Tenant board members urge others to get involved

Four tenants newly elected to their housing association board have pledged to work towards further service improvements and to encourage other residents to participate in decision-making.

Brenda Straw, Fred Oldershaw, Alan Tyler and Jenny Howe were selected as board members at a residents’ conference organised by Three Valleys Housing, which owns and manages 5,200 homes across the East Midlands.

They each presented a manifesto and their views on the organisation’s future before a vote in a day of presentations and discussions at the Village Hotel in Chilwell, Nottingham.

The event, overseen by representatives from the Tenant Participation Advisory Service, was part of a policy by Three Valleys Housing of engaging residents in decisions that affect them and of building a strong and effective Board.

Brenda Straw, who was standing for re-election, said she would like to encourage more tenants to get involved in all aspects of Three Valleys Housing.

Fred Oldershaw, who talked passionately about his vision of including young people in community activities and creating friendships, said: “The conference was absolutely brilliant and I couldn’t fault it in any way.”

Alan Tyler added: “I would like to see Three Valleys Housing being the best through partnership working. I was impressed by how well the event had been organised.”

Paul Eastwood, Chief Executive of Three Valleys Housing, said: “Resident involvement is key to our organisation and I am delighted the event was so well received. We are also undertaking a resident involvement service review with a group of tenants to ensure our future is interwoven with the views and needs of our residents.”