Celebrating Community Champions

The National Federation of ALMOs Photography Exhibition 2018

Celebrating Community Champions

WelcomeI am pleased to introduce the third NFA photography competition, which this year

celebrates our community champions – ALMO tenants and residents who proudly

support and speak on behalf of those living in our communities.

I regularly hear stories from our ALMOs about those tenants who show a passion for making

positive changes; changes which benefit those living in social housing and surrounding

neighbourhoods. Following the Grenfell Fire tragedy, the importance of ensuring tenants

are involved in all aspects of housing management is more critical than ever.

We have tenants who actively work in communities to review housing services and help to

ensure tenants and their families live in homes and neighbourhoods that they can be proud

of. Others volunteer to provide community services; supporting everything from food

banks, support groups, clean-up days and social events in direct response to the needs of

those living locally. Our community champions also run groups that help tackle isolation

or support healthier living, and we have some great examples of these in our exhibition

this year.

These groups gather feedback from people living in social housing and in surrounding

neighbourhoods daily. Its is key for us to listen to what they have to say and act on and

resolve issues as they emerge.

As the trade body for ALMOs, our members manage just under 450,000 social homes across

England. It continues to be a priority for the National Federation of ALMOs to promote

positive images of our tenants and challenge the negative perceptions of social housing

seen all too often in the media. Our annual photography competition celebrates some of

the many life changing contributions tenants make.

I hope you enjoy the photographs and stories showcased in this book and exhibition. This

year the winner of this competition will be decided by attendees at our annual conference

and I am thoroughly looking forward to seeing which you choose.

Hugh Broadbent

Chair, National Federation of ALMOs

– 4 –

Editor: Joanne Kent-Smith

Design: Jeremy Spencer

Published by the National Federation of ALMOs

May 2018

National Federation of ALMOs

HouseMark, 4 Riley Court, Milburn Hill Road, Coventry, CV4 7HP

Telephone: 02476 472729

Email: info@almos.org.uk

Twitter: @nfa_almos

This brochure was kindly produced by Resource

Photograph index

Alison Adam Eastbourne Homes page 6

Brian Morris Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing 8

Dalton Stephens Nottingham City Homes 10

Kate Walker Six Town Housing 12

Leigh Evelyn Northampton Partnership Homes 14

Lucinda Browne Nottingham City Homes 16

Lou Knight Poole Housing Partnership 18

Marlene Lambeth Wolverhampton Homes 20

Mick Vernon Derby Homes 22

Sarah Hardy Stockport Homes 24

Alison Adam is a true unsung hero, working behind the scenes since 2007 as a

‘puppy parent’ for Sussex based charity Canine Partners.

Canine Partners provides assistance dogs to help transform the lives of people with

physical disabilities. The dogs allow their partners to enjoy a greater independence

and quality of life. Volunteers for the organisation, such as Alison, act as parents to

the puppies in the first stages of the dogs’ lives, caring for and training them up to

16 months old.

Alison said:

“I had just moved back to Eastbourne and did not have a dog. I saw a Canine

Partners flyer about being a puppy parent, and thought it was a worthwhile thing

to do, and help others as a bonus. I got my first puppy a couple of months later.”

Alison added:

“During training, the puppies are matched with a partner and I see the puppies

again at their graduation celebrations. During the ceremony, the dog’s partner talks

about how the dog has changed their life. I feel a very big reward when I see how

the love of a puppy has so changed someone’s life for the better. This is how I can

give up the dog, and why I enjoy training them.”

Image captured by Andrew McDuffie, Eastbourne Homes

Eastbourne Homes

– 6 –

Alison Adam

– 8 –

Mr Morris has been an active tenant for many years now, and in the past 6 years

he has taken on a significant role within his neighbourhood. As a keen DIYer he

took on a mission to improve the look of his community paying particular

attention to the garage sites.

He began by painting the garages doors so they looked brighter and more

attractive on the street, he then moved onto adding flower boxes above each

garage. He has also begun adding more flower beds and baskets to the street so

everyone can see them when they look out their windows.

Mr Morris wanted to create a lovely and striking place for not only himself and

his family but his neighbours as well. With his positive actions he has achieved this

and created a street which has won Bridgnorth Bloom and taken second prize in

Shropshire Bloom.

Neighbours often comment on the difference Mr Morris has made in their

neighbourhood and they are proud of their street thanks to him. Mr Morris is a

passionate and enthusiastic gardener, who has made such a positive impact on his

community, and year after year ensures the street looks better than ever. He is

always happy to give out gardening tips if asked and encourages people to visit

his beautiful garden and street with such pride.

Image captured by Shropshire Town and Rural Housing

Shropshire Towns and Rural Housing

Brian Morris

– 10 –

Dalton has lived in St Ann’s in Nottingham since he was a child. He’s well-known

in the area; some might say notorious. Dalton’s had a difficult past and hasn’t

always made the right choices, but in recent years he’s turned his life around. He

now uses his profile for good, helping young people to widen their horizons by

sharing his negative past and holding it up as an example of the road to avoid.

He’s slowly becoming a role model in his neighbourhood, particularly for

teenagers who are going through difficulties of their own, and is able to give first-

hand guidance and advice, hard-won from his own experiences.

He first began working with Nottingham City Homes (NCH) when he volunteered

to support a multi-sports session for young people on a local park. NCH was

struggling to attract young people to the sessions - that was, until Dalton got

involved. Once Dalton started showing up, local kids and teenagers had more faith,

and soon the sessions were so popular that additional sessions were needed.

Dalton became a ‘formal’ volunteer, undertook training and is now a fully

qualified sports coach, passing his qualifications with flying colours. Dalton’s

commitment and determination have seen him turn his life around completely.

He’s recently set up a young person’s forum, and a podcast to help young people

to have a voice and to share their passions, ambitions and fears, particularly

important following a recent surge in knife crime in the area.

Dalton's passion, commitment and determination are not only changing his own

life, it’s changing the lives of young people who look up to him and now seek his

guidance and support. He’s relatable, he’s charismatic, and best of all, he’s used the

strong connections he has to his community to make a difference.

Image captured by Mark Hitchings, Stag Communications

Nottingham City Homes

Dalton Stephens

– 12 –

Kate set up a monthly drop-in community café in memory of her late husband. As

his carer, Kate often felt isolated and did not know who to talk to about his illness

and the loneliness she felt. After his death, she knew she needed to do something

to help others in the community in a similar situation.

Kate’s “Talk To Me Cafe” was launched in May 2017 in the communal area of Clarks

Hill Retirement Living Scheme, which is located in Prestwich town centre. Kate

aims to connect people who are isolated or facing illness, and their carers, with

other like-minded people in the community. As well as refreshments, Kate provides

monthly quizzes and games to help people talk to others from their area that they

may never have met before.

Kate initially approached Six Town Housing for support and went on make a

successful bid to Ambition for Ageing for funding to help run the café. The

funding means that none of the attendees need to pay for cakes and

refreshments, helping it be even more inclusive for people in the community. In

recent months, Kate has invited members of Greater Manchester Police to attend

each session to talk with attendees about any concerns around crime or Anti-

Social Behaviour they may want to report, and help promote community safety.

Image captured by Clive Lawrence, professional photographer

Six Town Housing

Kate Walker

– 14 –

Leigh has been dancing for 18 years and is part of a worldwide hip-hop

community. He travels the world performing on stage for hip-hop freestyle events.

He is also a tutor and mentor in Northampton and inspires people of all ages to

take up break dancing.

Leigh grew up on a housing estate in Kings Heath in Northampton. He was

diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder growing up and was often

getting into trouble. Discovering break dancing gave him focus and a way to

channel his energy into positivity.

Leigh runs a weekly break dancing workshop at Market Street Community Hub. His

classes are informal and fun, aimed at giving his students a voice and expressing

themselves through break dance. Five years ago Leigh set up a charitable

organisation called “Old to tha new Productions”. The organisation works with

young people, schools, councillors and local community groups across

Northamptonshire to show the positive influence of hip-hop in the community. He

also runs an annual competition through local schools to give young people the

chance to perform on stage and express themselves through dance.

His work in the community led him to win the “Best Newcomer Award” in the

Northants Community Foundation Awards 2017. Leigh wants to give back to his

community as much as he can. He plans to open a dance studio in Northampton

and provide free dance classes for children from families on lower incomes.

Image captured by Alex Simmons, Northampton Partnership Homes

Northampton Partnership Homes

Leigh Evelyn, aka Bboy Swifty

– 16 –

Lucinda joined our Fit in the Community programme as a volunteer fitness

instructor about two years ago. A young single parent from a deprived inner city

area, Lucinda had ambitions for a career in fitness and saw Fit in the Community

as a great opportunity to develop her skills as an instructor. Lucinda gained her

fitness qualification and started to volunteer at her local school, running classes

to help local people get more physically active.

Fast forward two years and Lucinda has gone on to set up her own zumba classes

each week, and the group now travels around the city to promote healthy living

and demonstrate classes themselves. They’ve volunteered at a number of events

helping to change lives for the better. The group makes a huge contribution to

local people and are dedicated to helping the whole community to get fit and

have fun at the same time.

Lucinda’s passion for what she does and for her local area is infectious. She really

cares about what she does, and has used her unique skillset to make a difference

– she describes her proudest moment as the time when a woman from her class

told her that she had changed her life.

Image captured by Stephen McLaughlin, Red Snapper Imaging

Nottingham City Homes

Lucinda Browne

– 18 –

Lou cares passionately about his community, he was a councillor for 12 years and

also served a term of office as Mayor of Poole. His boundless energy, enthusiasm

and inspiration stems from a desire to improve life for those around him.

In 1995 Lou moved to Turlin Moor and felt that it had unfairly gained a negative

reputation over the years. He wanted to help remove the stigma and raise the

area’s profile. Lou strongly believes installing self-esteem at an early age will not

only help young people respect where they live, but also create a positive

environment for all. When Lou became Chairman of Turlin Moor Youth Centre, he

ensured countless opportunities and activities were made available for children to

get involved by making the centre the hub of the whole community. Lou was also

a key instigator in bringing all generations together through the establishment of

the community garden. Lou also runs the Turlin Moor Action Group raising funds

for youth club equipment, the local hospital and people.

Never one for taking credit Lou is more than happy to step back from a project to

allow other people to shine. This is just a sample of the wonderful contributions

he has made over the years. And although it’s the youth centre that’s seen as the

hub of the community, many believe that it’s Lou that brings it all together.

Image captured by Lisa Mirkhandan, Poole Housing Partnership

Poole Housing Partnership

Lou Knight

– 20 –

Marlene is a one-woman dementia awareness and fundraising machine.

Dementia is a personal issue to Marlene, she had two aunts who had dementia and

then her father developed it when he was in his 70s. He lived in warden-controlled

accommodation, but Marlene had to care for him. The experience of her father’s

decline made Marlene want to take action and start getting involved with

dementia awareness work. In her own words she says: “I’m really keen that people

know about dementia and that anyone with dementia gets the care they need.”

Now, she spends her time fundraising for the dementia ward at New Cross Hospital

in Wolverhampton and arranging community awareness days. Marlene arranges

community events with organisations such as Alzheimer’s Society, doctors and

nurses from the dementia ward, Wolverhampton Homes, the Fire Service and the

crime prevention team.

On top of her dementia work, she has been a tenant representative for over 20

years, having held the position of Secretary and Chair of the local tenants’ and

residents’ association. She was the representative on the previous housing

committee and the local police committee and she successfully bid for funding to

improve the homes and the security in her area. In 2018 she arranged an

intergenerational lunch for residents with local school children. There is nothing

Marlene won’t do to make things better for tenants.

Image captured by Carl Murphy, professional photographer Visionary Language

Wolverhampton Homes

Marlene Lambeth

– 22 –

Mick has been involved in his community for a number of years. An active member

of his Neighbourhood Board, Mick works with the local authority, Community

Safety Partnership and police, and an array of voluntary organisations in the city.

On the back of Mick’s success in overseeing the renovations at Bramblebrook

Centre, a community building in need of a complete overhaul, Derby Homes

approached Mick to help support the development of the Aspire Wrestling

Academy at St. Marks Church. The aims of this rather unique project were to use

the sport of wrestling as a platform for supporting individuals who experienced

social exclusion, those at risk of bullying or experiencing mental health issues.

Mick stepped up to the mark and quickly resolved governance issues and steered

the business plan. He has ensured the project retained its community aspirations

and is an asset for the local community.

The impact of Mick’s volunteering is far reaching. He has inspired and developed

volunteers on a personal level. He has transformed the tired St. Marks Church

building into a thriving, bustling and financially self-sufficient centre. Mick’s

passion, drive and ability to motivate others are infectious. He has made it his

mission to ensure he knows the needs of his local community. His leadership is also

evident in the effectiveness and robustness of the committees he has helped lead,

where he has fostered and developed diverse and dynamic groups of people, who

work well together, play to each other’s strengths and really enjoy what they do.

“Mick is organised, friendly and knowledgeable about the people he works with

and the areas he’s volunteering in. Never one to be afraid of a challenge, Mick has

responded well to targets that have put us both under pressure at times. If there

is such a thing as a “heavyweight champion” volunteer, Mick would be one.”

Image captured by Paul Cole, Derby Homes

Derby Homes

Mick Vernon

– 24 –

Sarah Hardy embodies community spirit with her passion for cooking and helping

to inspire others. When she isn’t researching recipes from famous bakers and chefs,

she’s managing a bustling café at the heart of the community. On the surface, it

looks like any normal café. However, Sarah’s dreams and aspirations have seen

her deliver much more to benefit her community. Sarah manages the community

café, recruiting and training volunteers under her guidance. Sarah has developed

the café into a thriving venture, tackling social exclusion for volunteers and

customers. It wasn’t always so simple though. Sarah says:

“It was hard at first, I was asked to come along to the café but I’d lost confidence

from not working. My friend was really persistent so I decided I should give it a

go. I had some volunteers to start with and helped them with getting on courses

like Food Hygiene. I try to give everyone an opportunity because a chance was

taken on me.”

For many, a meal at the café may be the only fresh meal they enjoy each day. With

that in mind, Sarah launched holiday sessions for children, parents and

grandparents to attend together where they could learn to make fresh meals and

‘Let’s get Cooking’ was born. Over 600 volunteering hours and Sarah isn’t slowing

down. She caters for events at the local community centre and the ‘Let’s get

Cooking’ programme continues to grow.

A modest, determined lady, Sarah may never truly appreciate the number of

people she has inspired. She makes time for everyone, innovating to tackle

problems she has identified and her cooking classes have help families eat well for

less. But more importantly, Sarah’s dedication brings people together; a

community focus for someone who defines community champion.

Image captured by Gareth Lowe, professional photographer

Stockport Homes

Sarah Hardy

End note

The National Federation of ALMOs would like to thank all of its members for submitting entries to this year’s

Photography Competition. We have been delighted with the number of strong images and exceptional

stories we received.

We would like to say a big thank you to the team at Resource who sponsored the exhibition and

kindly printed this brochure for us. We would also like to extend our thanks to Media Partner 24Housing who

have given their commitment to helping us promote the individual stories and photographs exhibited this year.

All of the photographs submitted to the competition can be viewed at www.almos.org.uk

Media partner

Sponsored by

NFA – National Federation of ALMOsHouseMark, 4 Riley Court, Milburn Hill Road, Coventry, CV4 7HP

@nfa_almos

Email: info@almos.org.uk

Website: www.almos.org.uk

Telephone: 02476 472729