London Tenants can now inform stakeholders that Sharon left hospital to continue her recovery at home.  She has now retired.  With her permission, a copy of her letter to our Company Secretary is set out below.  She knows we want to hold an event to mark her many years of service to our organisation as soon as she feels able to attend.

“Dear Martin, Peter, and other LTF members

It is with the greatest sadness that I am unable to continue with my LTF work.

As many of you may know, I had a stroke in early April this year. I was in hospital for around three months and had a dose of Covid towards the end of this period of time too.

The worst of the impact has been the loss of sight in my left eye and a fair amount memory loss.

While I have made a lot of progress – with a lot of support from staff at UCH and Edgware community hospital – unfortunately it has been insufficient.

I can just about read and write, but my sight and cognition makes this considerably more difficult than it ever was before, and while I am still hopeful of improving, I can’t ever guarantee that I’ll be able to get back to a position where I could work again.

I turned 66 earlier this year – so I shall be taking this opportunity to retire.

I wish you all the very best and hope that you have success in challenging those in power on behalf of social housing tenants in London”.

Sharon has since added:

I would like to thank everyone for their messages and support over the last few months – and for everything.  It’s been a real pleasure working alongside them over many, many years.

Thank you for all the support that LTF Directors gave me during my time with LTF.  I’m sorry that due to my stroke in April this year my resignation has had to occur sooner than I would have planned for.

Wishing you and LTF all the best for the future.

The Directors/Trustees have held an awayday to reflect on the work Sharon started over the last two years, the changing landscape of social housing, and the implications for tenants.  They have agreed to learn and build on these developments.  With the support of our main funders, that reflection will now be built into proposals for our members and stakeholders which we will present to them in early 2024, and then into formal proposals to refresh our organisation to make it fit to carry Sharon’s work forward.

Sharon’s statement: Retirement Notice