When Juniper became a Tenants & Residents Association five years ago on June 25th 2015, I allowed myself to be elected Chair. Initially, I wasn’t very confident, but was lucky in having a lot of help from a supportive community. And soon, the job became not just a duty but a pleasure.
Making things work is fun – like the succesful bids for bike-sheds and drinking fountains.
On the other hand, watching projects blocked by short-sighted bureacracy is disappointing – as with the solar PV project. But either way, both experiences feel more alive than doing nothing and complaining about it.
An organisation like Juniper is always trying to discover what a community means, mostly by a process of trial and error. It is designed to try and bring people together. Covid19 was designed to keep us apart. And yet, on the first NHS Balcony night (March 26th), joining in with my neighbour Mrs Yusuff setting the rhythm on her drum, I heard a whole community acting together for the first time in over 5 years. Nobody could have felt ‘apart’ on those nights.
The next five years will hopefully see more fun and fewer disappointments, but only if we can keep some of the commitment we displayed when we applauded our Front Line workers. Covid19 has destroyed too many lives and hopes to be allowed to get off scot-free. The best way to get our own back is to replace some of the dead hopes with new ones, and make them real. Otherwise the virus will have won.

Jaki Wilford. (Chair. Juniper TRA
20:39. 25/06/2020

When the Juniper Tenants & Residents Association was formed in June 2015, there were still genuine fears that the block was in danger of demolition. The same was true in 1978 when Juniper was a wreck, with much of the plumbing and cabling stripped, people living in the roof, and Juniper Coop was founded to reclaim the block for public housing.
Now, the future of the building is secure, the Coop is dissolved, and we have £30,000 in the bank to spend on community projects – but infuriatingly, have no way of doing so at the moment. Plus our lives are disrupted by a global problem we’ve never faced before.
It stands to reason a journey like that means there are many untold personal stories which are worth sharing, from new and long-term residents alike.
If anyone would like to contribute any words or photos to the luxury 100th edition of the Newsletter, please deliver by 20/06/2020.
(sec.junipertra@gmail.com}

MINUTES
Dissolution Meeting • Juniper House Co-operative • 16/01/2020
30A Juniper House • 7.30pm

Present
Aftab Hussain, Wendy Watts, Jackie Wilford (vice chair), George Stables, Claire Palmer, Colleen Williams, Tim Burrow (secretary), Paul Hood, Coralie Allison, Cherrie Stevens, Peter Marchetti, Ali Jayne, Rob Kenyon (treasurer). LBS: Martin Kovats. Richard Amoah.
Proxies accepted by the meeting: Owen Wilbury for Nicola Hayward (44). Jerome Godfrey for Mina Mileva (49). Taye Yusuff for Kolawole Yusuff (8).

1. Apologies. Lloyd Trott (chair). Meeting chaired by Jackie Wilford.

2. Distribution and inspection of Instrument of Dissolution.
Copies of the Instrument, and related documents, were distributed for inspection.
The treasurer gave a brief summary of the implications of Dissolution, stressing that any funds passed on to Juniper TRA could only be used for the general benefit of the community. And also pointing out that the task of running two organisations at once was unsustainable.

2. Discussion.
Q) to Richard Amoah (LBS). Would it be possible for Juniper Coop to write a cheque to Juniper TRA as soon as the Dissolution Proposal was passed tonight?
A) Yes, with the proviso that the TRA might not qualify to its annual grant if it is deemed its reserves are too large.

3. Proposal.
‘Following the termination of the Management Agreement with Southwark Council in 2015, we resolve to dissolve the Coop following the disposal of all its assets.
We agree to transfer all the remaining assets of the Coop to the Juniper House TRA, with the proviso that the TRA only uses these funds to meet the Coop and TRA’s agreed objectives in interest of the Juniper community.’
Following the transfer of its assets, the Coop’s Management Committee will initiate the formal dissolution of the Coop with the Financial Conduct Authority.’
Proposed Aftab Hussain. Seconded: Tim Burrow. Passed Unanimously.

4. Other Business.
The Instrument was signed by all members present. The remaining permissions required to be collected door-to-door. Tim and Coralie volunteered to assist.
Identification distributed on sealed Juniper Coop notepaper.
75% of membership permission required.
There were various expressions of regret that a 40 year era was ended, given the role Juniper House Co-operative played in extending the life of Juniper House, and in providing an example of grass roots community action.

5. Next meeting.
TBA if required.

An attempt to install solar panelling at Juniper House.

Click to view or download Project Assessment

Click to view or download full history of Junipower Project 2017

History of Juniper House Solar Project, including details of final rejection, and Juniper case for reconsideration:

Case for reconsideration.

To: Helen.Dennis@southwark.gov.uk
Chair of Housing & Environment Scrutiny Commission

Dear Councillor Dennis
I’m sure you can imagine our disappointment at the conclusions of the BRE report into the Juniper House Solar PV Project. We appreciate that LBS has to consider the Bigger Picture, but would urge you to consider the benefits of the scheme beyond the cold business model employed.
I think I can safely say that we cannot understand quite why it has been submitted to this kind of audit.
Juniper’s offer is to fund a large part of the capital cost of the kind of project which LBS has committed itself to. If LBS is to meet these commitments, surely Juniper should be treated as a very timely, self-subsidising Pilot Project. A practical chance to learn the lessons needed to perfect the process of energising LBS-owned buildings across the borough. Merely relying on new-builds will surely not be
enough.
In return we would expect the deletion of the relevant Estate-Lighting Service Charge for all Juniper Tenants and Leaseholders. Given that at present, this charge only covers roughly half the total cost of consumption, eliminating the entire consumption would deliver roughly the same benefit to LBS as to Juniper Residents, while simultaneously reducing consumption for the Neighbourhood Area.
The project has not only given a central purpose to the community in an undoubtedly principled cause, but also promises to deliver tangible, direct benefits to each individual resident. I cannot think of a better advertisement for Local Environmental Initiatives, or for much-needed co-operation between communities
and LBS. We have seen that a smaller LBS project at Surrey Docks Farm was enacted under the ‘Cleaner Greener Scheme’ in 2017. Surely Juniper is the next step forward from that level of installation.
We have professionals at Juniper who have long experience of planning and delivering projects similar to ours in nature and scale. I would hope that their advice be sought as a matter of urgency.
Juniper also has a further motive for wanting to make this investment.
Maintaining the reserve fund dedicated to the project requires prolonging the existence of Juniper House Co-operative Ltd, which is now obsolete, and is proving very difficult to dissolve. Under F.C.A. regulations we cannot simply transfer the assets to Juniper TRA. The reserve has to be disposed in the general interest. This duplication involves an unsustainable level of administration for a community our size, and is having the effect of stifling the new TRA.
My personal reasons for supporting this project include re-energising the Juniper community; and to dispel the cynicism towards community action which has undoubtedly grown in the last two decades, and which is a severe barrier to the larger project of creating awareness of the environmental problems we all face.
If these problems are to be addressed, communities have to feel they can play a meaningful part, and not merely that they are hostages to bureaucratic decisions made by those who Know Best. I believe that it is reasonable to assume that if, as in our proposal, people can see a direct reward for their efforts, their belief in community action in general will be renewed, and there will be a conspicuous incentive for further such projects – requiring further community cohesion, with all its known beneficial spin-offs. Spin-offs which would indirectly save LBS money in various ways, which you will know better than I can imagine – especially if replicated across the borough.
I would further claim that helping communities find a role in addressing major issues is essential to help counter the current artificial divisions and frictions within them – which in turn destroy social cohesion further. It is an awful time, but in a way, the perfect one for our project.
Having lived at Juniper for 40 years, I can testify to the direct and indirect benefits of a vibrant, inclusive, active community, and that such a thing is possible to achieve. But only if it is has a sense of purpose and identity, and feels it has the power to make changes in its own interest.
The Juniper community has worked together on this project for over 2 years, during which time several opportunities have been missed to advance it. My fear is that further prolonged delay will mean that residents will feel that the money is better spent on something more possible, even if it is less relevant and will have less impact.
I hope to discuss these issues further at the meeting mentioned by Martin at his consultation session on 19/3/2019. Please find relevant minutes attached . Also searchable Juniper News Archive.
Sincerely
Rob Kenyon (secretary)
Juniper House TRA
0207 732 8493

From Minutes of TRA Meeting with Martin Kovats (LBS). 19/03/2019

The conclusion of the Building Research Establishment report was that there would be ‘no return on total Capital Investment within 25 years’.
f) Complete BRE report to be forwarded for inspection.
Meeting Comments on BRE Report.
Martin Hughes (MH). Was disappointed that BRE neglected to contact him during the process given his extensive experience of precisely this kind of project. This might have rectified any misconceptions and saved time.
The BME report does not constitute a reason for not pursuing the project. The large-scale approach adopted by LBS tends to discourage individual initiatives. To achieve its objectives in a diverse housing environment, LBS needs to adopt a far more incremental strategy; targeting achievable goals. As at Juniper.
Jackie Wilford (JW). Felt that the BRE report was based on the false premise that Juniper is seeking any return on investment other than the elimination of the relevant Service Charges.
It also seemed to work on the assumption that LBS was bearing the Capital expense of the project. Which is misleading.
RK. LBS should be taking the opportunity to use Juniper estate (and funding ) as a technical experiment, not a financial one.
The burden on Juniper of managing both the TRA and Juniper Housing Cooperative was proving to be unsustainable, and was sapping the energy of the TRA.
Tim Burrow (TB). Are existing lights due to be replaced with LED bulbs soon? This measure will also reduce community energy consumption. And even reduce the capital cost of the PV project by reducing the generation demand.
MK. The matter is being considered for gradual implementation.
LBS is also exploring the possibility of becoming a Civic Power Generator, using exclusively renewable sources.
MH Sought assurances that Juniper comments be appended to the BRE reported, and to LBS Scrutiny. MH agreed to undertake specialist assessment of report, and forward to MK.
LBS Action. MK to:
a) Get costings for ‘roofing side’ of project.
b) Pass results to LBS Scrutiny for processing.
Juniper Action. Members at meeting to write to LBS scrutiny independently, stating their reasons for supporting the project. Secretary to circulate relevant address.
MK sought formal assurance from meeting of intention to proceed with the project.
Passed Unanimously

A Mother and son in an ‘under-occupied’ 3 bedroom flat apply to swap with family of 4 in overcrowded 2 bedroom flat, including the daughter and two grandchildren of the Mother. Something in everyone’s interest, especially Southwark’s. But it has been rejected.
Four of the six people involved have lived in Juniper since they were born.
The son has no rights to the flat he has lived in all his life, and will eventually be rehoused, if lucky, or more likely evicted. And his sister will have to continue to live in an overcrowded flat. Everyone’s lives are made more difficult and the community suffers.
Southwark’s allocations policy stinks, even if it is ‘the law’.

28th February 2017. Flat 1.
• No parking in the forecourt for a year. Disabled parking situation to be clarified.
• Individual flat surveys to start within two weeks.
• Satellite dishes to stay after contract. Or at least until Southwark makes up its mind.
According to officers, the long term plan is to remove all disks from LBS blocks.
• All rear balconies to be cleared for work.
• Ventilation system of downpipes to be investigated as possible cause of back-ups into bathrooms.
• Drains surveyed and cctv’d. Awaiting report.
• LBS compiling list of vulnerable residents in order to take their needs into consideration.
• Leaseholder service charge deadline challenged.
• Charges for lead replacement challenged on grounds that block was insured for theft.
• Progress group to meet monthly.

 

Juniper Inaugural TRA Meeting Draft Minutes (TBA). Thursday 7.30pm. 25/6/2015. Brimtonroy Hall, Culmore Road. SE15 2RQ.

Present
Brendan Gillen LBS. Cllr Sandra Rhule. Mustapha Semanda LBS.
Natasha Meroni 13. Karl Bolingbroke 18. Alimat Lawson 23. Jackie Wilford 14. Rob Kenyon 32. Claire Phillips 60. Kirsten Dunham 60. Paul Hood 73. Coralie Allison 16. Nick Cattermole 71. Maureen Ismay 4.

Apologies
Serena Simon. Tim Burrows.

Introduction
Brendan Gillen (LBS) informed the meeting of the procedural requirements of a TRA, gave a brief summary of the constitution, the duties of elected officers, and explained that the election of officers was the only stage needed to form the association.
The respective roles and powers of the committee and general meeting were dicussed.

Election of Officers
The following residents were unanimously elected as officers of Juniper TRA
Chair. Jackie Wilford. (proposed R. Kenyon. seconded C. Phillips.)
Vice-Chair. Paul Hood. (proposed R. Kenyon. seconded J Wilford.)
Treasurer. Claire Phillips. (proposed Kirsten Dunham. seconded J Wilford.)
Secretary. Rob Kenyon. (proposed Kirsten Dunham . seconded C. Phillips.)
Coralie Allison, Nick Cattermole and Maureen Ismay were elected as committee members.

Adoption of Model Constitution
The meeting unanimously voted to accept the model constitution. (10/11)

Appointment of Auditor
Southwark Group of Tenants Organisation are to be contaqcted regarding free accountancy services.

‘Ideas For Year Ahead’
The practicalities of summer events to be discussed at the first TRA meeting.
Various funding sources available.
Storage space for the TRA is a matter of urgency, and the unused corner groundfloor room (30A) was discussed.

Next Meeting
July 9. 7.30. Brimtonroy TH.

Juniper House TRA is now a reality and residents of Juniper once more have a representative body to act in their interest, which is recognised by the London Borough of Southwark.

The Inaugural Meeting was chaired by Brendan Gillen, Capacity and Partnerships Officer for LBS. Ten households were represented and all officers were elected as required (Chair, Vice-chair, Teasurer, Secretary.) Plus a number of committee members.

The first meeting of the TRA is scheduled for July 9th at Brimtonroy Tenants Hall.  7.30pm.