Done and Dusted. How was it for you?

And so this stage of the adventure is over.  The project to renovate 9 flats in a block on Spey Street using volunteer and trainee labour  is completed. The corridor has been painted, the launch event has been had (photos up soon), the flats have been let and (most of) the tenants have already moved in.

Carlita will be writing a a project evaluation on Spey Street which will look at


- Securing the property

- Operational delivery

- Project staff

- Budget and costs

- Volunteers/ Trainees

- Project monitoring and reporting

- Conclusions/ Next steps.

As a Spey Street resident and volunteer I'm enjoying the quiet. However, there is real mileage in getting all the Co-op volunteers together in order to share their learning and insights on the projects delivery, probably around mid February-23rd or 24th most likely. Hope to see you all there. Paul.

back to work

We're back to work at the refurb from Tuesday 3rd January. It's a busy time as we aim to be finished by Friday 13th January. 87 and 89 are so nearly finished we can taste it - 85 still needs plumbing, electrics and a bath putting in - it's a tight schedule.

Come on Down!

Open Saturday 10th December

Since start of the project, 23 Co-op members and 25 external trainees have been involved in the renovation work.

To date, Co-op members have contributed a total number of 700 hours of their time and external trainees a total number of 417 hours.

In relation to the completion of the work in the properties, 93 & 95 are completed and Co-op members will be moving in tomorrow. 97 & 99 are ready for members to move in.

We are anticipating 91, 89, 85, 87 and 101 being completed and ready for Phoenix members to move in by January 2012.

Please remember the site is open Monday to Friday 9.00am- 4pm, so if you had some spare time to get involved please give Maihan (07949570873) or Steve (07713215413) a call. In addition, the Site will be open Saturday 10th December for all Co-op members who are unable to make it down during the week.

Many thanks for the hard work of everyone involved!  

Volunteering at Spey Street

Dear members,

Spey Street will be open again tomorrow 26th Nov from 9:30am -1pm.

We are very close to the completion of project - So if you haven't had the chance to come on site yet, this is the time, come and join!

We look forward to seeing you.

For further info, please contact Steve Hopson on 07713215413 or Maihan Hamed on 07949570873.

We need more volunteers on site!!!

Many thanks to those members who attended the site on Saturday - your help is hugely appreciated.
This morning Steve told me how grateful he is for the work you have done over the weekend.
We are still desperately looking for more volunteers - today we have only one external trainee and Steve is struggling on his own. Can you please make your way to Spey Street and help us.
We are looking forward to seeing you.
For further information please contact myself (Maihan) on 07949570873 or Steve on 07713215413.
Thank you

Spey Street is open again this Saturday 12th November and we are looking forward for more volunteers

The site will be open again this Saturday 12th November from 9:30am-1pm.

Please come and help - This is your project so lets work together and turn it to a real success. 

We need volunteers to help us with painting/decorating, carpentry work and cleaning- If you think you have the skills, PLEASE don't STOP come and HELP.

We will be looking forward to seeing you all.

For further information please contact Steve on 07713215413 or Maihan on 07949570873.

Our address is:

85 – 107 Spey Street, London, E14 6PP


http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=538066&y=181655&z=0&sv=E14+6PP&st=2&pc=E14+6PP&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf



Coop members having their tea break on site.

Open this Saturday

As a result of the break in and theft of copper piping to 95 Spey Street on Tuesday 25th October, the decision was taken to Sitex all of the flats under renovation. The Sitex and internal property security monitors will only be removed once each flat has been completed and a Phoenix member is ready to move in. This will ensure that the site remains as safe as possible.


In relation to the water damage to properties, the fact that the properties had concrete floors meant that there was no permanent water damage to the walls or ceilings of 95, 93, 85 and 87. Whilst the Site was closed between 28th October and 7th November these flats completely dried out and there has been no permanent damage noted in them. This is indeed very good news as it means that the flats are still on track for their current completion dates and the renovation project has not been delayed by these events.

We are anticipating 95 and 97 being completed and ready for Phoenix members to move into by the end of this week (Friday 11th November)

The next SpeyCom meeting is being held on Wednesday 16th November, 7-9pm, William Guy Gardens. Please let me know if you are planning on attending.

Remember the site is open Monday to Friday 9.30am- 4pm, so if you had some spare time to get involved please give Maihan (07949570873) or Steve (07713215413) a call. In addition, the Site will be open this Saturday (12th November) for all Co-op members who are unable to make it down during the week.

-Carlita.

back in business

It's back to work time at the refurb. This morning Steve had four (or was it six) women coming in from Women into Contruction - web address as soon as I find it). Gary seems to have been energised by the break in. Steve was planning on getting the plumbers back in and on getting the carpets down and aiming to have the mid-floor flats complete soon.

Now is the most exciting time - Come one Down.

Refurb shut this week.

The refurb will be shut this week as Steve is away on holiday. It will not be open on Saturday either. The building is looking a bit forlorn having been tinned up by Poplar Harca following the burglary. Work will resume Monday the 7th of November.

a setback

After months of uneventful progress and hard work on the Spey Street Refurb there has been a set back - I'll let Colin tell you about it;

Unfortunately 95 Spey Street was targeted last night by thieves wanting the copper piping... Steve and I attended the site from 10pm till around midnight last night. The Police, London Fire Brigade, Poplar HARCA and the Water Board also attended.

Copper piping was removed from the bedsitting room in 95 and some damage was done to the bathroom, however not much was actually taken, the most damage occurred because a service pipe located in the ducting in the bathroom had been cut and therefore a substantial amount of water penetrated both 95 and 93 and also 85 and 87 on the ground floor. Steve managed to locate the stopcocks in the lofts and we had to turn off the water supply to the whole block. Poplar HARCA will attend today to re-cap the service pipe, re-instate the water supply and check for leaks. As you know the site was due to be closed today because Steve is at a funeral so Carlita and/or me will be liaising with HARCA once this work is complete. We will also be discussing, on Steve’s return additional security measures for the site in light of last night.

On the phone today Steve estimated that this would set the project back about 3 weeks - it is fortunate that we were so far ahead.

Volunteers time and effort are making a real difference at Spey Street

To date, we have 20 external trainees registered on the project and 19 Coop members have taken part. Day by day more and more coop members joining in, which is fantastic.

Yesterday, we registered 6 trainees from Women into Construction project. They will be starting next week.

Big thanks to David and Mal, our Spey Street garden looks beautiful and tidy, ready for the summer.

We are open every week Mon-Fri from 8am-4pm also we are open every other Saturday of the week from 9:30am-1pm. Our next opening on Saturday is 22nd of October.

Come and join us!!!!!!! Every little helps!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For more information you can contact me (Maihan) on 07949 570 873 or email me at hamedm@phoenixhousing.co.uk

The Young Ones

or at least that's what it sounded like Steve was singing. Steve, Pat, Paul and Erik worked Friday - mostly tidying up and taking the boards off number 85 (the former rubbish store) and putting the windows back in. Erik got on with sanding down and painting the bathroom in number 97. 95 is basically done (and very chi-chi it looks too) - Colin showed it to our first prespective tenant yesterday. There's a lot of interest in the garden flats - but sadly only two of the groundfloor flats have gardens and they won't be available for a long time yet.

Not much can be done about the patio doors - this will require an outside contractor because the hinges weren't there in the flats - so this is still boarded up. By the end of the day 85 did look much better.

Looking forward to seeing you Saturday.

Open Saturday 8th October

The refurb is open for volunteers Saturday 8th October but at least you won't have to move this stuff - it's gone already, the skip came Monday. Hope to see you all there. Paul.

City Too Hot!

Every time Phoenix does a refurb project it seems to cause (by sods law) an unseasonable heatwave. Today Pat and Steve worked (Paul called in for 2 hours between jobs because he was working locally).

95 is nearly completely decorated and once the boiler is commisssioned will be all ready to go - 97 is still being decorated and will require work getting the gas into the flat and a meter putting in. 93 and 99 are lagging slightly - it would be really good if we could find a member with some plumbing skills for the next saturday (or a day in the week say). The College of NorthWest London trainees have continued to come in (Moussa was in Wednesday) but Phoenix members visiting in the week have been few and far between - this is a shame because the kind of work we are doing now - decorating - is the kind that many volunteers feel comfortable doing. If you have these skills please phone Maihan and Come On Down.

That's more like it...

Ladies and Gentlemen I am proud to declare the Saturday Opening (this Saturday -the 24th - this morning) a success. Steve and Eight Phoenix members (Paul, Ray, Steve - another one, Ofa, Ninad, Mike - another one, Amit and Mark White) came and painted and sanded and stripped wallpaper and attempted a little light carpentry and even helped bring down the plasterboard cupboard in 87. A further two members got as far as the shops on the estate and then got lost - it is tricky to find, bring a map. Ken Kamara came down and took photos (and even shot some film of the Phoenix massive grafting away), we hope to post some of these soon.

'It does make a difference.' Muttered (a somewhat abashed) Steve.

If you fancy some more we're here Monday to Fridays and every second Saturday - Come On Down.

Saturday Opening

We are trying another Saturday Opening this saturday the 24th. We will be open from 9.30 til 1.30 - come on Down.

Pat and Brahim have been ill with the flu that is going around, Chaban has found other work, Andreas was busy but Edward, Moussa, Paul and Eric came in to do their days. Steve is clear that he needs more help to get the mid-floor flats painted up if we are to keep to schedule.

On Site things are looking good and even ahead of schedule with 95 nearly finished being decorated and 97 soon to be finished. Two of the flats on the middle floor have gas already and so should be ready for letting soon - the others won't be lettable until the gas is finally installed (this involves the national grid drilling through the walls and then fitting a meter in each).

Today, on the principle of a change is as good as a rest and a little fed up with painting, Steve and Paul opened up 89 (on the ground floor) and put in the windows (leaving the garden door which will require a new locking mechanism and hinges). They also took down the large cupboard in 89 (perhaps something they can repeat in 87 on the Saturday) - this is a little ahead of schedule (but that's not a problem really).

We Need A Radio

There is no radio on-site so the only music people get to hear is the tune that slips its way past our internal censor and ends up getting sung. 'Don't stop the carnival' was the most up-to-date song Steve has sung yet. Stevie (the plumbing contractor - who has been in finishing off the central heating installation to 93 and 99) was caught doing some human beatboxing (Snap's 'I've got the power'). Like I said, we need a radio.

Thursday British Gas achieve what EDF had repeatedly failed to do and get the power on in two flats on the middle floor. Was this a difficult task? No - they just had to inspect the installation, approve it and fit the main fuses. Now the only problem remains the gas supply - while the building was scheduled for demolition new gas piping was fitted on the outside of the building but in 3 of the flats on the middle floor the piping was never brought inside the property and no new gas meters were fitted. This means we will have to pay National Grid to drill through the walls in 3 properties - the waiting time for this is about 6 weeks.

On the plus side (for me) we are into the tiling phase, Pat has been busy fitting the kitchens in 97 and 95 after Steve and a number of the trainees (Edward in the hoto above) fitted the sinks in them. These look like being the first flats we will be completing. David Sanchez has been in a lot (helping to install the bath in 97). Darryl and Steve are getting on with the decorating in them.

Getting Better

The Second Saturday Open Day at the Refurb and Pennie, Mike, Marike, Paul and Steve and his wife came down. There was some painting, some tiling and some plumbing in of the bath in 95 and the sink in 97. We are now pining our hopes on British Gas to get the electricity on in 99, 97 and 95.

We are open again on Monday - the next Saturday Open Day is in 2 weeks time.

Moving On Up (Open Day Saturday)

Today the Refurb seemed to move up a gear as it had one percent of Phoenix members actually on site at the same time - Paul, Darryl, Pat and David (Sanchez). Eric (one of the College of North West London trainees) was also there, as were Maihan and Steve. Carlita came down and took some photos which we hope to put up soon.

There is an Open Day Saturday, September 10 · 9:00am - 1:30pm for more info please contact Maihan on 07949570873 or mhamed@phoenixhousing.co.uk

The following map should get you there. the best hint I can give is to look at the photos on the blog, or to walk up past the parade of shops and through the short tunnel at the top, you'll see a little walled off greenspace, next to that is a building with all the ground floor weindows boarded up. You've found us.

Please make every effort to come - looking forward to seeing you.

Back from our Summer Holidays

The refurb is back open to volunteers and trainees after our summer break. Steve went to Portugal (everyone else stayed home). Monday Steve, Brahim, Paul and Darryl worked, today Steve, Paul, Andreas and Edward worked, and Sumner House stalwart Pat will be coming down regularly as well (apologies for the old photo).


This Saturday we are open to volunteers and trainees 9 until 1pm again - it would be good to see some Phoenix members there.