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New milestone marked for Jewish Blind & Disabled residential redevelopment
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis and Sarah Sackman MP amongst dignitaries at Fairacres housing complex in East Finchley
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis and Sarah Sackman, MP for Finchley and Golders Green were amongst donors, project partners, trustees and supporters at a symbolic concrete pouring on Friday 4 September at the redevelopment site of Fairacres, Jewish Blind & Disabled’s oldest housing complex in East Finchley.
The ‘pour’ milestone is an important stage of the construction process, which began in March 2026 and provides the foundations for the next stages of the build. Once complete, the building will deliver 40 modern accessible homes for people living with physical disabilities and/or vision impairments.
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.
JBD’s housing waiting list currently exceeds 150 households, highlighting the urgent need for additional homes specifically designed for people living with physical disabilities and vision impairment.
Chief executive Lisa Wimborne said: “Our biggest challenge remains our waiting list. Every name on that list represents someone whose current housing is not right for them. Behind every statistic is a person, and often a family, waiting for the opportunity to live with greater dignity and freedom. Every week that passes, more people need what this building will provide, and the completion of Fairacres can’t come soon enough.”
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, MP 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 a combination of community donations, interest-free loans from individuals, families, Trusts and Foundations, and a multimillion-pound grant from the Greater London Authority (GLA).
Construction is expected to continue throughout 2026 and 2027, with completion anticipated towards the end of 2027.
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