Communities, places people are proud to be part of
Throughout 2023/24, we have continued to actively seek out, listen to, and act on resident feedback across all our neighbourhoods with the aim of building stronger communities. Our focus remains on improving our services based on what our residents tell us. This year we provided 116 resident engagement opportunities, involving 984 residents; ensuring residents voices truly are at the heart of what we do.
During the process of engaging with the communities we work in, we heard numerous concerns about communal repairs and security on our estates. As a result in 2024/25 we have re organised how we manage repairs related to door entry systems, gates and barriers, CCTV and aerials along with electronic doors, moving this from our Compliance team (which is primarily focused on inspections and servicing) to our Property Maintenance Team. This enables closer monitoring and, where there are delays, intervention with key contractors and better communication to residents. We have also been working with the police and local councils to focus more resources on crime and ASB deterrence in key areas. As the rest of the year progresses, we expect that residents will start to see the positive impact.
Our Spotlight Panel
We’ve been doing lots of work alongside our Spotlight Panel to ensure our residents voices are at the core of shaping our services and the way we’ll work moving forward.
This year we hosted online Spotlight roundtable meetings, independently chaired by the Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS). These sessions focused on sustainability and climate change and on strengthening the role of Spotlight in the organisation.
We have been working closely with Spotlight to involve residents in recruitment for all resident-facing roles. We trialled this approach by including residents in the hiring process for a Neighbourhood Manager, Resident Engagement Officers, and a Resident and Community Engagement Manager. Throughout the year, the Spotlight panel have expanded on this successful approach to become involved in the recruitment of our Director of Asset Management and Head of Property Maintenance ensuring input across all levels of the organisation.
Additionally, we continue to collaborate with TPAS and Spotlight to help set our priorities, update Spotlight’s terms of reference, and identify the next scrutiny project.
Expanding resident involvement
In 2023, we launched a new approach to resident scrutiny. This led to 15 recommendations being approved and implemented throughout 23/24, with our residents directly involved in improving our services.
We have also grown our Together Panel by almost 25% from 417 to 521 members, allowing more of you to engage with us on key issues.
Community events and engagement
Our six community events this year brought together over 360 residents, providing an opportunity for residents to connect with our teams and have their say. One highlight was our event at Somers Town, where 78 residents engaged with staff on issues like ASB, mental health support, and repairs.
At Christmas, we supported 46 households in need by distributing vouchers raised through generous donations from our partners. This helped families and individuals during the festive season, a time when extra support can make a real difference.
Neighbourhood explorers
Our Neighbourhood Explorer events continued to be a key part of our engagement with communities. The events take place in different areas and give our colleagues from across the organisation the opportunity to get out and speak with residents about their community and any concerns they might have. Across four Neighbourhood Explorer events, 115 residents shared their views on issues such as maintenance, anti-social behaviour (ASB), and the condition of communal areas, helping us create targeted Neighbourhood Action Plans.
Our community funding
In 2023/24, we provided just over £10,000 in community funding, supporting various resident activities and community projects along with ensuring vouchers are available to the households that need them most at Christmas.
Residents enjoyed several trips and social events throughout the year as well as a range of community-focused projects, including:
- Art Sessions at St Mungo's Camden Mental Health Hostel: Delivered art therapy sessions to residents with long-term mental health issues, helping them engage creatively and improve well-being.
- Accredited Qualifications and Work Experience by NLP Sports CIC (Enfield): Provided work experience and mentoring for residents, promoting careers in sports and teaching and removing barriers to entry in these industries.
- Free Under 5 Stay and Play Sessions by Highgate Newtown Community Partners (Athlone Hall): Weekly sessions offered interactive play, music, and healthy eating activities for local families, fostering early childhood development in a supportive environment.
- Sport Media Project by Connect 4 Change CIC (Basil Jellicoe and Athlone Halls): Workshops introduced young participants to sports media, providing hands-on experience in podcasting, broadcasting, and sports journalism, while boosting confidence and career aspirations.
Our community funding aims to support initiatives that enhance residents' well-being and create lasting opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Looking ahead
In 2024/25, we will build on this work by expanding our Resident Engagement Register, broadening the positive impact our Spotlight Panel have across the organisation, continuing our neighbourhood walkabouts, and rolling out more training opportunities for residents to take part in scrutiny and recruitment. We will also focus on delivering improvements to areas identified by residents, like maintenance of communal areas, damp and mould issues and with fire safety.
Together, we’re creating stronger partnerships that ensure your voice is heard and acted upon, making our communities safer, better maintained, and more supportive places to live. Thank you for your continued participation and feedback – your involvement is key to shaping our future.
Celebrating 100 years: Ted Willis
Playwright, novelist and screenwriter, Edward Henry Willis, commonly
called Ted Willis, was President of the Humanist Housing Association in the 1970s. Born in 1914, Willis enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers when WWI broke out. Towards the end of the war, he married actress Audrey Hale in 1944, with whom he had a son and a daughter.
Always a politically active individual, Willis became Chairman of the Labour League of Youth in 1937 as the left candidate. Then in 1941 he became Secretary General of the Young Communist League.
Willis was passionate about drama and he wrote numerous plays for the Unity Theatre, first starting during the war. Near St Pancras, it was converted from a chapel into a workers’ theatre. The Unity Theatre was a space to encourage political action and portray working class life from a left-wing perspective. The theatre had a new community approach from the early 70s. After a fire in 1975 in the auditorium, several groups tried to raise funds to get the theatre back to use, but eventually, in 1988, the site was sold to St Pancras Housing Association.