Last week, we celebrated a major construction milestone in the redevelopment of Fairacres, our oldest housing development in East Finchley.
The landmark moment was marked on Friday morning with a special event attended by Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis and Sarah Sackman MP for Finchley and Golders Green, as well as a representative from the Greater London Authority (GLA), Fairacres donors, project partners including Daniel Carmel-Brown, Chief Executive of Jewish Care and Marcus Sperber, Chair of Jewish Care, contractors, trustees and staff.
Our housing waiting list currently exceeds 150 households, highlighting the urgent need for additional homes. The project will transform the previous 29 one-bedroom apartments, extending and redesigning them into modern, energy-efficient and fully wheelchair-accessible homes. In addition, 11 new apartments will be created, including four two-bedroom homes, bringing the total number of apartments to 40.
The concrete pour milestone is an important stage of the construction process and provides the foundations for the next stages of construction.
Speaking at the event, Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, said: “What we are experiencing at Fairacres is Judaism in its true and most wonderful form: a commitment to making the world better. There are many people who have dreams, intentions and good thoughts, but very few who translate those into real action, particularly at an organisational level. JBD continues to do exactly that.”
Sarah Sackman, Member of Parliament for Finchley and Golders Green, said: “I had the privilege of visiting Fairacres last year and I could see the tenants’ sense of joy, dignity and community, alongside the support from JBD that enables tenants to live as independently as possible. This embodies our care for one another, how we treat those who need our help and empower them to live a full, rich life.”
The redevelopment has been funded through community donations, interest-free loans, and a multimillion-pound GLA grant secured through our partnership with the Joel Emanuel Trust (JET) which is part of Jewish Care. We are incredibly grateful for this collaboration, enabling the delivery of much-needed accessible homes for the community.
Construction is expected to continue throughout 2026 and 2027, with completion anticipated towards the end of 2027.