In the Early hours of Monday 18th October a small intrepid band entered the grounds of the PrioryThe Home of Compassion Thames Ditton an Old 18th century Manor House that had been used for the last hundred years as a care home for the elderly, the Poor and needy.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead
The small band secured the perimeter of this large and impressive property that has laid empty for 2 years.
The property has a long and intresting history,dating back to the 1780-90s as a Georgian mansion .one of the finest it is said between Hampton and Windsor.This is just one of the many listed parts of British heritage that are gradualy deteriorating due to lack of funds or neglect.Also suffering from vandalism and gradual degredation.There are nearly a million empty buildings in the Uk that should be used for homes ,communiuty and project spaces.www.savebritainsheritage.org
There is also untold people with skills and ideas who need space to manifest them,start up business or projects/workshops
This small band is part of a much wider network that has worked ceaselessly since the 1992 Rio Earth Summit to create environment and community centres and projects in all manner and sizes of buildings.From theatres,schools,factories,churches,warehouses,offices and houses.Voluntarily run on donations out of the goodness of our hearts and for the good of community and environment.
Some of our work over the years can be viewed in the archive of www.circlecommunity.org
Last year we squatted a Mercedes garge that turned out to be owned by the Jewish Community centre for London who after negotiations allowed us to stay for 5 months after a court case possesion order and then asked us to return to the site for a further year as caretakers who wore yellow jackets and received health and safety training,We were provided with other accomodation and eventually paid for our Earth Caretakers Services.good references can be provided.
A similar story can be seen with one of our sister organisations Artsspace/lifespace who after squatting for many years,have now been given a number of properties in Bristol to turn into thriving arts projects http://www.artspacelifespace.com/
During the last 2 weeks we have worked very hard to clean tidy and repair the space in order to gradually open it up section by section to communityu use.
We have liased with the Police ,residents association and local young and old people who have made a number of suggestions on how this hub of the Thames Ditton community could be used.
If a co-operative and legal framework for careataking could be worked out with Caring Homes the current owners of the premises.
We are currently negotiating with Caring Homes over a possible trial interim period caretaking use of the building.
We can provide free voluntary caretaking ,security and maintenance to a property.This stunning building is gradually deteriorating and the community liason Police officer Richard Platt informs us it has been broken into 6-7 times,with vandalism occcuring and theft of lead which has lead to major roof leak and flooding in some areas.We have effected a temporary re-covering and repair to these areas.We have a large network of electricians,plumbers,builders even plasterers willing to work voluntarily to renovate the building to allow a temporary interim community use until Caring Honmes have the funds to redevelop.
There is a fascinating history to be discoverd from the original early owner Lord St.Leonard who wrote a famous early Law book on property and estates,Charlotte Boyle Walsingham who remembered his will granting it to her from memory,there was a Lord who drunk it away,Then later it was passed to church of england and an order of nuns of compassion who ran it as an NHS care home then due to cuts in budgets it was closed and sold to caring homes to be turned into luxury care flats for the elderly.
We need help to research the covenants on this property.
There is an very openn minded discussion going on in the Thames ditton online forum check it out and join the debate.Keith fom the residents mag has been over twice and we do offer limited guided tours of the chapel and health n safety cleared areas of the mansion,to view the potential of this historic and community space.
We are a group that believes there needs to be more cooperaytion at all levels of our society to create the community and environment we all want to see for our children in the future.
The Priory and church are the empty central hub of the Thames Ditton Community,where yoiung and old could meeet and interact passing on much needed skills from generation to generation.
We have already had the 14-16 year olds in who want to build a skate ramp in the car park instead of getting into the chapel to skate.The older folk have requsted a return of the Tues and Thurs charity shop which we will be starting again.Some local residents have requested access to the garden and river be opened up.which with a small fence health and safety fence repair we can begin to facilitate in daylight hours.Also possibly negotiate temporary use of car parking space.
This space and new project could be closed and evicted in the next 2-4 weeks or with a lot of community help the space could be used in the interim for the good of the community and environment.
Monday nights 7pm is a community/project organising meeting with a facilitator and agenda.
Please contact Paul Jeffrey Managing Director of caring Homes to share ideas and input on this community hub..
Tea garden report open day next chapter
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