The coordinating group is the elected leadership of the London Renters Union. It supports branches and working groups to understand what’s happening in the union as a whole and to have their voice heard. It also develops and union strategies and policies and implements the decisions we make together at our All Member Assemblies. You can read more about the Coordinating Group here.

The Coordinating group, and the Staffing and Finance Committee, are both facilitated by directly elected members. There are two slots for each of these roles, and they are all currently available.

🗳We are currently electing members to these positions – you have until 8pm on June 25 to cast your vote. 🗳

For both this roles, the candidates are running unopposed. If ‘re-open nominations’ receives more votes than the candidates then other members will be invited to put themselves forward and the elections will be run again. If the candidates receive more votes than ‘re-open nominations’ then they will be elected to the available spots.

Coordination group convenors

There are two candidates for two convenor spots – Bekah Hesse-Clark, and Elyem Chej Abderrahman

Bekah Hesse-Clark

I have spent 2 terms on the CG and in that time I have taken my role as a CG Member very seriously. I feel that a CG that truly represents the views of the different branches and working groups and understands the power it has as the union’s central leadership group can only be a good thing for the LRU. I am running for Convener as I believe I can help make this more of a reality.

If elected, I will help fellow CG members understand their role and ensure our meetings are facilitated in a way that ensures everyone can participate fully. I will work to make us feel more like a team and improve on how we work with staff members. I will carry on developing my skills as a facilitator to ensure we can make tough decisions together effectively while making space for others to also take on that role.

While I am not running to be the rep of the Newham and Leytonstone Branch, I will still work with our rep to ensure the views of our branch members inform all CG decisions while in this role.

Elyem Chej Abderrahman

My name is Elyem and I have been a member of LRU Hackney since 2018 and I’m putting myself forward for one of the LRU Coordinating group convenor roles.

I am originally from Western Sahara, grew up in the Basque Country and moved here a few years ago. I learnt from my mother and grandmother to fight for our homes and it is their energy I try to channel when I feel defeated by another rent rise or eviction notice.

I was one of the Hackney reps at CG last year, with the hope of improving communication between CG and branch, which has gotten better! But there’s still lots to do and I feel I now have gotten the hang of the Coordinating Group and that I can help by being one of the convenors, who help move the CG forward and to implement our current strategy. My main focus in this role would be to continue improving the flows of information and power and strength between the central union spaces and branches. While continuing to participate locally, as that’s where our power is built!

While seeing how our lives as renters, working class, and migrants keep getting worse, seeing how we are building a stronger and stronger housing movement has given me lots of hope and energy and would be really honored to taken on this new responsibility!

Staffing and Finance committee leads

There are two candidates for two lead spots – Elizabeth Williams, and Moritz Herle

Elizabeth Williams

Thank you for considering me as your next Staffing and Finance Lead. I am honoured to be a nominee for the Tower Hamlets branch and am looking forward to the possibility of serving the Union as a whole in this role.
From the first day I join our Union to the win of my member solidarity dispute, I knew I wanted to donate my time volunteering to help ferment radical change in the housing system. From a years service (reelected for a second term) on our union’s coordinating group, the elected leadership of the union, as branch representative for Tower Hamlets. To joining the sub-committee of the coordinating group related to staffing and finance. I consistently spend time in leadership roles and try to make our Union a community that’s an even better place than it already is. I have experience in both the finance and HR sectors, so am ready for the challenge of coordinating our staffing and finance committee, supporting staff line managers and holding them to account. Today, I am asking for your vote for SFC Lead. Should you elect me, I will represent and work hard for you. Thank you.

Moritz Herle

Hello friends and comrades, I joined the hackney branch in 2020 in search of support in my own housing issues and have since been an active member of the union, representing the hackney branch on the coordinating group in 2021, running get-active-trainings and supporting members in housing struggles. I have also sat on the Staff and Finance Committee, which has been challenging but also ultimately rewarding. Our current term has ended now, and I would really like to continue working together with the coordinating group, the staff & finance committee and all union members as our union grows in numbers and power to make sure that we have all the resources in place to continue to fight and win the housing system that we deserve. That’s why I am standing at this election and ask kindly for your support for another term. In solidarity, Moritz

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