the new regulatory judgement has been formed from a much-improved organisation with clear plans to improve further.

The Board is pleased that the RSH has recognised the significant improvements we have made in creating financial resilience, managing risk, and our revised asset management plan.

We have put in place a new corporate strategy with a strong focus on improving our services to customers and how we use data to support decision-making on existing homes.

The Board has already considered the current economic climate and made changes to our delivery plan for new homes.

We are grateful to the regulator for their ongoing engagement, continue to work with them, and are confident that we will deliver our corporate strategy and progress to a G1 governance rating within the next 12 months.

Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick, MBE

Chair of the Board

We recently provided £10k of funding to the Age Friendly Social Housing Programme.

Delivered by HACT in partnership with the National Lottery Community Fund, to support social landlords, local agencies, and communities to work together to improve opportunities and outcomes for people aged over 50 in Southwark.

The UK is facing a loneliness epidemic, and the over 55’s are considered an ‘at risk’ group of experiencing social isolation. As an established landlord, we can play a significant role in creating age friendly communities, providing homes and a range of services to support people to age well in the place they call home.

The two-year programme will involve us working alongside residents to create new activities and services for our over 50s and enhance existing age friendly provision and testing new approaches to tackle social isolation and loneliness.

We would like to hear from Wandle residents over the age of 50 and living in Southwark, about any activities and services they would be interested in. To get in touch, email customerempowerment@wandle.com.

This Saturday (5 November) is Bonfire Night, and whilst it is a fun Autumnal celebration for many, for others, the noise can be distressing. It’s important to respect your elderly neighbours and those with young children and pets at this time of year.

Below are some tips to keep everyone safe.

Bonfire and firework safety

• Never have a bonfire on your balcony or in communal gardens.
• Don’t let off fireworks from your balcony.
• The safest way to enjoy fireworks is by going to an organised displayed. Check your local council website for displays in your area.
• If you are hosting your own fireworks party, tell your neighbours, especially those with pets who will be affected by the noise.
• Children should never play with or light any fireworks.
• Sparklers should be lit at one at a time and held at arm’s length. Wear gloves when handling sparklers and supervise children at all times. Don’t give sparklers to children under five.
• Please avoid using drink or drugs before or when using fireworks.
• Keep your pets indoors during firework displays, with the curtains closed and gentle music play to mask the noise. The RSPCA offer more advice on keeping animals calm during fireworks night.

For more information, see the Fire Service’s advice.

We are working in partnership with We are Digital to offer free one-on-one training and support for residents who would like to improve their IT skills.

More than 12.6 million people in the UK lack essential digital skills. By taking part in remote training, you can learn the following:

• How to video call friends and family
• Using social media safely
• Arranging GP appointments by video
• Online shopping and banking
• Accessing your social landlord housing portal
• Government forms.

We are Digital are offering tablets to those who don’t have access to a device, as well as free internet access for six months to those struggling to afford it but would still like to enrol on the course.

To sign up for a place on the course please email us at customerempowerment@wandle.com.