Last autumn, 2022, QSS put on another Salter Seminar
Jenny McCarthy on ‘Housing Co-operatives’
This seminar, on Zoom last autumn, took the form of a question and answer session between Jenny McCarthy and Laurence Hall, one of the QSS Co-Clerks, followed by questions from others. Jenny told us that she lives in the Fireside Housing Co-op in Sheffield and she had previously lived in a housing co-op in London.
Jenny was born in a housing co-op and her aunt and uncle lived in one which she used to visit as a child and so she has always been aware of them. For Jenny, stability and security are important and this attracted her to living in a housing co-op as her experience of the private rented sector was of insecurity and struggles to get repairs done.
Jenny explained that the history of housing co- operatives began in the 19th century, with people’s home and work lives being organised around socialist principles, so have been around for about 200 years. They arose out of a need for people to have control over the quality and security of tenure of their housing.
In the 1970s, housing co-ops were being set up when housing prices were much lower, and people were squatting or living in communes. They were not always of good quality but this was at a time when it was possible for people to live on the dole and had time to improve their accommodation. So some housing co-ops have been in existence for a long time now and it was found to be a good way to create affordable housing, not under the control of a landlord.
The housing co-op that Jenny is part of was set up in 1995. It is fairly near the centre of Sheffield. A row of 5 terraced houses has been purchased, one at a time, over the past 20 years. They have housed a variety of people: some families and also single people. A lot of work has needed to be done. New kitchens have been installed to tackle the damp. They aim to be sustainable and to do as much work on the houses themselves as possible.
Housing co-ops are funded by mortgages and loans. The loans are usually raised through loan stock i.e. sympathetic individuals loaning money to the housing co-op at a low rate of interest. These lenders are not necessarily residents of the co-op. Mortgages are sometimes raised through the Ecology Building Society, which will lend to co-ops. Mortgages and loan stock are repaid through the rent paid by the tenants. The Fireside Co-operative has been successful, with some of the mortgages almost paid off.
Decisions are made by consensus, similar to Quakers, though they don’t meet in the spirit of worship. They hold business meetings once a month, and discuss a wide range of issues for example, accepting new members. finance, buildings, gardens – or the Christmas party. The Fireside Co-op is non-hierarchical and facilitation of meetings is rotated. If it strays from being non-hierarchical, that’s brought into the open. They make an effort to consider how they are functioning as a group and set aside time to do this.
At the Fireside Co-op everyone pays the same rent but other co-ops do means-testing, to take different individual circumstances into account, leading towards a greater degree of housing justice. Fireside Co-op are considering moving to this sort of model. Jenny explained that there is responsibility that comes with living in a housing co-op. If the roof leaks the tenants have to arrange repairs, but at least they have control over this which is not the case in private rented accommodation.
When asked about how being a Quaker in a housing co-op affects her, Jenny said there is a similarity between people in housing co-ops and Quakers. To her it feels safe and familiar, due to the way decisions are made, and an “anarchistic structure”.
Jenny was asked about the everyday challenges of living in a housing co-op. She said she has lived in two and there were differences between them; as no two co-ops are alike. The London co-op was one large house and only adults lived there (due to the type of accommodation, they did not accept families with children). Everyone had their own bedroom, but they shared the kitchen and social spaces. In Sheffield the co- op tenants have separate houses, though the back gardens are communal. She commented that as an adult it can be difficult to share communal space and living close together makes for challenges. There will always be some friction and it is hard work, but for Jenny the good things outweigh the challenges. It is a really social way to live. There are always people around, to chat to, to share meals, to work on a house or garden project together. She said “It’s a good way to live”.
With regard to connecting with the wider co-operative movement, Jenny said there is an organisation called Radical Routes, which all co-ops, including workers’ co-ops, can join. It was set up to support co-ops and expand the co-operative movement. Technical experience, financial information and knowledge are shared. They also discuss the social and emotional aspects of living in a housing co-op. Jenny added that there are a lot of housing co-ops in Sheffield and they meet up from time to time.
Connecting with wider social movements tends to be up to individuals, but there is a lot of overlap between people living in housing co-ops and people working for radical change.
If people are interested in supporting housing co-ops, they can do so financially through loan stock (see below for contacts). This is always needed, especially now. People who want to set up housing co-ops usually do not have great financial resources. Jenny spoke of the shortage of good quality housing nationally and the fact that owner occupation is unaffordable for many people, so co-ops can be the answer
In general questioning, Jenny was asked about the length of time people stayed in a housing co-op. She replied it can be a long time and gave an example of someone staying at Fireside for 21 years, but others only stay a year or two. It depends on individual circumstances. She hopes to stay at Fireside Co-op for a long time and they have recently been joined by two families with young children who she thinks will want to stay a long time.
A question followed about how people are chosen to join a housing co- op. Jenny said this would vary from co-op to co-op but at Fireside they have recently been working on their application process. New people now have a two week trial and this is followed by a three month probationary period.
A question followed about ownership and Jenny said the property is owned by the co-op, with a formal financial structure and administered by co-op members. This reduces the risk of one person gaining control of property and finance. It’s a lot of work but it’s shared out. It’s worked for 25 years.
Jenny said there is no state or local authority support, when asked if state help is available. She said that co-operative housing is not as developed here as on the continent and the stumbling blocks are property costs and lack of capital.
In answer to a question about expanding the provision at Fireside, Jenny said there are 5 houses which together have 15 bedrooms, housing 12 adults plus some children. They are unlikely to expand as they would then struggle to cope with the extra work. Rooms are let unfurnished, but furniture sometimes gets left by former tenants. Regarding living communally, they eat together once a month, have working weekends and eat together then. Arrangements are flexible, with tenants sometimes borrowing food from each other.
Responding to a question about conflict resolution, she said this was tricky. They have a conflict resolution policy which starts with the two people in disagreement talking to each other. If necessary, this moves on to mediation either with another co-op member or an outside person. Jenny said that the sort of conflicts she has seen during her time living in housing co-ops is one reason why people leave.
There were two questions as to whether housing co-ops would accept people with disabilities. Jenny replied that this would depend on the suitability of the property, but their aim is to make housing accessible and affordable, so it is worth asking.
Jenny said that in summary, housing co-ops “are great, a lot of work, but worth it”. She subsequently provided the links below, for those interested in living in a housing co-op or investing in one through loan stock.
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Radical Routes, the umbrella co-op for co-ops in Britain, is to be found at http://www.radicalroutes.org
Confederation of Co-operative Housing: https://www.cch.coop
London’s Housing Co-ops – Co-operatives London is: ldn.coop
Fireside housing co-op, where I live: Fireside – SheffieldCoops. Fireside also has a Facebook page – search for ‘Fireside Housing Co-op’.
For ‘Diggers and Dreamers’, a website for communal housing that includes a lot of co-ops go to: Diggers and Dreamers – Intentional Community in Britain.
Loan-stock
If people are interested in financially supporting Fireside, where I live, or any other housing co-op, the best way to do this is through loan-stock. Individuals can loan money to a housing co-op, at a choice of interest rate from 0% to 2%. Loans can be small or large – some people loan just £50, others in the tens of thousands – and in fact many housing co-ops welcome smaller loans, as it helps spread the cost of repayments when individuals cash in their loanstock.
If you loan money to a housing co-op, you will be issued with a loan-stock certificate. You can cash in your loan-stock at any time, but loan-stock matures every 5 years – so, if after 5 years you wish your loan to stay with the co-op, you will be issued with another certificate. It’s a secure way to keep your money at a fairly good interest rate, in a small organisation where you know it will directly benefit people in housing need. Most housing co-ops, including Fireside, send out a yearly newsletter to lenders, detailing the work that has been done with their money – for example, better insulation on the houses. Housing co- ops are also very reliable with loan-stock, as the reputation of the housing co-op movement in Britain depends on us being responsible with people’s money. No housing co-op in Britain has ever defaulted on a loan-stock repayment.
You can contact Fireside on fireside_housing_co- op@riseup.net if you are interested in supporting us with loan-stock, or if you prefer to loan money to a co-op in your local area, you can use the links above to find a co-op near you. ___________________________________________________________
Celebrating the Salter Centenary 2022
by Sheila Taylor, Salter Centenary Coordinator
When 2022 was approaching, we wanted to mark the centenary of Ada Salter becoming Mayor of Bermondsey and Alfred being elected MP.
The Salters’ political activism was always rooted in Quaker principles and the ethical socialism of the old ILP (Independent Labour Party). So we envisaged perhaps a conference with political speakers? In fact, nothing like that has happened! Instead, there has been a stream of cultural events throughout the year, with all sorts of people volunteering to arrange all sorts of activities in memory of Ada and Alfred.
How visionary the Salters were – on environment, housing and public health – has become increasingly evident as our world faces climate crisis, worldwide
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homelessness and global pandemic. Their insights resonated with everyone we spoke to, and people were inspired to do something which would in some way help spread the values and principles of the Salters.
So there have been walks and bike rides, concerts and art exhibitions, films and plays, planting of trees and hedges, school lessons and children’s books, a street mural, tea towels, a podcast, etc. Virtually every month there has been something, and this article gives a brief overview.
(For details see: http://www.saltercentenary.org.uk.)
The Salter story for children
We found there was no teaching material to tell the story of Ada, Alfred and Joyce to youngsters growing up in the area, despite its fascination and relevance. So Karen Metcalf and Sarah Mason produced a set of school lessons, freely available on the internet, encouraging teachers to take their classes to see the Salter statues and learn about their local history.
For pre-school children, Sue and Peter Rogers have written an utterly charming little book, ‘Ada and Alfred’, also available free of charge.
Bike rides
These were definitely the most unexpected aspect of the centenary year! Bruce Lynn of Southwark Cyclists proposed the ‘Salter sites of Bermondsey’ as a new Saturday morning ride. It was great fun, with Bruce leading the cyclists to each stop where I told them about the Salter story. That took place in June, but had a spin-off in October when one of the participants, John Clements, organised a repeat tour for his Dulwich U3A Bike Group.
Meanwhile in August Andy Bates set up a far more ambitious ride: to Fairby Grange in Kent. The London Clarion Cycling Club assembled at Southwark
Park and rode to the Salter cottages and statues for introductory talks, before being waved off on their strenuous ride. (An easier visit, by coach, took place in July.)
Ada’s birthday concert
To honour Ada suitably requires concert performers who share her ethos. Eleanor Thorn of TunedIn London found the perfect pair: celebrated singer- songwriters Silvia Balducci and Adam Beattie, and they together created a moving celebration in the packed City Hope Church.
Silvia sang of working conditions and human rights, drawing parallels with the Salters’ Bermondsey, and Adam’s performance culminated with his amazingly appropriate ‘Song of One Hundred Years’, making a deeply emotional impact on the audience.
Our Local History Society
Bermondsey and Rotherhithe History Society featured the centenary at two meetings. In July members joined Salter themed walks led by tour guides Oonagh Gay and Sue McCarthy.
Then in September we enjoyed a talk by Southwark Archivist Patricia Dark, on living conditions and health in inter-war Bermondsey, including the medical innovations of Dr Salter and his colleagues.
Art exhibition: ‘The Spirit of the Salters Lives On’ (10 Sept– 9 Oct 2022)
Southwark Park Art Gallery named their designated community room the ‘Salter Space’, and invited us to curate its first exhibition. Contributions flowed in. Local artist Nigel Moyce painted the first ever portraits of the Salters. Eugene Ankomah, artist at the Salmon Youth Centre, told young people about the Salters and they created a collaborative installation. Leanne Werner took photos of environmentalists. Karin Wach included her trauma sketches as a testimony to pacifism. Over the month, the gallery had 747 visitors.
Town partnership
Friendship has grown between Ada’s two homes: Raunds, the country town in Northamptonshire where she was born and Bermondsey, where she spent most of her life. We had exchanged visits twice, in 2016 and 2018. For 2022we invited the Mayor of Raunds, their Brass Band and other residents to join us for celebrations. Sadly two days before the event the Queen died, civic dignitaries were withdrawn from all official duties and Southwark council banned our concert (no jolly music in public places, please). Fortunately the rest of the programme went ahead as planned and everybody had a lovely day.
Alfred Salter’s great-niece Jo Crawshaw and husband Sebastian were with us to greet the Raunds group, which included Amanda Mauro and husband Andy Farrow, current owners of Ada’s Thorpe House. Following a reception by Canon Gary Jenkins at St James’s Church, we walked via the Wilson Grove estate, with a glimpse inside one of Ada’s garden cottages, to the Salter statues on the riverfront.
After a buffet lunch at Cherry Garden Hall, the afternoon was spent in Southwark Park. Gary Magold and Pat Kingwell told us some park history, and we welcomed the installation of a new (historically accurate) information board in the Ada Salter Garden. At the Lakeside Art Gallery we had tea and cakes with a private view of our Salter exhibition. A walk then took us to Sands Film Studios for an early evening performance of ‘Red Flag Over Bermondsey’, Lynn Morris’s striking play depicting Ada’s early years in Bermondsey.
We were delighted that the Town Partnership was thus strengthened during the centenary year. Both sides hope to continue the happy link in future.
School film, ‘Ada’
On 3 November 2022 a headline in Southwark News announced: ‘Bermondsey school kids star in film about Salter family to mark centenary celebrations of historic couple’. The report explained how Joyce attended Keeton’s School on the site where Compass School stands today, and this fact sparked off the idea of making a film. Ben May, Head of Drama, said, ‘The film captures the legacy of Ada Salter through the eyes of her daughter, Joyce, as she travels through time witnessing the changing landscape of Bermondsey…. our film celebrates the extraordinary vision and legacy of Ada.’
The Principal, Marcus Huntley, said, ‘The school is incredibly proud to play its part in the Salter Centenary celebrations. We are committed to ensuring the Salter legacy continues through our history curriculum… including our new Ada Salter-inspired Chess Club…’. Southwark News quoted my reaction: ‘I never dreamt that the sadness of Joyce’s death could inspire such a beautiful little film. To see her come alive and play with kids who would have been her classmates at Keeton’s Road School brought tears to my eyes!’
See it on YouTube: youtu.be/CkqytP80wZQ
What a joy it is to have as our patron Dame Judi Dench, a Quaker and an environmentalist like the Salters. After hearing of our exhibition, she wrote to the artists with congratulations and thanks for participating. Nigel, Eugene and the young people at the Salmon Centre were amazed and so thrilled to receive personal letters signed by Judi!
In NovemberSouthwark Council displayed Nigel’s portraits of Ada and Alfred in the atrium of the council offices at Tooley Street to mark their victories in the November 1922 elections. Then the centenary celebrations slipped over into January 2023 and culminated in a grand finale, when the People’s Company performed John Whelan’s specially written Ada Salter play at Southwark Playhouse on 12, 13 & 14 January 2023.Throughout the year I kept remembering how historians described the Independent Labour Party, the Salters’ old ILP: It was “less of a political party than a way of life, they said: full of fun and fellowship, kindliness, good humour, equality, beauty, peacefulness, human unity, cooperation”. During 2022 I had an extraordinary sense that this spirit had come alive again and was moving people in a way that the Salters would have recognised and loved.
For full details, see the website: http://www.saltercentenary.org.uk
Ada Salter Community Fund
As you will know from previous newsletters, the Quaker Socialist Society has established a solidarity fund to empower groups working to further the Quaker socialist principles of peace, equality and environmental witness.
Small groups (or possibly individuals) are invited to apply for grants of up to £250. This could be for leaflets, travel, equipment, web hosting, course fees or other needs.
QSS hopes these grants will be our practical way of helping grass-roots campaigns, be they Quaker or non-Quaker. We are starting to get some interest in these grants, but if you know of a campaign group which might be eligible, please tell them about the fund and help us to spread the word.
Applicants should email salterfund@gmail.comfor an application form.
Salter Lecture 2023
On Friday 21st April 2023 QSS will host the Salter Lecture, this year given by Professor Rupert Read of East Anglia University on the subject of climate change. He was at one time a spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion and has recently published two new books, entitled Why Climate Breakdown Matters and Do You Want to Know The Truth?
The Salter Lecture event will be live at Westminster Meeting in London, and also on Zoom. After the lecture there will be Question-and-Answer.
Credits
The Quaker Socialist Society provides fellowship and a forum for people who believe political affairs are an essential part of Quaker life. We stand for ethical socialism, social justice and a fair, safe and peaceful world. We are a Quaker presence in the socialist movement and make the insights of socialism available for Quakers.
Please visit the Quaker Society Facebook page (search Facebook Quaker Socialist Society) for articles and discussion throughout the year.
Newsletter editors: Alison Langford Ian Martin, Manju Ray. Offers of contributions to our newsletters are very welcome. Please contact us via the contact page on the Quaker Socialist Society website: http://www.quakersocialists.org.uk
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