Stop Putting Ourselves Down
“We want to stop putting ourselves down. We want to recognise how good our communities are and be proud of how far we have come from the old ‘estates’ we used to live on.”
Debbie Griggs - Chair of CBHA
Reprinted from
In my opinion - Waltham Forest News Issue 21, 7 June 2010
I often hear people talk of ‘no-go areas’ in Waltham Forest, places that have a reputation for gangs and trouble, including where I live in Leyton - an area previously called Oliver Close.
When I first moved here, there were poorly maintained tower blocks, abandoned vehicles and high levels of crime. The estates’ reputations were such that residents were unable to get simple things like milk and newspapers delivered.
As a resident – and now Chair – of local housing association CBHA, I have seen all this change!
The areas where we live have been totally transformed and are unrecognisable from the old estates. Sadly, the image of some areas in Leyton, Leytonstone, Chingford and Walthamstow are tainted by a perception of high crime and poor housing which is totally inaccurate. At a recent meeting of CBHA board members and partners, a police sergeant stated ‘It is a myth that CBHA areas are worse than any other in the borough. There are low levels of crime reported and the work CBHA has done has made significant improvements to the lives of local residents’.
Many residents are leading positive lives and contributing to their community. There is an active band of volunteers involved in youth work, helping out at clubs, doing outreach work on the streets and assisting with well-being projects. In addition, CBHA has just taken on some new apprentices – young people again doing something positive with their lives.
At CBHA our Board has a majority of residents – including myself. We are all local people giving up our time to make decisions about how we run
the association. That includes decisions around employment and training initiatives, well-being projects and youth clubs that are open to all borough residents.
So we want to stop putting ourselves down. We want to recognise how good our communities are and be proud of how far we have come from the old ‘estates’ we used to live on.
Debbie Griggs
Chair of CBHA
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