It was a time when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back was released, and ABBA were topping the album chart.
Although the world was different back then, Robina feels a lot of issues facing the housing sector remain the same today.
Robina was invited to join the South London Family Housing Association board by its Chair, Jack Griffin, in 1980. At the time, she was working as a housing advisor, supporting people facing homelessness and poor living conditions. It was this work that drew her in to becoming more involved.
Robina said: “I wanted to help people going through hard times and I always strived to act with good intentions. It made everything worthwhile seeing how happy people were in their homes.”
At our Lansdowne Green estate in Lambeth, Robina helped refurbish communal areas and outdoor spaces. Rather than deciding things for residents, the estate was split into areas, and each resident had a say in how their garden looked and what the landscaping would include. A small grants scheme also enables residents to apply for funding to look after and improve the green spaces around their homes.
Robina has great memories of spending time with residents, including celebrating Christmas together during her years on the board. She even dressed up as Santa one year to hand out presents to the children!
Helping to build places where people were proud to live is something Robina still looks back on fondly.
Looking to the next 125 years, she hopes housing associations never lose that closeness to residents or the values they started out with.
Robina added: “125 years on, there’s still a need to fight for people.”
