MORE than 60 Ealing community leaders held a candle-lit advent procession from Christ the Saviour church, Ealing Broadway, to St Barnabas in Pitshanger on Sunday.

It comes after years of campaigning by Ealing Citizens for affordable housing to be built in the borough, specifically in Central Ealing and Acton.

The campaign received a boost when the three main prospective Parliamentary candidates for Ealing Central and Acton, Rupa Huq (Labour), Julian Gallant (Conservatives) and Sonul Badiani (Liberal Democrats) all pledged their support for the Affordable Housing Campaign.

The work of Ealing Citizens and the Affordable Housing Campaign is an example of community activism bringing about meaningful change.

For three years, members of faith and community groups have worked together with the council developing a plan for 50 permanently affordable homes on a site in central Ealing.

By working with the London Community Land Trust, people from Ealing are at the heart of the project.

READ MORE: Count Binface makes bid for Christmas No.1

READ MORE: London tailors move to Perivale - on a green mission

Last year, at a local election housing assembly, the leader of Ealing Council, Cllr Julian Bell, committed to working with Ealing Citizens to build 50 Community Land Trust homes in central Ealing.

The council is now close to providing a site.

The candle-lit procession was followed by a celebration, in which many churches, faith institutions and others gathered for an advent service led by the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Sarah Mullaly.

Jackie Ashmenall, of Christ the Saviour, said: “Time and time again, we hear of families having to leave their communities, struggle with squalid living conditions and chronic overcrowding. Poor housing is bad for families and bad for society."

Fr Justin Dodd, parish priest at St Barnabas, added: “Adult children are still at home with parents, when they should be making homes of their own. For communities to flourish, people need to be able to put down roots and have real homes.”