By Richard McKeever
On May 16th 1968 Ivy Hodge went into the kitchen of her flat on the 17th floor of the Ronan Point tower block and struck a match to light the stove for her early morning cup of tea. The naked flame sparked a gas explosion, collapsing one whole corner of the building like a pack of cards.
To mark the 40th anniversary of the Ronan Point collapse last month, Frances Clarke of Community Links wrote an article for New Start Magazine about the community based campaign, developed by the tenants rehoused in Ronan Point which finally led to the demolition of the unsafe structures. The campaign had a lasting impact - a National Tower Blocks Network was established empowing tenants across the country to question their own safety which led to long lasting changes in tenant engagement and consultation.
We are grateful to NewStart Magazine for permission to reproduce the article here.
