Get Connected Summer 2016

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UPDATE True to our values Connect is delighted to announce the appointment of Helen Lennon as our new Chief Executive from 1st August <strong>2016</strong>. Helen has worked for Connect for over 20 years (most recently as Director of Neighbourhoods and Communications) and following an open recruitment process, Helen has been chosen by the Board to lead the organisation. We invited Nicola Sharp, tenant and committee member of Connect Residents Federation (CRF), to talk to Helen and discover more about her journey so far and plans for the future. Nicola Sharp: What made you choose housing as a career? Helen Lennon: I was brought up in a council house which gave me a great foundation in life. When I left university I wanted to do something with a social purpose, so I worked in a day centre for homeless people. I loved the job and it was an eye-opener – I saw the value of the work we did to help people get back into a home. There were two routes for me to take from there; social work or housing. I felt that the housing side was more for me. NS: When did you join Connect? HL: I first joined as a tenant in 1988. I lived for two and a half years in a flat in Chapeltown. I thought Connect (then The 8 I would like all of our tenants to have a sense that they are investing in something bigger – by renting from Connect they are investing in their communities. Helen Ridings) was a great company, so when the opportunity arose to work for them after I had moved out, I jumped at it. NS: Have you seen a lot of changes at Connect? HL: Oh yes! We were much smaller when I started and we only worked in Leeds. The merger in 2006 was a great opportunity as it meant we could help more people across three local authorities and continue to build homes and offer lifechanging services to a broader range of people. What hasn’t changed are our values. We have stuck to these, no matter what changes are happening around us – that’s important to me and the reason I have stayed. NS: How will you engage with tenants? HL: This is very important to me. We have an ambition to support residents to create neighbourly places to live.
We have six new Community Housing Officers starting shortly who will have smaller geographical areas to cover. The intention is that they get to know people in those areas really well and develop a better understanding of what our tenants want from Connect in an ever-changing world. NS: Will you continue to work with the CRF? HL: Absolutely. The CRF does a phenomenal amount of work which is voluntary and gives Connect great insight, so it’s really important that this carries on and we continue to support them in new and different ways. NS: Finally, do you have a message for all of Connect’s tenants? HL: I see this job as a great responsibility. I’m carrying forward a legacy that goes back 50 years. Connect was one of the organisations created at the time of the film ’Cathy Come Home’ to respond to a housing crisis. We’ve still got a housing crisis and I want Connect to continue to be part of the solution. As a tenant, I felt good about renting from Connect because I felt my rent was being invested back into my community and residents’ lives. I saw this as ethical investment. We are in an era where the big push is for home ownership. Home ownership is not for everyone – it can be very stressful, insecure, uncertain and poorer quality than living in good, well-maintained social housing. I would like all our tenants to have a sense that they are investing in something bigger – by renting from Connect they are investing in their communities. Farewell from Jenny ‘Home’ is my all-time favourite word. All of us need shelter and safety, but a home is so much more than that. A place where we can relax and grow and be ourselves. A place to bring up our families. A place where we can give and get the support we need. A place where we can become part of a community. Ensuring that everyone has a place they can call home should be a priority for a healthy society, but sadly too many people find this impossible to achieve in our current dysfunctional housing market. So this is where Connect comes in… Helping people – young or old, employed or not, long established or newly arrived – to find a place that is secure and truly affordable, where they can create a real home, is Connect’s goal, and taking responsibility for making this happen has been a huge privilege. Sometimes daunting, often inspiring, never dull! But I simply could not have done this job without great colleagues at Connect and without a true ‘critical friend’ in the CRF, constructively holding me to account on your behalf. So I want to say a heart-felt thank you to everyone who has worked with me and supported me along the way. Connect’s work is needed now more than ever. As I move on to a different challenge (making homes energy efficient and sustainable) I will greatly miss being part of Connect’s future. All good wishes for the future, to you and to Connect. Jenny Brierley, Chief Executive to July <strong>2016</strong> I know that Helen will make sure Connect continues to thrive, to work hard to improve its services, and to put its values into practice every day of the week, helping to make ‘home’ a reality for many more people. Jenny 9
Page 1 and 2: Get Connected THE MAGAZINE FOR RESI
Page 3 and 4: High Five News you can use This pop
Page 5 and 6: The numbers £410,512 As a result o
Page 7: The Connect Residents Federation (C
Page 11 and 12: The selection We choose replacement
Page 13 and 14: COMMUNITY Diamonds are forever Cong
Page 15 and 16: The sweet smell of success Resident

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