What's on
From family support, fitness classes and learning to art exhibitions, festivals and talks, our activities are wide and far reaching.
My journey with Coin Street Community Builders (CSCB) began in 1966, not just as an advocate but as someone who saw first hand how community-led action could reshape our neighbourhoods. From the very first actions and campaigns, I was deeply involved in building a better future for our community. As Secretary of Redcross Way Tenants Association, I joined with others in advocating for essential resources, beginning with Mint Street Adventure Playground and housing support for the homeless.
These efforts were a true family and community affair. My wife, Judith and I, along with countless children from the tenements, and my own students, poured our energy into making the adventure playground a reality. Coin Street brought people together, creating a powerful sense of community strength that we all felt.
I had the honour of working with inspiring leaders like Mick MacNamee, Ted Bowman, Lil Patrick, and Liz Radford (aka Elizabeth Filkin CBE), who became lifelong friends and champions for our neighbourhood. It was the Mint Street campaign that brought Ted and Lil, the future leaders of Coin Street, and Kevin Parkin of the Peabody Estate into South Bank community actions.
We recruited future Coin Street leaders , George Nicholson to work for Mint Street Playground, Bob Colenutt to work for our North Southwark Community Development Group.
Then from the homeless families squatting campaign, Jim Radford took leadership of Blackfriars Settlement, and led the occupation of Centrepoint, a seminal event among the several militant actions that eventually secured our thirteen acres of land. Together, we witnessed how Coin Street fostered agency, resilience, and belonging among our community members over the years, I also contributed articles on Coin Street’s work to publications like the New Statesman and the TUC’s Economy Southeast, helping to amplify our mission on a larger stage. Later, I continued advocating for such community-led development as a consultant to Ken Livingstone’s Greater London Council.
These connections and memories are still a part of my life today. For years, I’ve led LSE and AA and Open University students on study tours across Docklands and the City, ending with lessons on community action, housing rights and rents at the OXO Tower, a landmark of our success. It’s a privilege to stay connected to the legacy of Coin Street and its commitment to empowering our community.
Coin Street was never just an organisation; it was a shared vision of what our community could be. Working alongside friends and neighbours to build something meaningful taught us the true power of community action; a lesson I carry with me to this day.