Flowers for resident who helped tenant engagement blossom

When it came to thanking a resident of a South Shields estate for her translation skills, South Tyneside Homes and its regeneration partner Frank Haslam Milan (FHM) North East chose to express their gratitude in the universal language of flowers.

Shuma Begum lives in the Woodbine Estate, where the two companies are refurbishing homes, and she volunteered time to help the two companies talk to Bengali residents living on the estate. She translated information provided at choice days and used during home visits.

Tenants living on the Woodbine Estate and Mile End Road in South Shields are currently having work carried out by South Tyneside Homes’ partner FHM North East. More than 470 homes are included in this phase of works, which is expected to be completed next month.

The investment programme will improve and upgrade thousands of homes across South Tyneside. Tenants will see new kitchens, bathrooms, re-wiring, central heating and other internal and external improvements carried out on their homes.

Shuma attended one of FHM’s choice days to see the improvements that would be made to her home and to select her choice of finishings. As a gesture of goodwill, she started to communicate with fellow tenants and has since attended other events and home visits to help FHM’s resident liaison officers, Val Cheesebrough and Gill Sweeney.

Isobel Riley, chief executive of South Tyneside Homes said: “I would like to say a big thank you to Shuma for all her help. This is a great example of how working in partnership with the local community gets results. It is important that tenants fully understand what our Decent Homes Programme means to them. We want to ensure that we meet the diverse needs of all our tenants through effective two way communication.”

Gill Sweeney, FHM’s lead resident liaison officer added: “We would like to express our thanks to Shuma for helping us to communicate with all residents living on the estate, in particular the Bengali community. It is important that residents understand the works programme and the full range of choices that are available to them. Shuma has helped us communicate to a number of residents to ensure that they make the right choices.”

Shuma was presented with a bouquet of flowers as a thank you for volunteering to give up her own time to help the team.

She said: “To be given the choice of improvements and how you would like your new kitchen and bathroom to look in your home is very important and is down to personal choice. I was more than willing to help Gill and Val to communicate these choices to other tenants living on the estate especially when you see the end product. I am delighted with my new kitchen and bathroom.”

The choice days give tenants the opportunity to speak to members of staff and see what improvements will be made in their homes. They can also discuss choice of options which include worktops, floor and wall tiles and kitchen units.

The Decent Homes Programme that South Tyneside Homes are undertaking will see thousands of homes benefitting from major improvements over the next four years.