Ashburnham Triangle Association

By neil sinclair on Dec 29, 2014 02:18 pm The 2014 ATA Christmas Carol Party raised £420 for the homelessness charity Shelter, easily a record for the association’s annual carol singing and social event. About 45 people gathered outside the Ashburnham Arms on a blustery but fairly mild Monday (22nd December) evening for roast chestnuts, mulled wine, mince pies and a chance to warm the vocal chords and the cockles. Ably led by ATA vice-chairman Robin Stott on clarinet, the group (which included all ages from small children to the over 60s) set off on a tour around the Triangle’s streets to sing at pre-arranged stops and collect donations to Shelter. On their return to the Ash, the group fortified themselves with more mulled wine, mince pies and chestnuts before singing a final carol or two. Most singers then settled into the newly-redecorated Ash to eat home-made pie and mash provided by new landlord Sam Jolly. The pies, sample versions from the pub’s ...

Imogene Russell, 14 December 2014  Councillor Maureen O’Mara has told us that the proposals to close the Ashburnham hostel and other homes and hostels for people with learning disabilities across the borough are now suspended until the summer.  She said there would be a fresh review of provision, centring on the needs of the residents as well as examining the physical conditions of the buildings. She will be looking into the origins of the present review of premises and into the policy underlying it. A fresh consultation will follow the new review.  In 2009 Maureen led the successful campaign to prevent the Drapers’ Company evicting the residents of the Queen Elizabeth almshouses in order to sell the properties.

Imogene Russell,  1 December 2014   Greenwich Council is proposing to close the hostel for people with learning disabilities at 75 Ashburnham Grove. The hostel is part of our community and we are concerned about the future of its nine residents, because the council has no plan for where they will go afterwards. The residents have been our neighbours in Ashburnham Grove for up to 20 years, and a number of ATA members have got to know them and the staff through looking after the hostel garden with them for the last five years. We understand that the building has faults as a hostel and that the land is valuable. However the council has no other appropriate premises in the borough, or plans to build any, so that the future of these vulnerable residents is worryingly unclear. The indications are that they will be sent outside the borough and/or be handed over to the private sector. We oppose the closure of the hostel until suitable alternative homes in the borough are identi...