Benhill residents invited to join new Residents’ Association
Sutton Housing Partnership (SHP) has written to all residents on the Benhill Estate to see if they are interested in helping to re-establish the Benhill Residents’ Association (RA).
The Benhill Residents’ Association would work to help SHP understand how residents feel about the services we provide. It would have a committee that runs it on a day-to-day basis on behalf of the members, with a number of different roles, including chair, secretary and treasurer, to suit residents' different time commitments and interests.
A residents’ association is a formal group of people who live in a neighbourhood, who decide that they want to get together to deal with concerns that affect their local community. The group can include tenants, leaseholders and other tenure types.
The RA would be a great way for residents on the estate to:
- campaign for something positive e.g. better play areas
- get services improved e.g grounds maintenance
- give your community a greater voice than you would have as an individual
- create a better sense of community in your area
- keep residents informed of what’s happening in the neighbourhood.
SHP can provide support to the residents’ association in the following ways:
- provide annual grants to cover the running costs and the Benhill Estate would receive an annual grant of £350
- provide training to ensure residents undertaking a formal role e.g. chair, secretary, treasurer, feel confident and supported
- support with community events and community-led changes
- assist with the provision of somewhere to hold the meetings
- Housing Managers can attend the meetings when invited
- provide ongoing advice and support e.g. collaborating with the voluntary sector, SHP staff, Sutton Council, and also local businesses to create lasting change.
The Benhill Residents’ Association would be different from the existing Benhill Residents Steering Group (RSG), which provides a forum for residents to work openly with the Council and other stakeholders to develop a vision for the estate.
Get involved
If you are interested in re-establishing the Benhill Residents’ Association, talk to your neighbours. What are the main issues and concerns in your area? Do they think an RA could make a difference?
To find out more contact our Community Development Team on 020 8915 2000 or email communitydevelopment@suttonhousingpartnership.org.uk by 30 June 2021.