The Enduring Relevance of Octavia Hill - Demos papers illustrated by Quentin Blake published
In the centenary year of her death, political think-tank Demos have released a collection of essays on the enduring legacy of Octavia Hill, including an essay by Octavia Housing Chief Executive Grahame Hindes on her influence on social housing today.
Octavia Hill was a Victorian philanthropist and social reformer, the pioneer of social housing, co-founder of the National Trust, the founder of the army cadets, one of the first campaigners for clean air and open spaces, and was one of the first women to sit on a Royal commission.
Octavia started managing her first three properties in 1865 in the slums of London – known as ‘Little Hell’, which are now the prestigious streets of Marylebone. Her aim was to make ‘lives noble, homes happy and family life good’. The effectiveness of her caring yet commercial approach meant her enterprise soon grew and by the mid 1870s she was responsible for around 3000 tenants. The organisation that Octavia started with just a few homes became Octavia Housing today.
The collection of essays also includes chapters by Octavia HIll's biographer Gillian Darley on her life, a chapter by Baroness Julia Neuberger on her contribution to volunteering and a section on the National Trust by Dame Fiona Reynolds. The collection has been illustrated by Quentin Blake, famous for the drawings used within Roald Dahls childrens books.
You can read Grahame Hindes piece on Octavia HIll's influence on social housing today here on this site. Read the full collection of essays from Demos here.
Find out more about Octavia Housing's history and the activites planned to mark the centenary of Octavia Hill's death here.
Image by Quentin Blake 2012
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