|
|
The Dispatch
Your monthly news from Embassy Gardens |
Issue 01 · October 2026 |
|
|
|
|
Welcome to The Dispatch
Life here, together.
Hello neighbours,
Our monthly newsletter has a fresh look and a new name. Welcome to the first edition of The Dispatch.
Why "The Dispatch"? For centuries, embassies have sent dispatches home: regular reports on what's happening on the ground. Living in Embassy Gardens, it felt like the right name for a monthly report from your neighbours on the committee, covering what the association is doing, what's on around the estate and the wider neighbourhood, and how you can get involved.
This month: an urgent note for leaseholders about fire doors, a round-up of the EGRA AGM and your new committee, our autumn events, a call for volunteers to run meet-ups through the darker months, the latest on Right to Manage, Sky Pool news, winter heating, estate updates and finances, the Staff Appreciation Fund, resident discounts, and what's on around Nine Elms and Battersea.
|
|
|
|
Important · Leaseholders
Fire doors: last chance for free works
Not sure whether your front door's defect works have been done? Scan the QR code on the door. If they're still outstanding, email vsudayen@ballymoream.com and copy info@egra.org.uk now. Slots aren't guaranteed.
The Freeholder is paying for the works now. If you miss this programme, you'll have to arrange and pay for compliant works yourself (usually around £500 + VAT).
|
|
|
|
01 · EGRA AGM round-up
Ten years of Ambassador and Capital, and a new committee
Thank you to all the leaseholders who came to the EGRA AGM on Wednesday 16 September in the Becket Lounge, Ambassador Building, in person or online. About 100 leaseholders took part. A strong turnout strengthens EGRA's mandate when we represent leaseholders with BAML and the freeholders.
On the night we covered:
| • | The year in review: what EGRA has been working on over the past year. |
| • | A new constitution: members approved the updated EGRA Constitution. |
| • | Your 2026–2027 committee was elected (below). |
Afterwards we fired up the BBQ for burgers and hot dogs, and opened some champagne to mark 10 years of Ambassador and Capital. It was great to see so many neighbours out together.
Meet your 2026–2027 committee
All volunteer residents from across Phase 1 and Phase 2. Get in touch with any of us at info@egra.org.uk.
|
|
Co-chair
Charles Hyde
Ambassador D
|
|
|
Co-chair
Mike Croucher
Ambassador A
|
|
|
Secretary
Andy Lane
Legacy A
|
|
|
Phase 1 Officer
Georgia May
Ambassador F
|
|
|
Phase 2 Officer
James Fok
The Modern D
|
|
|
|
Officers
Patricia Spalding · Legacy A
Alessia Tonetti · The Modern E
Alex Glover · The Modern E
Cherry Choi Yee Ng · The Modern E
Naureen Khan · Ambassador F
|
|
|
|
|
02 · Coming up from EGRA
What's on at Embassy Gardens
Book EGRA events on the website. Have your building and apartment number to hand.
|
|
26
OCT
|
Nine Elms Safer Neighbourhood Ward Panel
Mon 26 October · 7:00pm · Business Lounge Boardroom, Legacy Building, 1 Viaduct Gardens, SW11 7AY · Free
Have your say on crime, policing and community safety. Meet the local Met Police Safer Neighbourhood Team, hear the latest crime figures and help set policing priorities for the area. Last time, topics included phone snatching and robbery, bike theft, anti-social behaviour, mopeds, CCTV and estate security.
|
|
|
28
OCT
|
Halloween House Quiz
Wed 28 October · 7:00pm · The Orangery · teams of up to 5 · £13
Eight rounds of trivia, music and pictures, with a few spooky surprises. There are prizes for the winning team, the best team name and the best fancy dress.
|
|
|
01
NOV
|
Movember Challenge 2026
1–30 November · residents vs staff · £10 donation
Start clean-shaven on 1 November and grow a Mo for men's health. Pick your side: residents or staff. All money raised goes to Prostate Cancer UK, and EGRA keeps none of it.
|
|
|
|
See all EGRA events →
|
|
|
03 · Darker nights, brighter neighbours
Could you start a meet-up?
The clocks go back on Sunday 25 October. As the evenings get darker, we'd like to help residents get together more often with small, regular, resident-run socials, so there's always a friendly face nearby.
We need residents to take the lead. Here are a few ideas, but we'd love to hear yours:
● Monthly after-work drinks
● Book club
● Board games or quiz nights
● Supper club or cook-along
|
● Running or walking group
● Parents & little ones' coffee morning
● New residents' welcome drinks
● Film nights
|
🌱 Already in the works: we're setting up a volunteer gardening group. Keep an eye out for details.
|
What we're asking
A lead or small group for each meet-up who takes responsibility for organising it. Each group should pay for itself through ticket prices, bring-a-bottle or pay-your-own-way. EGRA can't fund meet-ups.
|
What EGRA can offer
Basic comms support: a mention in this newsletter, a listing on egra.org.uk, a post in the residents' WhatsApp community, and help getting the word out.
|
Interested? Email us with a line about your idea and how often you'd like to meet. Even if you just want to help someone else run one, please get in touch.
|
|
04 · Right to Manage update
Who runs our buildings, and who they answer to
Right to Manage (RTM) would let leaseholders take over the management of their buildings from the freeholder. The Embassy Gardens RTM campaign is a distinct project, coordinated by EGRA on behalf of leaseholders. Here's where it stands:
| Latest: the campaign is making good progress. We've now written to non-resident leaseholders, so owners who don't live here hear about RTM and have the chance to take part. |
| Online briefing for owners: Thursday 15 October, 12 noon London (3pm Dubai, 7pm Hong Kong). Register at eg-rtm.com/register and choose your session, and the dial-in details will be sent to you. Owners who live away or overseas can do everything remotely. Can't make it? Register anyway and you'll get the recording. |
| The target: at least half of all apartments in each building need to sign up before RTM can go ahead. Support is counted building by building. |
| Joining: registering your apartment takes about two minutes. It's free and doesn't commit you to anything. |
| Funding: leaseholders can choose to give £170 per apartment to the RTM Fund, which pays the legal costs. |
|
|
|
05 · Sky Pool update
Winter hours now, a 12-week closure coming
Autumn and winter hours (from 1 October)
| Sky Pool | 10am to 5pm, every day |
| Sauna & steam room | Until 8:30pm, every day |
| Towel hire | Not available after 5pm, once the pool has closed, including for the sauna and steam room |
| Bringing a guest | Now £15 (was £20) |
|
Please keep booking through the app, as it helps the team see when the pool is used. Booking slots are now unlimited. Questions go to Max Taylorson, Health Club Manager, at mtaylorson@ballymoream.com.
Essential maintenance works this winter
Leaseholders have had a letter from the Embassy Gardens team about planned maintenance on the Sky Pool and its terrace. In short:
| • | What: sanding and polishing the pool's acrylic surfaces, plus the temporary access and protection needed to do it safely. This maintenance is due roughly every five years, and it protects the pool's warranty. |
| • | When: the works are now likely to start in November, and the pool will close for about 12 weeks. Exact dates will be confirmed once the tender process is finished. |
| • | Consultation: this follows the Section 20 Notice of Intention sent in November 2025. A Section 20 Notice of Estimates will follow once the tender results are in. The sanding and polishing has to be done by Reynolds, the pool's original maker and installer, to protect the warranty. Because of this, the managing agent may apply on the landlord's behalf for dispensation from the consultation requirements for that part of the work. Other parts, such as access, have been put out to several contractors. |
| • | 10th floor: details of what happens to the other amenities on the 10th floor will follow. |
We'll share the closure dates as soon as they're confirmed. If you have questions or concerns about the works or the consultation, let us know at info@egra.org.uk.
The Orangery: what's next
Darby's finished at The Orangery on 30 September, at the end of its agreement and ahead of the pool works. The Orangery stays open through October.
We expect to hear more about plans for a permanent kitchen at The Orangery in the next couple of weeks. With planning permission and Building Safety Act requirements, it could be a year-long project.
Separately, we're starting to look for operators to run The Orangery next summer. If you're a resident who'd be interested in running a sustainable food and drink operation there, email info@egra.org.uk. |
|
|
|
06 · Winter heating
Getting ready for the cold
To reduce the chance of heating problems this winter, EGRA has asked BAML to test-run the extra heating capacity before the cold sets in. We've also asked them to do a mini audit of their critical spare parts.
|
Has your HIU been serviced in the last 10 months?
If not, we recommend booking a service now so your heating and hot water are working properly before the cold weather arrives. Book through the EG Life app › Our Spaces › HIU Servicing. The annual service is covered by the service charge.
|
|
|
|
07 · Estate updates
What we've been pushing for
|
Phase 2 deadband fix: trials successful
The first trials of the fix for the heating and cooling deadband issue in Phase 2 have worked. We're now looking at how it will be rolled out. Leaseholders who want the upgrade will need to pay for it, but we hope it will quickly pay for itself.
|
|
Phase 2 access hatches: Freeholder to fix
For Phase 2 apartments with access hatch problems, the Freeholder has agreed to fix them. This will only be available for a limited time, so watch out for details and act quickly when the window opens.
|
|
A better gate for the Capital podium
After more than two years of pushing, EGRA has got BAML to install a better gate to the Capital podium. It improves security by stopping easy access to the podium level.
|
|
Service charges & finances
Keeping costs under control
Day-to-day spending: we still meet BAML every month to review all service charge spending, with the goal of keeping within the 2026 operating budget. So far we're running roughly on budget, but there are a few pressures to manage in the last months of the year.
Reserve fund: we're still waiting for the capital expenditure plan for the estate. It will give a clearer picture of the short, medium and long-term funding gap, and we'll update leaseholders once we understand it. We believe the reserve fund has a gap, which may mean higher percentage reserve fund contributions in future.
That's why keeping the day-to-day service charge budget under control is key to avoiding another large service charge increase.
|
|
|
08 · Christmas 2026 · EG Staff Appreciation Fund
Show your thanks
Help us reach our £15,000 goal and give every member of the Embassy Gardens team a well-deserved Christmas thank-you, shared equally, from cleaners and gardeners to concierge and security.
From the warm welcome at the front desk to late-night security patrols, cleaning, maintenance, gardening, yard and valet services, around 90 members of staff work across Embassy Gardens. You may rarely see many of them, but their contribution is felt every day. We created the fund so that everyone who works across the estate is recognised equally, not just front-line staff.
|
£15,000 this year's target |
|
~90 staff, an equal share each |
|
|
Most contributions are between £50 and £100, though every amount helps. With around 1,400 apartments, if just a fraction of us give, we'll comfortably get there.
How it works
| 1 | Fill in the short form on the Staff Fund page. |
| 2 | Make a bank transfer using the details shown, with the reference STAFF [your apartment]/[building]. |
| 3 | We pool everything and share it equally among all staff, then add contributor names to a community thank-you card. Prefer to stay anonymous? Just choose that on the form. |
Deadline: 10 December 2026, so we can finalise the fund and hand out the gifts before the festive break.
100% of the money raised goes to EG staff. No money goes to EGRA or EGRA committee members.
|
|
|
09 · Resident discounts
Perks on your doorstep
Offers for Embassy Gardens residents from local businesses. Ask at the venue for details.
| 20% off |
The Alchemist
Your food bill, Sunday to Friday, for parties of 1 to 6. Not valid in December. |
| 10% off |
Darby's
Breakfast, lunch, dinner or drinks at the bar (not bakery items). Breakfast is served Wednesday to Saturday. |
| 20% off |
District
Most items. |
| 20% off |
Remedi Spa
Your first treatment (non-prescription appointments only). |
|
|
10 · Around Nine Elms & Battersea
On our doorstep
Local events run by other organisers. Check times and tickets with them before you go.
|
|
Know about something local that's coming up? Tell us at info@egra.org.uk and we'll consider it for next month.
|
|
Know a neighbour who'd like this?
EGRA membership is free for every resident, whether you own or rent. Forward this email and ask them to join.
|
|
|
|
Embassy Gardens Residents' Association
Run by volunteer residents. Independent of the developer and estate management.
egra.org.uk · info@egra.org.uk · Help & contacts
This newsletter is produced by volunteers to benefit leaseholders and tenants living at Embassy Gardens. We welcome editorial contributions from residents, and from local businesses and organisations with promotions or news for our community. Send them to info@egra.org.uk.
Our mailing address is:
Embassy Gardens Residents Association
Ambassador Building Post Room
5 New Union Square
London, SW11 7BR
Not getting The Dispatch?
Membership is free for every resident. Join EGRA to get it by email.
Privacy notice
|
|
