Raven's Ait, Surrey

[Tank Girl]

For anyone local to the area - check it out - looks interesting stuff.......

Raven’s Ait International Eco-Conference Centre
Guided tours, talks, activities and workshops
You are welcome to visit every day between 12am to 7pm
Mondays – Ravens Ait Island Project Meeting – 7pm
Wednesdays – Community Talking Circle – 8pm start
Tuesdays – Music Jam – 6pm to 10pm
Saturdays – Yoga 11.30a.m.
Eco Cinema – 7pm start
Sundays – Picnic 2pm in the garden

Due to the need for urgent environmental action, we have set up an eco conference centre on an island in the Thames. In these times of rising tides, changing weather & melting ice shelves we need all groups to cooperate & take action for a sustainable 21st century. (Ref: Agenda 21 - Rio Earth Summit-

United Nations Division for Sustainable Development (http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/english/agenda21toc.htm). This was signed by 179 countries as a sustainability blueprint and has not been fully implemented; this is why we must take action). The Treaty of Lambeth (Kingston) was signed here in 1217.


Ravens Ait Island is for community groups/ workshop spaces, kitchens, & garden spaces. Located on an enchanting island in the Thames near Kingston. We are transforming this island into an eco community / conference centre. There is an on-going discussion here “What are the SOLUTIONS to the environmentally critical situation we & our children face? And, how do we implement them locally and globally?”


There are lots of ways in which you can get involved & show your support; talking with others/ networking the centre, produce your own workshop/ talk/ presentation, come and help tidy and make the space, ring and write to the local media.

HELP SAVE RAVEN’S AIT ISLAND! ACT NOW TO SAVE OUR COMMON LAND!

Support the vision for Raven’s Ait as an eco community space, where we as a collective can put into practice the concepts of sustainable living, permaculture, skills sharing, workshops and providing a community space for groups to meet and network, then PLEASE take five minutes to let the council know how you feel. They do not know if you do not tell them.




BBC NEWS | Magazine | Squatters in the stream (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7999287.stm)


Now the leafy Surrey town has been somewhat ruffled by a band of squatters who have taken up residence on the tiny isle after its previous occupants - a wedding venue company - went bust.
Armed with peace flags and banners urging people to "Reclaim your Raven's Ait", the group occupied the island in February and is now locked in a legal battle with the council over its status.

The squatters claim the ait - or small river island - is common land and intended for public use, something that is disputed by the local authority.

The 12 group members insist they have reclaimed the land for the people and want to to establish a self-sufficient, eco-friendly centre as a meeting point for community and environmental groups.

"We want to provide the community with a resource that they can use whenever they like," says one squatter, who calls himself Revolving Nick.

Raven’s Ait (http://ravensait.org.uk/)

circle community - Home (http://www.circlecommunity.org/)

[photographthesun]

Hard to know what to think about this, our local park is common land but if a load of squatters took it over "for the community" (did they ask the community first?) im not sure id be very happy.

tricky, interesting though!

[General Lighting]

well if it was common land how did the wedding events company get it?

makes me think of this..


London calling to the faraway towns
Now war is declared - and battle come down
London calling to the underworld
Come out of the cupboard,you boys and girls
London calling, now don't look to us
Phoney Beatlemania has bitten the dust
London calling, see we ain't got no swing
'Cept for the ring of that truncheon thing

CHORUS
The ice age is coming, the sun's zooming in
Meltdown expected, the wheat is growing thin
Engines stop running, but I have no fear
Cause London is drowning and I, live by the river

London calling to the imitation zone
Forget it, brother, you can go at it alone
London calling to the zombies of death
Quit holding out - and draw another breath
London calling - and I don't wanna shout
But while we were talking I saw you nodding out
London calling, see we ain't got no high
Except for that one with the yellowy eyes

CHORUS x2
The ice age is coming, the sun's zooming in
Engines stop running, the wheat is growing thin
A nuclear era, but I have no fear
Cause London is drowning and I, I live by the river

Now get this
London calling, yes, I was there, too
An' you know what they said? Well, some of it was true!
London calling at the top of the dial
And after all this, won't you give me a smile?
London Calling

I never felt so much alike, like-a, like-a...

[photographthesun]

well if it was common land how did the wedding events company get it?

makes me think of this..

I was woundering that myself..Perhaps its deeeeeeeep in the area's past, in hippy code.

[Tank Girl]

well if it was common land how did the wedding events company get it?

makes me think of this..
from what I've read the man made island is 'owned' by Kingston council and ?let to the wedding company but I may be wrong,
there is a legal battle / meetings going on but I've not had a chance to read up on it much,
If they can secure the land / a tennancy as they are trying to do, I think it would be a real possitive addition to the local area,
rather than a hotel being built on it - which I think was the other alternative - as then all local community could then use it if they wished,

am thinking of going down when I got some spare time to have a look and see for myself whats going on - so I remain open to pass judgement

[General Lighting]

for a fiver you can get the HM land registry docs and find out the exact truth about who owns it (we used to do this with squats in Reading) but I expect whoever has squatted it must have done this anyway..

[Tank Girl]

but I expect whoever has squatted it must have done this anyway..
I'm guessing so - as they (again I not read huge ammounts but from what I have) - seem pretty clued up as to what they are doing, and have a lot of experience of squatting, they appear to be inviting media attention / reviews and holding local meetings with the council / mps etc

good luck to em

We are currently negotiating with the council over the longterm future use of the island. The council have indicated they wish to sell the island to a hotel, which will mean little access for the local community.

The plan we are proposing to the council is for the island to be kept as a community centre, run by a Steering Committee made up of up to 20 local groups and national and international projects. See our website for more info, or get in contact if your group would like to be involved with this steering committee.

We are currently working on our second detailed proposal to the council. Students and lecturers from Kingston University are helping to design a computer generated plan for a Sustainable Community island. This vision will shortly be available on our website.

You are welcome to visit every day between 12pm to 10pm. We are running a ferry every half hour from the Surbiton side of the river to the island.

[photographthesun]

If the council will lose revenue im not sure it would be great for the community as they will lose funding for projects they have achally asked for/desire possibly. No idea though just throwing ideas into the air modern managment style lol I find squatting a really complex issue as there seems to be valid morals on either side of the argument. Iv learnt so much since joinin party vibe achally!

[General Lighting]

well the council have probably been saddled with a debt of unpaid rent from the failed wedding business venture and they aren't making anything from the island as it is - and the hotel is a risky venture as well in this climate. There are already loads of such ventures in the region, including the conversion of the bits of nearby Teddington Studios what aren't being used for TV production for hotels/business premises

if the squatters can present a plan showing more promise than the hotel venture they may have a chance still..

[damo666]

Good luck to them i say.

[General Lighting]

its a shame no-one round our way seems together enough to get a space and use it positively rather than end up with chavs trashing it and the cops re-securing the place (especially as there are some interesting empty buildings around this area...)

[damo666]

its a shame no-one round our way seems together enough to get a space and use it positively rather than end up with chavs trashing it and the cops re-securing the place (especially as there are some interesting empty buildings around this area...)

Yea i know mate, i've been looking into this sorta thing for a while:weee: but due to family commitments at the moment i don't have the time and nowhere near enough resources.

[Tank Girl]

its a shame no-one round our way seems together enough to get a space and use it positively rather than end up with chavs trashing it and the cops re-securing the place (especially as there are some interesting empty buildings around this area...)


well I think thats why I'm impressed - a bit of initiative in suburbia!!

I know of squatted community spaces /cafe's in lundun and manchester etc but not here!!

shake the local communter city boys and gals up - and it certainly has on the 'local' forum- lots and lots of ignorant negative comments - as its next to the 'rvier roads' that are well expensive and populated with what were once called yuppies

I've had trouble on there before to the extent of someone postin pretending they are me etc, as I had an online 'war' with the narrow minded about the local YMCA and the racists and the homophobes...... :you_crazy