Charity: Ewart’s House
Location: Harrow
Amount: £40,000
About the project
Through LHC’s community benefit fund, Greenhill Housing Association received funds for an initiative to restore the café and wellness centre within Ewart House in Harrow. The project was designed around direct feedback from tenants, who wanted affordable food, welcoming activities, and practical services in a familiar setting.
The refurbishment encompassed the lounge, café, salon, and garden, transforming previously underused spaces into vibrant community facilities. The new Brewart Café and Health Hub now provide welcoming areas where tenants can meet, enjoy refreshments, and access on-site hairdressing and footcare services. A gardening club has also been introduced, giving tenants opportunities to stay active, share skills, and grow produce for the café.
This case study also draws on interviews with Rita and Leo, two long-standing tenants who regularly use the lounge, participate in activities, and represent fellow tenants. Both have experienced first-hand the impact of the lounge closure and the subsequent redecoration and works.
Creating social value
The Ewart House refurbishment project was built on a foundation of tenant engagement and community-led design. By listening to what tenants wanted, the project has created social value by:
- Reviving communal spaces: The refurbished lounge, café, salon, and garden have been transformed into attractive, functional areas that encourage tenants to leave their flats and engage with neighbours.
- Supporting independence and wellbeing: On-site services such as hairdressing and footcare, along with affordable meals in the café, help tenants maintain their independence and access personal care conveniently.
- Creating community connections: The café gives tenants a reason to come together, while activities like bingo and the new gardening club build relationships through shared interests.
- Reducing isolation and loneliness: By creating welcoming spaces where tenants can meet and socialise, the project directly addresses the boredom, isolation, and loneliness that many experienced previously.
Ekky Archibong, Tenant Engagement Officer at GHHA, mentioned that the refurbishment has transformed underused spaces into welcoming community facilities that encourage tenants to socialise and take part in activities.
Social value impact
The social value impact of the Ewart House project is evident in the lived experiences of tenants like Rita and Leo.
Rita’s experience:
Rita has lived at Ewart House for eight years. She recalls that the lounge was once much busier, with regular bingo, karaoke, and other activities. Following COVID, participation declined, and Rita felt the lounge was often quiet and that life in the scheme had become boring. She described feeling bored and depressed, particularly at weekends when the scheme was very quiet.
Since the refurbishment, Rita says the lounge is now brighter and busier. She particularly likes the new furniture, including the sideboard in the corner, and has noticed more people spending time in the lounge and garden. Rita eats in the café every other day and enjoys both the food and the value for money. She has also used the on-site hairdressing service and feels it is a great facility to have available within the scheme.
Leo’s experience:
Leo has lived at Ewart House for 16 years and has seen many changes in how the lounge has been used over time. He remembers when the lounge was much more active, with settled staffing and a younger, more active tenant community. Before the refurbishment, he described the lounge as looking “dull and dire.” He felt the lounge had lost some of its appeal and sense of community, and he missed seeing more people using the space and taking part in activities together.
Since the refurbishment, Leo says it has “uplifted my spirit.” He now looks forward to visiting the lounge and uses the café several times a week. He also enjoys attending bingo sessions. Leo has noticed that the garden is more accessible and looks much better since the improvements. While he has not personally used the salon, he is encouraged to see more tenants using the service and believes it contributes positively to the community. Leo would like to see more activities on offer and more encouragement for tenants to attend, but he hopes the lounge will continue to grow as a community space.
Their experiences highlight the positive difference the changes at Ewart House have made, enhancing both their wellbeing and day-to-day happiness.
Benefits delivered
The Ewart House project has delivered a range of tangible benefits for tenants:
- Improved quality of life: Tenants report feeling uplifted, less bored, and less isolated. The brighter, more attractive lounge and garden have created spaces that tenants want to use.
- Reduced isolation and loneliness: The café and communal areas provide regular opportunities for tenants to come together, socialise, and build relationships.
- Affordable and accessible amenities: The café offers affordable meals, while the on-site salon provides convenient personal care services that support independence and wellbeing.
- Increased use of shared spaces: Both Rita and Leo have noticed more people spending time in the lounge, café, salon, and garden.
- Stronger sense of community: The refurbished facilities have created a foundation for a more inclusive, active, and supportive environment, with tenants reconnecting and participating in activities.
- Renewed optimism: Tenants expressed gratitude to LHC and GHHA for investing in the improvements and believe the new facilities are helping to create a more inclusive community and improve overall quality of life.
While there is still a desire for more events and greater participation, the refurbishment has created a strong foundation for a more inclusive, active, and supportive environment at Ewart House. Overall, the investment has improved tenants’ quality of life and renewed optimism about the future of community life at the scheme.