Two neighbours who have fought to improve conditions on their estate have taken on a much wider role – speaking up for 3,800 tenants.
Self-employed joiner John Roberts has been elected chairman of the Tenants’ Forum of Cartrefi Conwy, the association which took over the county borough council’s housing stock in 2008.
For the past 16 years John, who originally hails from Dolwyddelan, has lived on Llanrwst’s Glanrafon estate which comprises 66 flats and maisonettes. About eight years ago he helped to establish a Tenants’ Association on the estate to campaign for improvements, and he became treasurer of the group.
Through the Association he became involved in the Tenants’ Forum which at that time represented council-house tenants throughout the county. When Cartrefi Conwy took over he maintained his interest and this year was elected as chairman.
The first vice-chairman of the Forum is Margaret Rawlinson, who lives in nearby Scotland Road, Llanrwst, and is chairman of the Glanrafon Residents’ Association.
John, 69, is a firm believer in the benefits of working through the Forum to help give the tenants a voice on housing services and knows from experience that he can work well alongside Margaret, who recently helped to acquire a £1,500 grant from Cartrefi Conwy to enable residents to tidy up a scruffy piece of land near their homes.
Cartrefi Conwy have also, thanks to their involvement, agreed to install a CCTV system covering the Glanrafon estate to help target areas of anti-social behaviour.
John is also determined to ensure that those living in more rural areas have their voices heard at the highest level.
“There is a feeling among many in the villages that they are being overlooked and I want that to change,” he said.
John is looking forward to the challenge. “I know it’s early days but I’m enjoying it so far,” he said.
He was sure that issues raised by tenants would continue to be heeded by the management of Cartrefi Conwy who had been very responsive to date.
Vicky Downey of Kinmel Bay was appointed as secretary of the Forum.
Vicky, 33, sees it not just as a way of helping tenants like herself but also as an opportunity to broaden her experience.
She has three daughters of school age and has lived on the Chester Avenue estate for about five years and in that time has taken a key role in the growing number of community activities.
She is on the committee of the Chester Avenue Community House, which is at the hub of so many activities, and has undertaken several courses organized for tenants including Welsh and manual handling.
“I don’t like just sitting around when the children are at school,” she said.
She has been one of the driving forces behind the success of the Green Fingers Club which has done much to transform the appearance of the large estate, which for so long had a reputation for being unkempt and litter-strewn. She is currently chairman of the group.
Through Cartrefi Conwy’s innovative participatory budget scheme, a grant of £2,435 was obtained so that every tenant on the estate was offered a hanging-basket, and planters have been provided in communal areas. The brackets for the baskets were put in place by the association’s building maintenance team.
The Tenants’ Forum is seen by the Board of Cartrefi Conwy as an important medium for keeping tenants informed of policies and projects and as a sounding-board.
Pam Lonie, Chair of the Board: “We are committed in all our involvement work to empowering tenants to influence change and to ensure that the way we work allows people of all ages to play an active part.”
