On 3 October, the ARCH Tenants Group held another successful
conference that hosted over 90 delegates. It was a fantastic
occasion attended by tenant representatives from all over the
country keen to hear key updates from speakers and enjoy a day of
networking and taking away ideas for their local areas.
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council hosted with the Mayor of
Rotherham, Sheila Cowan opening our conference. All delegates and
speakers were welcomed to the New York Stadium in a conference room
boasting views over the football pitch.
The morning included updates from the Regulator of Social
Housing, with the Head of Tenant Engagement updating delegates on
how they can expect their landlords to provide meaningful
opportunities to influence and scrutinise their policies and
services. Then, the Building Safety Regulator provided an update on
safety within the sector, including how residents should feel
informed and included in discussions on safety with their
landlord.
Presentations were made to tenants who were nominated by their
councils for Community Champion Awards for going above and beyond
for their communities. Ben Taylor received the highest award for
the work he does to improve the area and bring together the
residents of Park Town in Luton. David Palmer and Ginnette Hardy
both received highly commended awards. David, for the support and
advocacy he does with the residents in his community in Crystal
Palace in Croydon, and Ginnette for the work she does in leading
several community groups, including an established food bank and
hot meal service for the residents of Newark.
The afternoon session included presentations from Rotherham
Metropolitan Council on how they responded to and rebuilt
communities following the floods in Catcliffe in 2023. This was
followed by a moving presentation from Talk 'n' Train's Joshua
Robinson and Jordan Hart. They shared their own experiences with
delegates and what inspired them to set up 'Talk 'n' Train' -- a
support group set up to improve men's mental health through
combining exercise and talking therapies.
Feedback from the conference included delegates complimenting
the quality of the speakers, and one delegate feeling inspired. She
said, 'We can do this!' referring to tenants and the contributions
they can make in their communities and others saying they have
'lots of ideas to take away'.
Many thanks to the ARCH Tenant Group Committee members and
speakers who worked together to ensure the conference was useful
and engaging for all delegates.
The Arch Tenants
Group
The Conference
Session
We are now looking forward to planning the 2025 ARCH Tenants'
Conference! If you'd like to nominate your Council to host next
year's conference, please contact emma.teal@arch-housing.org.uk.
The host Council is not expected to contribute financially to the
delivery of the event, but we would like them to feature somewhere
in the programme to share some of the work they do in their
area.