Alison's Story

When I joined Coin Street in 1991 there were seven members of staff. I was employed on a one-year fixed term contract to support the development of Oxo Tower Wharf.   

But that was only a three-day a week job, so I was also employed to open the post! I used to start an hour early every day so that I could get the post opened, copied, filed and distributed. Once that was done, I could focus on the job that I was really enjoying - the design of the mixed-use development at Oxo and learning more about how our 13-acre site was managed. 

At this time, we hadn’t developed Redwood, Palm or Iroko cooperative housing. Upper Ground was a traffic rat run where parked cars were regularly broken in to. There was no neighbourhood centre – the expectation at that time was that community services and facilities would be delivered by the local authority.   

The riverside walkway, parks and gardens weren’t overseen by Coin Street. Gabriel’s Wharf was run as a joint venture but was sad with many void units. Nobody came to the South Bank and at weekends it was dead. It was a bit of a scary place and many of my friends refused to meet me here after work! 

Over the course of my first year, I became involved in the management of Gabriel’s Wharf. I started to look after the Wharf, find new commercial tenants, undertake press and marketing, which attracted people to the shops. By the end of the 12 months, I knew I had found a place where I belonged. 

I was fortunate to be offered a new permanent role letting all the studios and restaurants at Oxo Tower Wharf. When we were looking for the tenant for the rooftop restaurant (now the OXO Tower Restaurant & Brasserie run by Harvey Nichols) I was wined and dined by London’s top restauranteurs!  

By 1996, the changes to our estate and the wider neighbourhood were significant.  We had completed Palm and Redwood Housing Co-ops, and the commercial side of Oxo Tower Wharf was about to launch. The joint venture at Gabriel’s Wharf had ended and I continued to manage it, and we had taken over management of Bernie Spain Gardens.   

Our Coin Street Festival, which had started the year before I joined, drew people to Bernie Spain Gardens at weekends and over the next ten years would outgrow the site. The London Eye and Tate Modern also announced that they would be coming to South Bank and Bankside. By 2000, the South Bank was a very different place. 

And as Coin Street grew, so did I. As my responsibilities increased, I was able to recruit a team to support the commercial management side of Coin Street. Louise King, Deborah Crowhurst and Kevin Phillips were part of that early team and provided incredible support, as did other colleagues across the organisation. 

So much has happened since – when I first joined it was about building houses, shops and developing the public realm.  We focused on providing homes, bringing employment, and managing leisure and green spaces for residents, business users and visitors to enjoy. Now we are filling the gap left by decimated public services by delivering early years education, family support and community programmes.  

As a social enterprise, our independence comes from our ability to generate income from our commercial assets. I have loved being able to develop diverse businesses across all our sites and know that this income is used to deliver the services that are needed in our community. 

I feel very privileged to have been part of such an amazing organisation for so long. It is the commitment and passion from staff and our three boards that have made our neighbourhood inspirational and will ensure that our community continues to thrive.   

Coin Street’s people are its greatest asset. If you have energy, commitment, ideas and passion, Coin Street is a place where you can make a difference. I have worked hard and there have been times when it has been a real struggle, but working with such an amazing group of people picks you up and motivates you. 

I know I joined Coin Street at a time of huge change and opportunity. In 2021, I began the start of another chapter of change and opportunity. After COVID we focused on rebuilding and developing new commercial businesses; we re-energised Oxo; worked with partners and groups to support our communities and ensure that our South Bank and Bankside neighbourhood recovered quickly.  

We continue to manage a much-loved central London estate and our Doon Street development is moving ahead which will have a significant impact on our organisation and the local community. 

If you have passion, are willing to work hard and go that extra mile, there are opportunities at Coin Street. I am so happy to be able to look back over Coin Street’s 40 years and be glad that I am part of such a fabulous social enterprise, that I have collaborated with such inspirational people and that I have contributed in some way to the way that the neighbourhood is now.