As we celebrate the centenary of the Swaythling Housing Society, Abri’s founding organisation, we have a unique opportunity to reflect on a legacy built on social purpose, innovation, and community. From our founding in 1925 to the organisation we know today, we have continually evolved to meet the changing housing needs in the UK.
This milestone allows us to honour our origins, recognise the visionaries who shaped our journey, and reaffirm our commitment to providing safe, affordable homes now and for future generations.
Where it all began
On 26 November 1925, the Swaythling Housing Society was founded by Fred Woolley, Claude Ashby and Herbert Collins. Their mission was clear: to help tackle the severe housing shortage the UK faced after the First World War.
That same year, Swaythling Housing Society built its first homes at Pilgrim Place, just off Mansbridge Road in the Southampton area. Constructed under the Housing Act of 1924 and let at restricted rents, these homes were built by the Society’s own workforce and designed by the celebrated architect Herbert Collins. To help fund this vital work, Collins designed larger homes for wealthy buyers. The income from these developments was vital, helping the Society continue to fulfil its core purpose of building good, affordable homes for the people who needed them most.
A century later, they, and Collins’ developments still stand as some of the earliest examples of his work, characterised by generous green spaces and a strong sense of place. Their distinct character drew attention from across the region and established Swaythling Housing Society as a pioneer in high-quality, community-focused housing.
That commitment to building communities, not just homes, is a defining feature of the Society’s legacy. The Collins Family Westfield Hall, built in 1932 is a perfect example. Serving as a social club and school, and surrounded by sports fields, gardens and allotments, it provided a dedicated space for people to come together as a community.
Today, Abri continues this community-focused spirit with our Round About Café, just around the corner from where Westfield Hall once stood. The café hosts regular events and workshops for local people, from arts and crafts and cooking lessons, to dance projects and more. The café is also home to a community pantry, providing locals with access to quality food at a fraction of supermarket costs, continuing to support those most in need, and reduce food waste.
In 2022 Abri paid homage to Collins and the Swaythling Housing Society by turning the former head office into 14 quality apartments for social rent. Now called Herbert Collins House, the development was built by our in-house construction team. It helped four people into employment, gave two students work experience and funded construction skills training for five residents, empowering and equipping the next generation with useful skills.
Remembering our purpose
A society is often judged on how well it takes care of its people and ensures fair access to essentials like housing, healthcare and education. Housing associations play a vital role in UK society, providing safe, affordable and stable homes for those who can’t access housing on the open market. A secure home lays the foundation on which individuals and families can build the lives they want to live.
Over the past century, Swaythling Housing Society has grown and evolved through several mergers and name changes: from Swaythling Housing Society to Radian Group, and, following the partnership with Yarlington Housing Group in 2019, became Abri Group.
Yet many of the challenges our founders faced remain today. The need for genuinely affordable homes continues to rise. Waiting lists for social housing in England have grown year after year, with some families facing extraordinary waits before they can be housed. The urgency is as real now as it was 100 years ago.
The centenary of the Swaythling Housing Society arrives at a fitting moment for Abri. Remembering where we began re-connects us to our core purpose as a housing association. We must continue to embody the ideals that our founders stood for and use our growing scale to take their work even further. From building more affordable, high-quality and sustainable homes, to ensuring our existing homes and communities remain places people can belong, grow and thrive. Their legacies challenge us to provide the very best homes and services we can today, while pursuing the ideals that make tomorrow better.
Investing in people and places
The people in these homes are what makes a community. To mark the centenary, we partnered with the University of Southampton’s Institute for Arts and Humanities on the Mansbridge Heritage Project- a programme exploring how residents of Mansbridge feel about where they live. Focusing on pride, heritage literacy and place perception, the project builds on Abri’s community investment plan and will guide how we invest in our communities moving forward. As part of the Mansbridge Heritage Project, residents shared what their neighbourhood means to them. Many spoke about the strength of community spirit “The community is nice, people come together.” Others described a deep sense of belonging, with one resident telling us, “I moved away but came back because it’s always felt like home.” These reflections from people who live in Mansbridge today reinforce what Herbert Collins understood a century ago: homes matter, but communities are what make places truly thrive, something that remains at the heart of Abri’s purpose.
The work from the project was shared at a public event in September marking 100 years of Mansbridge, and the findings will be published as a toolkit in January 2026. Encouragingly, 70% of those who attended said they felt more connected to Mansbridge after learning about and celebrating its rich history. This provides us with cause to celebrate our heritage and encourages us to use it to actively shape our future. The toolkit will guide our community investment approach across all our neighbourhoods, strengthening community spirit and cohesion.
Where we are going next
In 2024, Octavia Housing joined the Abri Group, meaning our roots now stretch even further back to 1865, through the legacy of Octavia Hill, the founder of modern social housing. As our partnership with Octavia deepens, Hill joins Collins and Swaythling Housing Society as one of our founding legacies. And they are more closely connected than they may seem. Hill was a major source of inspiration for Collins; in fact, Octavia Road runs through one of his earliest developments. Collins admired Hill’s approach and echoed her belief that homes should be supported by shared spaces where communities can grow together.
As the custodians of two remarkable legacies we must continue to deliver great homes, excellent services and thriving communities. That legacy calls us to meet the challenges of today, whilst pursuing the ideals of tomorrow, with the same vision that defined our founders to ensure every generation has a place to call home.
Throughout 2025, we’ve been reflecting, listening and learning as we develop our new corporate strategy for 2026-2031. It will challenge us to set a high standard and lead by the example our founders set as they pioneered a new form of housing. We look forward to sharing more with you in the new year.