Best Christmas and New Year wishes to all Millbank residents and MEMO partners offered by MILLBANK VOICES, the new children’s choir of the Millbank Academy.

Become part of the Millbank Community

Millbank Estate & neighbourhood residents, staff of organisations located in the area are invited
to a first-time Christmas event in Millbank Gardens, between Tate Britain and Millbank Estate.
Members of the community have come together producing a festive Christmas event with
Christmas trees lighting the gardens, choral singing, followed by Mulled Wine and Christmas
Stollen served in front of the MEMO office in Reynolds House Court Yard.

For more information please download the invitation here:
PDF download

Liz Michael, Merv Thomason, Kellie Carson and Scott Steel counting votes

Dear Millbank residents and friends,
Last night, at the end of its statutory continuation ballot, MEMO gained a further mandate for the coming 5 years to continue on its path improving the quality of life in Millbank. It is a clear endorsement of the leadership provided by engaged residents and the work put in by staff.

During the past 2 weeks over 51% of tenants and leaseholders voted in a secret ballot and 87% said Yes for our estate to continue to be managed for the next 5 years by the resident owned TMO MEMO. 84% of the Yes votes came from tenants and 91% from leaseholders.

As the MEMO chairman for the past years I want to say thank you to all past and current board members, MEMO staff as well as employees at CWH and Westminster City Council who believed and continue to belief in our vision of a better Millbank taken care of by its residents. A big thank-you goes to Millbank residents and stakeholder organisations giving MEMO the needed “space”, trust and support and also for being a critical friend. Hand in hand with our staff, the management board endeavours that we keep doing our best to not only maintain our beautiful Grad 2 listed estate but progress and work with all people and organisations interested in a way that we all can remain proud residents of a highly regarded residential area in the centre of one of the greatest cities in the world. Millbank residents are driven not only by care about buildings but also the good that can come from a diverse and inspired community united in respect for each other, as inspiring individuals and contributors to a common understanding.

For the people concerned engaging on behalf of others and leading such a process there is no greater compliment and encouragement then this ballot result. It honours the people who in 1997 provided the vision and had the determination to start one of the first TMO’s in Westminster and the board members of the past 5 years who developed it in to one of the leading TMO’s in this country. The past 15 years of our organisation is a showcase of The Big Society at work with all its facets. Lets get on and make it a successful 20 years.

Thank you to all and stay with us.
Wilfried Rimensberger

Please find here all the documents for the Annual General Meeting to download.

The MEMO business year 2011 Chairman report: Download here

MEMO AGM 2012 Auditors report and Financial Statement: Download here

AGM Notice 2011-12: Download here

RIBA Art Project 2008 by Chris Smith at Millbank Estate by night

The internationally renown London Festival of Architecture begins this month with events, performances and installations all over the capital. Following previous successful contributions to the festival, Millbank Estate residents would like to build on this heritage by again taking part in the Festival and celebrate the history of art in our neighbourhood by hosting an installation in the old communal benefit ‘drying area’ at Wilkie House. For further information on the installation please refer to the festival website

http://www.lfa2012.org/events/view/reflections-in-depth-350

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DRYING AREA WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR USE BETWEEN
20th JUNE 2012 and 9th JULY 2012    

The former prison moat will be the site of an innovative and thought provoking art work that will bring life to the area and, hopefully, again generate an ongoing interest in the arts and the use of public spaces.

Please contact staff at the MEMO office if you have any questions or want to get involved installing or dismantling the art work in July.

RIBA Art Project 2008 by Chris Smith at Millbank Estate by day

Crowded Street Party

During the afternoon of 2 June 2012 approx. 200 residents turned up and their participation in activities organised by Pat Johnstone, Kathy Clifford, Melissa Ford-Holloway and Wilfried Rimensberger could only tell you one thing: Millbank is alive and kicking.

Ready for the GoKart race

The girls showing off at dancing

Originally planned to be held in Court Yards crossed by St Oswulf and Erasmus Street, a last minute decision was made during Saturday morning’s uncertain weather outlook to set-up in Reynolds House Court Yard only and use an in the end only shortly closed Erasmus Street for specific elements such as the Fire engine and the historic Go-Kart race, weather permitted. It proved to be the right decision as commented by many attendants.

Firebrigade is an attraction

MEMO staff started to arrived at 7 in the morning to set the scene and worked hard ensuring that things went smoothly during the event marked by a string of exiting activities that commenced at Noon with a DJ pumping music through and out of Reynolds House Court Yard in to Erasmus Street. Residents arrived gathering on decorated tables, some reading through the distributed “1000 Communities” brochure others answering the MEMO residents satisfaction questionnaire. Many kids arrived early, some in fancy dresses, deliciously looking cakes baked by residents were brought in and tables with free sandwiches and fruits were laid out. Barrels filled with ice-cooled soft drinks were installed outside the MEMO office.

Winning fancy dress from Mars

Writing the Millbank Song

However, whilst the the tables filled up with adults, 8 kids joined Peter Woodroffe in the MERTA meeting hall where they started to compose and write a song about Millbank. This was interrupted by a Westminster fire engine arriving, much to the excitement of kids who crawled all over it and Millbank resident seniors Olive Whitecomb and Irene Carter, who, many moons ago, used to work as the local fire-brigade’s Switchboard ladies.

Nathalie with winning cake

Later during the afternoon 10 raffle prizes were changing hands and the Millbank Cake Baker Jubilee Prize was awarded. Winner was teenager Nathalie Rimensberger who succeeded with a stunningly decorated berry cake against formidable established residential baking forces. Prizes were announced by incoming new Estate Director Paul Allen who got a warm welcome from residents. MEMO treasurer Neil Cocking was at hand encouraging residents to answer the annual Millbank residents satisfaction survey. Results will soon be communicated.

New Estate Director sets the tone

Millbank Kids with Terry Edis Torch

Featured was also the NFTMO’s Terry Edis (MBE) Torch, placed right in the middle of the event in support of the national tenant movement’s new charity established in honour of the late NFTMO’s chairman. The afternoon was rounded off with kids excitedly testing self-built Go-Karts thundering along Erasmus Street. And singer/songwriter Pete Woodroffe delivering the final with a life concert of his songs, including an intonation of the first 2 verses of the kids’s Millbank song “We are the Millbank Gang” in Reynolds House Court Yard. The completed song will be presented at the forthcoming SouthWest Fest.

Pete Woodroffe and the Millbank Gang

Millbank Song Lyrics

(Verse 1)
Some of us are girls
some of us are boys
Some of us are Pearls
Some of us like noise

(Chorus)
We are the Millbank Gang
Millbank Gang, Millbank Gang
We are the Millbank Gang
Millbank Gang, Millbank Gang

(Verse 2)
Sometimes we are cool
Sometimes we are not
Some of us like school
together we like to Rock

(bridge)
However, we do clearly know
That what ever we do
Should stand up and show
Our pride and make Millbank glow
Got only one life
Don’t wanna waste it
Live it o the full
Embrace it (the Millbank way)

(Verse 3)
London is the best
It’s where we’re gonna stay
At the river in South West
To live the Millbank way

(Chorus)
We are the Millbank Gang
Millbank Gang, Millbank Gang
We are the Millbank Gang
Millbank Gang, Millbank Gang

(Verse 4)
Some like to dance
Some like to sing
When we get the chance
We all do our thing
…the Millbank way

Written by the “MillbankGang”

Pete Woodroffe & W. Rimensberger

MEMO, in conjunction with residents, Londonplay and other partners is organising a StreetParty for 2 June 2012 (see poster on the events page or your block’s notice board). We are all coming together in the spirit of the annual Big Lunch idea. We are looking for residents to participate in a cake backing competition. On Saturday, bring your best cake piece to the Party in St Oswulf Street and the best Millbank resident baker will receive a price and a certificate. The judgment will be taking place at 2pm.

Any questions? Just phone ore visit the MEMO office in Reynolds House Court Yard and they can guide you further.

Please remember also: St Oswulf Street and Erasmus Street is closed for traffic from 10am to 5pm that day.

Download PDF

MEMO has appointed Paul Allen as Estate Director, starting full-time on 8 June 2012. Paul has a wide-ranging background in Estate Management, TMO and community engagement, both as representative of tenant organisations and Councils. After strengthening our relationship with Westminster City Council and moving the organisation over the past 3 years towards sustainable financial funding, Paul’s appointment signals a hightened estate service and community support focus by MEMO. These is fully in line with core values of the TMO movement that had the Big Society idea at its heart long before it became a headline feature associated with the current Government. The MEMO board and residents are welcoming Paul and offer him, the whole MEMO staff team every support we can bring to the table to build a strong service profil for the benefit of tenants and leaseholders and explore future possibilities as per last AGM’s mandate, taking advantage of opportunities given to local communities by the localism bill and other changes in Government legislation and policies. People coming together, acting as a community to safegard what we already achieved and develop positive aspects of it further can only be a good thing, specifically during uncertain times.

MEMO is looking to appoint an Estate Director or Manager. The level of the appointment and the salary will depend on the expertise and experience of the successful candidate.

If you would like to apply for the Estate Director / Manager position, please submit your CV and a supporting statement / covering letter to board@millbank-emo.co.uk

The – Supporting Statement Guidance (PDF download) – gives some general advice on how to write a supporting statement that will maximise your chances of obtaining an interview. Your supporting statement / cover letter should focus primarily on the essential elements listed in the job advertisement.

Find here an indicative job description (PDF download). This will vary over time and will be adapted according to the experience of the successful candidate.

If you have any questions concerning this opportunity, please email our HR adviser at board@millbank-emo.co.uk

Terry Edis

Terry Edis, chair of both the Walsall Alliance of Tenant Management Organisations and the National Federation of Tenant Management Organisations, died on Thursday 3 November 2011 after a period of ill health.

Terry touched many lives and his love, friendship, support, advice and leadership will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Terry became involved in tenant management in the early 1990’s – concerned about the housing conditions in which he and his neighbours lived and about the general decline in his neighbourhood. Terry was a founder member of the successful Burrowes Street TMO which was established to help reverse that decline.  He was later a key figure in the creation of WATMOS, a unique tenant led housing association made up of eight Walsall TMOs, and led a new and successful phase in the development of the NFTMO.

Terry also became a key figure in the leadership of the national tenants’ movement, helping to bring the national tenants bodies together in order to promote the interests of tenants with government.

His warmth and interest in people made him a respected and popular figure, not just in his local community, but in his dealings with other tenant’s organisations, government agencies and ministers. Terry’s voluntary work was acknowledged in 2008 when he was awarded the MBE in the New Year’s Honours List.

The NFTMO would not have developed and strengthened in the last decade without Terry’s energy and vision.

MEMO has expressed deepest sympathy and best wishes to Terry’s wife Joan and family at this time of their great loss.