Our vision is of respectful, thriving neighbourhoods rooted in dignity, where people live in homes they can be proud of, feel safe on their streets, share communal spaces full of life, and access good jobs that offer security and worth.
We believe change comes not from the top down, but when ordinary people come together, recognise their shared interests, and take action. And we’ve proven it. By building the power of residents across Canning Town, Custom House and Newham, PEACH has already won significant victories—from rent reductions for families in temporary housing to writing off hundreds of thousands in arrears. Through organising, our community has become more connected and powerful. As one member put it: “I’d lived in my block for 31 years and didn’t know anyone. Now, after organising together, I know everyone’s name.”
Where we started
After months of kitchen-table conversations, church meetings, school discussions and street-level listening, in April 2013, 150 local residents came together to formally found the People’s Empowerment Alliance for Custom House—PEACH.
We shared personal testimonies. We spoke of life on zero-hour contracts, of cold and crumbling homes, of losing young people to violence. But we also shared hope—of the legacy of standing together in our churches, tenants’ groups and local institutions. From these conversations, we began to build something powerful.
Together, we voted on the issues that mattered most. Jobs. Housing. Safety. Health. We chose a name and mapped out a vision—not one written by consultants or planners, but shaped by residents in living rooms, cafés, and community halls. That vision still guides us.
Our first Steering Group resolved to break with the usual pattern of short-term projects and outside-imposed schemes. Instead, we took up a long-term strategy grounded in community organising—building power through relationships, listening, leadership development, and collective action. Since then, we’ve adapted and evolved—but remained member-led, expanding into Canning Town, which neighbours Custom House, and affirming our shared committed to each other.
The Legacy of East London’s Docklands and Community Organising
PEACH stands as a proud inheritor of East London’s powerful organising tradition. The Royal Docks were once the beating heart of British maritime trade—but their decline in the late 20th century brought deep social and economic upheaval. In the face of mass redundancies and disinvestment, the communities of East London didn’t wait for rescue—they organised.
From the 1889 Dock Strike, which birthed the modern labour movement, to the East London Federation of Suffragettes led by Sylvia Pankhurst, this area has a rich history of working-class mobilisation. These movements, often led by residents, faith institutions, and schools, laid the foundations for change through citizen power: from the 19th century and 20th centuries, all the way to the present day.
PEACH continues this lineage. We’re a power organisation led by local people. Our aim is simple: ensure the voices of residents shape the future of our neighbourhoods. We campaign for genuinely affordable homes, community-led development, and dignified public services. In a city shaped by market forces, we stand for something older and deeper: people organising together to win change.
Our Organising Model
PEACH builds power by building relationships. We use one-to-one conversations, house meetings, and local assemblies to listen deeply, surface shared concerns, and identify emerging leaders. We build Street Groups that organise block by block, supporting each other to take action and negotiate with powerholders. Leadership is collective and constantly growing—from the playground to the pulpit, from the high street to the high-rise.
Our core practice is house-based organising—residents opening their homes to bring neighbours together. These meetings are where trust is built, strategy is debated, and action begins. They are the backbone of our campaigns and the source of our strength.
Our Funders: Big Local (Local Trust)
PEACH is part of the Big Local Scheme, which has seen 150 of the most deprived areas across England receive £1 million worth of funding over 10 years – from 2013 – 2023 – to be spent by local people to improve their areas. In line with the funder requirements, we set up a decision-making body – PEACH Steering Group – consisting of at least 8 local residents, representing the diverse communities living in Custom House, who all volunteer their time as part of the Steering Group and other PEACH projects. The group meets once a month to make democratic decisions about PEACH’s strategy, projects and budgets. The group is responsible for producing an annual budget and Big Local Plan, which lays out what we are aiming to achieve and how we are going to get there. To produce this plan, the Steering Group regularly consults with the wider community and holds large meetings where PEACH members make decisions together. You can find out more about Big Local here. PEACH also receives funding from Trust for London and JRCT.
Our Achievements
Since we launched in April 2013, we are proud to say that PEACH has grown and can count some impressive achievements.
PEACH members formed the Mears Cats campaign group and campaigned for 4 years to break the council’s contract with Mears (a property management company that left homes to fall into disrepair and bullied residents). Eventually they secured HUGE wins returning 250 properties to council management, securing 60% rent reductions for 250 temporary tenant households and a 300k rent arrears amnesty.
In autumn of 2021 as part of the Love Custom House Now project, PEACH members fought for and won an interim refurbishment programme delivered by Newham Council. This was especially for the ex-Mears properties that were in unlivable conditions. For the first time in decades money is being spent on refurbishing homes and emergency repairs are being fixed. Over 80 properties were refurbished by the end of 2023, including 5 blocks where windows were changed from mould-prone, single glazed to safer, double glazed.
In Hoskins Close, residents made the local press by taking ‘mouldy’ ginger bread house biscuits to the Head of Property Services to highlight the state of their homes. They lead a successful negotiation to ensure that hundreds of thousands of pounds from the council will be invested in the estate.
The Shopkeepers of Freemasons Rd came together and established a Shopkeepers’ Charter to protect the local high-street through the regeneration program. Over a 100 young people gathered to commemorate the life of Bobby Litambola who was sadly murdered in Custom House, and worked with shopkeepers to launch 9 City Safe Havens in the area where people can seek sanctuary.
We are currently working with local partners to deliver a brand new Community Garden in Fords Park Road, made possible by £45,000 in grant funding to PEACH from the People’s Postcode Lottery and the National Lottery. We are also delivering projects to tackle mould and damp in properties, through our relationship with GAP and during 2025, will be rolling out a programme to support those residents” for whom English is a second language to ensure that they are able to access housing support services.
