Civil society activists gathered to mark 20 years of campaigning to improve working people’s lives in London.

The delegates’ meeting by members of Telco, The East London Citizens Organisation, follows the success of campaigns such as affordable London housing and the Living Wage which was launched at Canary Wharf 15 years ago and has now been adopted legally nationwide.

Telco founder Neil Jameson, who has been London Citizens’ chief executive since 1996, gave a big thank you to its members for “standing, learning and struggling together to be co-creators of history”.

They also aim to tackle “unfairness in fuel tariffs” for those on prepaid energy meters who pay more for electricity, improve public health and fight for a living wage for the low paid.

Members of the Citizens’ south London chapter the night before saw the keys to four council flats being handed over to refugee families from war-torn Syria. The keys were given by the Salvation Army to Southwark council’s leader Peter John.