Wales Co-op gets involved with CHC's fesTYval...

During the school holidays, we have time to consider where CHC’s recent FesTYval fitted into the summer programme of events. It began by cleaning up the unused Cyfartha School in Merthyr...

Yes, actually cleaning the school!

Delegates were welcomed by singing in the first morning session, plants could be bought all day, and popsicles were sold in the afternoon as the sun shone. The Wales Co-op shared a stand with Cadwyn Housing Association and all the visitors mingled.

Home Farm Housing Co-op featured in our exhibition as a pioneer pilot co-operative housing scheme in our support project. This support project is funded by Welsh Government and The Nationwide Foundation – the latter from their alternative housing funding programme. They are working with the international Building and Social Housing Federation as part of ‘Scaling up Community-led Housing’ which they describe here.

We are part of the Alliance across the UK, so the FesTYval in Merthyr was part of this regeneration. Ideas and messages from what used to be Wales' largest town, when coal and iron were exported all over the world, are again being used to promote Co-operative Housing across Wales and beyond.

I can’t wait for other CHC events in the Autumn, and trying to guess what and where FesTYval will be next year!


David Palmer
Wales Co-Operative Centre 

Creating Pro-Social Places – The Importance of Urban Design

To support the collective social wellbeing set out in the Marmot Review, Fair Society Healthy Lives (2010), we need to foster a culture that regards and manages places as essential infrastructure. We have entered a critical era where greater thought leadership in our place-making culture is essential.

Dubbed “Toxic Assets” by CABE, Britain’s poorly performing urban places and communities continue to absorb much of our GDP, where land, places and people are exploited and treated like commodities. In his book Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive, Jarred Diamond discusses the dangers of continued exploitation and the outcomes for societies that could not change their behaviour patterns: certain extinction.

With expenditure outstripping income, we have entered a long period of economic depression with high levels of ‘welfare’ costs signifying a nation under stress. Whilst the government’s economic austerity measures may rebalance the budget on paper, their short-term nature does not address the fundamental health and wellbeing issues that impact individuals, communities and the wider stability of the nation.

The Marmot Review emphasises the impact of urban quality on matters of equity, health and wellbeing giving urban designers an important role to play, but not through the technocratic fixes that they are typically trained to deliver. So, where do we start when thinking about the relationship between place-making, health and wellbeing?

Please visit CREW Regeneration Wales' website to read the post in its entirety.

Graham Marshall BA(Hons) PGDipLA MAUD CMLI
Professor Rhiannon Corcoran

Reimagining regeneration in Wales

Housing-led regeneration has never been more active than it currently is in Wales.

Many thought that welfare reform would reduce the amount of regeneration activity that housing associations are involved with. This has not been the case. Regeneration activity has become more focused on tackling poverty and improving the lives of tenants due to welfare reform measures.

Figures from our annual WERU report indicate that during 2013/14, housing associations spent £514m on regeneration across Wales. This is broken down into a £185m spend on new build housing development, £292m on repairs and maintenance and just over £36m spend on community regeneration. Community regeneration projects include, for example, financial inclusion, energy efficiency retrofit and advice, employment and training, digital inclusion, social enterprise creation and collaboration (with support from our Building Enterprise project), and community development.

It is an overused saying, but social housing really is much more than bricks and mortar!

Housing associations are increasingly recognised as regeneration delivery agents and many are involved in partnerships to deliver the Welsh Government's ‘Vibrant and Viable Places’ programme which has provided over £100m to regenerate communities across Wales. We welcome the recognition of the sector and believe that housing associations can play a key role in local service delivery and community regeneration as the cuts to public services continue to hit.

On 18th June, we will celebrate the sector’s role in regenerating communities at our annual fesTYval at Cyfarthfa Castle, Merthyr. The event is an an informal and interactive day suitable for all those involved in community regeneration including housing associations, local authorities, social enterprises and third sector organisations. This year has a "school theme" and we have a variety of sessions planned around the themes of wellbeing, health, social enterprise and engagement. We are expecting another sell out event with over 200 attendees!

To find out more and to book your place for only £30 per head, visit CHC's website.

You can also take a look at last year’s event on YouTube.

#fesTYval

Hayley MacNamara

Regeneration Officer

fesTYval... reimagining regeneration!

fesTYval: Reimagining Regeneration, 18 June
Swansea Care & Repair, 13C Valley Way, Alberto Road, Swansea, SA6 8QP
9am – 5pm
#fesTYval

The first of its kind in Wales!

I am very pleased to say that we have had unprecedented interest in our new and exciting housing-led regeneration event, 'fesTYval'. From the local health board to the police, Communities First, social enterprises, local authorities and of course housing association staff and tenants, it really will be a mix of delegates who will all be there to find out more, be inspired by, celebrate and challenge the social housing sector's role in regenerating communities.

On 18th June we will transform this warehouse into a visually stimulating, fun and engaging venue:

The event stems from Community Housing Cymru and CREW Regeneration Wales’ Housing-led Regeneration Network which runs on a quarterly basis and is chaired by Steve Cranston, Head of Community Investment at United Welsh. Housing-led Regeneration is a rather creative element of the work of housing associations, and we felt that a standard corporate event would not fit with the agenda and audience.

As many of you are aware, the social housing sector is increasingly involved in regenerating communities through various initiatives. To give you a snapshot of the regeneration work taking place across Wales, you can take a look at our fesTYval Pinterest page: http://gb.pinterest.com/chcgroup/festyval-reimagining-regeneration/

The sector and tenants rarely have a chance to reflect on the work taking place and to identify new pursuits. fesTYval will provide this opportunity.

In true UnConference format, fesTYval will run a loose ‘line-up’ with delegates given the choice to attend fringe events, master classes, and headline sessions throughout the day.

The 'Big Top' will host the headline speakers throughout the day, keeping us inspired and focused. The three fringe sessions will provide attendees with the opportunity to hear from showcased RSL examples and seek advice and support from colleagues on these areas of work. The measuring and reporting session will highlight the various tools and software available to the sector to capture and monitor what you are doing well. The Masterclass sessions will provide a free learning opportunity for both colleagues and tenants, giving you the tools to put your new ideas into action. Finally, Regen Street will allow you to take stock, grab a cuppa or an ice cream, and mingle with colleagues over the Washing Line or in the Cosy Caravan. The street will be lined with interactive stalls and stands from our partners, RSLs, local businesses and social enterprises for your perusal throughout the day.

Thanks to our partners including Building Enterprise, CREW and Bangor University, fesTYval will run at the low cost of only £20 per delegate. If you would like to book your place, please visit CHC's website. A warning… tickets are running low!

You can join the conversation on Twitter leading up to the event and on the day using the #fesTYval hashtag. We look forward to seeing you there!


Hayley MacNamara
Regeneration Officer

CREW Regeneration Wales' 'Deep Place' Study

CREW has recently published its ‘Deep Place’ report, the result of 12 months of detailed research into the community of Tredegar by Professor Dave Adamson and Dr Mark Lang. CREW has been pleased with the initial reaction to the report which some have described as a game changer for current approaches to tackling poverty and creating environmentally, socially, economically and culturally sustainable communities in Wales.

The research, which looked at Tredegar holistically, has identified the key disadvantages experienced by people living in the town, and identifies the positive opportunities to create a sustainable community. It offers an alternative to the view that regeneration is only about managing decline in post-industrial communities.

The ‘Foundational Economy’, a concept developed by Prof Karel Williams of Manchester University, is viewed by CREW as the principal means to achieve economic growth in Tredegar. The report argues for a more localised semi-autonomous local economy that could provide a sustainable future for the local community with, for example, localised supply chains and patterns of employment. It identifies four key sectors that are critical to future success: food; energy conservation and generation; the care sector; e-commerce and employment.

There are already spatially orientated policy initiatives in Wales, such as Enterprise Zones, Local Growth Zones and City Regions. There needs, however, to be a ‘Total Place’ strategy for communities, and this is what the Deep Place Study proposes for Tredegar.

The Deep Place approach can be used as a means more generally in other disadvantaged communities in Wales and beyond. For communities to become more resilient, inclusive governance is needed. However, this requires very different perspectives from the normal approach to power at community level and will depend on willingness and openness of public sector organisations at national, regional and local levels to share power, coordinate activities, develop synergies and work for common objectives.

To find out more, you can download the report, Toward A New Settlement: A ‘Deep Place’ Approach to Equitable and Sustainable Places, from the CREW website.

CREW Regeneration Wales will also be hosting a Twitter talk on the study later today from 5 until 7pm, using the #DeepPlace hashtag. 




Dr Mark Lang
CREW Regeneration Wales

Digital exclusion - a tackling poverty issue

Having internet access within the home is fast becoming a necessity, not a luxury. The divide between those that are with broadband and those that are without because they cannot afford it is creating a social divide. Digital exclusion is therefore a tackling poverty issue.

Twenty per cent of social housing tenants who are not online cite that it is because they cannot afford home broadband. This equates to over 40,000 tenants across Wales who cannot afford to use the internet and take advantage of:

• Saving money through purchasing products/services online
• Searching and applying for jobs 
• Accessing online education and information services 
• Improved, fast communication with family and friends 
• Accessing online public services, including health services and remote monitoring
  

Having online access also leads to improved wellbeing and mental health, especially for the elderly. A study at the Phoenix Centre found that internet use leads to around a 20% reduction in depression classification and, compared with the digitally excluded, internet users feel less lonely and their personal wellbeing is enhanced.

Having access to the internet can mean the difference between work and unemployment, inclusion and exclusion, and happiness and depression.

Helping tenants to get online involves supporting them with developing online skills, helping them to realise the benefits of using the internet, and enabling them to have access to the internet. Community hubs currently provide a fantastic resource to up-skill the community through online training courses and some also provide free internet access. However, not everyone is able to access these facilities, especially those isolated or housebound. Of those that are online, 84% prefer to access the internet within their own home.

‘Fighting Poverty’ is about tackling the root causes of deprivation and enabling those in poverty to have the same opportunities as others. It is one of our five key aims in our CHC Corporate Plan and we therefore support our members to impact positively on the economic, environmental and social circumstances of tenants, leaseholders and communities. Our Your Benefits are Changing campaign and Moneyline Cymru service have done just that, and we are now looking to further support our members to raise the benchmark and help tenants to get online in the comfort of their own home.

To find out more about the work we are involved with on digital inclusion, contact Hayley MacNamara on hayley-macnamara@chcymru.org.uk .


Hayley MacNamara
Regeneration Officer

RSLs as place makers

The Royal Society of Architecture Wales conference I attended recently on 'The place of home' inspired me to write this blog post. For me, the conference raised a key question: How do you define a home? In the sector we often refer to creating 'homes' instead of 'houses', but what is the difference?

In my opinion, the word 'housing' denotes a physical structure or a 'unit' as the development industry would say. Comparably, the word ‘home’ is a word with deeper meaning. The perception of the word ‘home’ depends on the individual and their experiences but will often resonate feelings such as security, happiness, freedom and comfort. It may refer to a residence or a place such as the community or the city you live in.

So how do RSLs create the ‘place of home’?

No longer are RSLs considered as just affordable housing providers. The 2013 Welsh Economic Research Unit report highlights this by showing that in addition to new build development, maintenance and renovations, RSLs spent approximately £509m during 2012/13 on community regeneration initiatives. In this year’s WERU report, we wanted to highlight the types of community regeneration that this includes which cover areas such as financial inclusion, skills and employment, tenant engagement, food poverty, energy efficiency, open space improvements, social enterprise, digital inclusion… the list goes on.

What all these areas of work have in common is the fundamental principle of supporting deprived people to help them to reach their potential and have a place they can call home. Supporting both place and people through these initiatives ultimately contributes towards the thriving of communities, empowering those who live within them. RSLs are place makers in this sense, contributing to both the physical and social regeneration of the most deprived communities across Wales.

The WERU infographic summarises the findings of the report and you can view the full report on CHC's website.

Hayley MacNamara
Regeneration Officer, CHC and CREW Regeneration Wales

Moving on and looking ahead

It is a little self indulgent to write this blog post, but what the heck. After almost 4 years at CHC I am, as the cliché goes, off to pastures new. I have worked across a range of housing policy areas in this small but dynamic organisation including housing management, community regeneration, rural housing, support, older people, equality and, more recently, worked on the vast learning and improvement programme of conferences, events and also commercial members. I have been fortunate to cram a lot of learning into a relatively short space of time, and met many inspirational people who are helping to empower communities and individuals across Wales to make positive changes to their lives. I feel very proud to have been involved with the huge range of policy, learning and events which I know are amongst the best the Welsh housing sector has to offer.

It is quite rare for anyone to leave CHC and there is a good reason for that. It’s a fantastic team and organisation, and the values are second to none. However, the time was right for me to go back to a housing association and I was delighted to be offered the role at Newydd Housing Association as their Community Partnership Manager. I am excited to take forward the great work on regeneration and tenant involvement across the 11 local authority areas Newydd covers. I feel lucky to be staying in such an innovative sector that really does make a difference.

So what is coming up at CHC? Our One Big Housing UnConference is being held on 10/11 October 2013 at the Metropole Hotel, Llandrindod Wells. I really feel that this one will be the best yet (I am slightly biased, but still…). As I'm leaving CHC in September, I’ve already signed up as a delegate to attend in my new role! I love the relaxed and informal atmosphere, the networking and the chance to hear so many great speakers and attend practical workshops. I particularly like the ‘UnConference’ theme, especially the fact that you can leave a workshop if it isn’t for you and go where you can contribute and learn the most. I am looking forward to seeing many of you at the event and continuing to contribute to the work of the housing movement in Wales.

Another big event coming up is the ‘Let’s talk about...’ conference which has a PR and Communication angle for the big housing issues. This event is on 4/5 December in Llandrindod Wells. If your role is about communicating in your organisation to staff, tenants or stakeholders, then you’ll find this one really useful. I’ve had a sneaky peak at the packed agenda and it is very diverse and inspiring! The full programme should be published at the end of September. Keep an eye on the CHC website.

My new email address will be kevin.howell@newydd.co.uk and I will be starting my new role on 16 September 2013. I look forward to networking with you in my new role!


Kevin Howell
Learning and Improvement Manager
Community Housing Cymru

Think differently, do differently!

We love our quotes in CHC. My quote of the moment is from Albert Einstein: 'A sign of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.'

In CHC, we’re taking this on board. We’re embarking on our first European funded project, Building Enterprise, which sees us leading on a project that will provide support for our members and other social enterprises with the ambition of ensuring that more services and products for the sector are delivered and supplied from social enterprises.

This project was a long time coming, but it’s come at a good time. When we consulted with our members last year, doing more to support the wider regeneration activities our members are embarking on was top of the agenda, along with continuing our lobbying activities. Since hearing that message, we’ve made many changes. We’ve created a Housing-led Regeneration Network supported by a newly created Regeneration Officer post which integrates the programme of work between CHC and CREW. We’re also leading on a project which will provide individual support but will also ensure that the sector can engage, share and learn. So when you’re thinking about what CHC does and that we’re moving into new territory, just remember that we’re thinking differently and doing differently which ensures that we’re well equipped to support the sector which is doing the same.

We're currently recruiting members for the Building Enterprise project steering group - please click here for further information.


Sioned Hughes
Director of Policy and Regeneration, CHC

Building a better Wales

I’ve always seen housing as more than just bricks and mortar. Quality homes are essential in ensuring that people are able to enjoy home life and play an active part in their local community. My short time as Minister for Housing and Regeneration has reaffirmed this in my mind.

Since taking on the new portfolio, I have seen first hand how Welsh Government investment through schemes such as Social Housing Grant and Houses into Homes are making a real difference to the people and communities of Wales. I am delighted that we have recently been able to commit further funding to support these vital projects.

I’ve also visited a number of housing and regeneration projects in places as diverse as Barry and Anglesey and have been impressed to see what can be achieved when the Welsh Government and key partners work together. In these difficult economic times, it is essential that we make the most of capital investment, not only to build much needed homes, but also to continue to support our construction industry and the economy.

I’m confident that housing can provide a catalyst for the Welsh economy. However, I am concerned about the current economic crisis and the negative impact of the UK Government's welfare reform agenda on people who can least afford it, as well as on housing organisations. What austerity and welfare reform don’t change is that everyone in Wales deserves a good quality, affordable and safe place to live. That should be what everyone involved with housing in Wales strives to achieve.

Carl Sargeant AM
Minister for Housing and Regeneration

What is regeneration worth and who decides?

Chris Brown, Chief Executive of Igloo Regeneration, considers the central role that local communities play in regeneration and says: 'Regeneration, by definition, will always require money to flow into a neighbourhood from outside. But when money is scarce the difference between successful regeneration and none at all can be the strength of organisation of the local community.'

Read more on CREW Regeneration Wales' website.

'Deep Study' of Tredegar - CREW Regeneration Wales

This is a busy time for CREW Regeneration Wales. We have an active work programme lined up for the next three years, and details of our ongoing work, together with our continually expanding resources, can always be found on our website: www.regenwales.org

Amongst our other work, for each of the next three years we are committed to undertaking a major research project. This year we are undertaking a 'Deep Study' of Tredegar. Our goal is to develop a holistic understanding of Tredegar as an area of significant deprivation. We are also seeking to identify what opportunities exist and what actions need to be taken over the next ten years to create a sustainable community by 2030.

In this initial phase of the project we are establishing partnerships between professionals across the policy fields, and breaking down the silos so that professionals from different areas of public life can work together.  Our Steering Group includes professionals from housing, economic development, transport and health fields, as well as people with particular expertise in community food and energy production, sustainability and community engagement.

We will be posting project updates to our website as we progress, and will also making use of Twitter: @CREWRegenWales.

Dr Mark Lang, Senior Researcher
CREW Regeneration Wales