A bright new future for Ivybridge as residents join together
It was an honour and a privilege to have chaired the packed Extraordinary General Meeting of the New Ivybridge Tenants' Association (NITA) on Thursday evening at which twenty years of bickering, feuding and fighting was finally consigned to history with only one dissenter from the whole crowd of NITA, Ivytag and other residents present.Residents voted almost unanimously to dissolve NITA and to create a new association which will be known as the United Residents' Association of Ivybridge. The move follows a series of meetings of the Ivybridge Working Group which comprised members of both NITA and Ivytag, as well as residents unassociated with either. Ivytag has also announced its dissolution with immediate effect.At the start of the process I had hoped that the new committee would have a roughly even number of former NITA and Ivytag people so as to "keep it fair". By the time the meeting came around it didn't much matter which organisation who had served in the past, everybody (or almost everybody) had already moved on.From recollection I believe the new committee consists of 23 adults and a group of six to eight young people. A wonderful achievement by the people of Ivybridge and one which I am immensely proud to have helped bring about in the face of resistance and often indescribable hostility from political elements and other members of the "old guard" in the local housing movement.The success of this project serves to demonstrate that anything can be achieved when there is a will to unite rather than to divide, to create rather than to destroy. It vindicates the work of all of us who have striven to ensure that party politics do not dominate our local community life, and who have insisted that everybody is treated equally and given a fair crack of the whip whatever their views or affiliations.A big well done to Tina Howe (Chair), Al Ayoby (Vice Chair), Ron Robinson and Mohammed Jarche who will comprise the new "top table", and I would also single out as estate residents Tony Smith and George Burrell for the sterling work which they did in bringing the Ivytag "side" on board during the sometimes difficult earlier days. I would also pay tribute to Susanna White (now moved on to pastures new), Sue Witherspoon, Yvonne Birch and Barbara Perry at LBH Housing client-side, who supported me throughout what must have appeared to them a disproportionate obsession as I fought all comers to keep the project on track, and Bernadette O'Shea, Chief Executive of Hounslow Homes, who provided the essential seal of approval when she took over which had previously been sadly missing.A thoroughly marvellous achievement of which all concerned can justifiably be proud.
Phil Andrews ● 6518d10 Comments
