El Melbourne's First Tpas Event - London Member Meet Up
Thursday 2nd of October 2025
It was an absolute pleasure attending my first regional membership event in Twickenham. The event brought together both staff and tenants and showcased some of the excellent work that is happening across the South of England. It was a great day of networking and getting to know some of our members.
We heard from Jack Smith (The Regulator of Social Housing) at our "Ask the Regulator" session who gave us a valuable opportunity to hear directly about the social housing regulatory developments.
The candid discussion provided clarity on several pressing issues facing the sector and reinforced the importance of maintaining strong regulatory standards. However, a key reflection that I took from the discussion is that housing providers and residents should be striving to go far beyond what is in the new regulatory framework. Thinking creatively about how to push the boundaries and create equitable opportunities for tenants to engage and influence the services they use requires more than just ticking a box.
While meeting the regulations is important, it’s not everything and should not be the sole reason for involving residents.
The Member Spotlight session was particularly inspiring and an example of how residents can come together to create change and increase engagement amongst the community. The Community Ambassadors from the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames shared some of their experiences, offering practical insights that many of us can take back and implement in our own organisations. Their innovative approaches to tenant involvement demonstrated what's possible when creativity meets commitment.
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After a well-earned lunch break, the sharing and networking session gave us all the chance to connect with peers, share our successes, and collaborate on solutions to common challenges. These informal conversations often prove to be some of the most valuable takeaways and today was no exception.
We were then joined by Colin Lock, who delivered a powerful update from his work at Stop Social Housing Stigma. This session was a stark reminder that social housing stigma remains a persistent challenge for social housing tenants. Colin emphasised that tackling social housing stigma takes long term commitment and partnership from across the housing sector and beyond.
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There’s still a long way to go, but we can draw inspiration from the work of stop social housing stigma who are taking strides by developing solutions such as their Talking Stigma Journey Planner.
The day ended with a celebration of our engagement heroes recognition awards, celebrating the contributions of our tenant members who have made a real difference in tenant engagement. It was amazing to see their efforts being recognised.
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Our regional event was a great reminder of the collaborative spirit within our sector and the positive impact we can have when we share knowledge and learn from one another. While challenges still persist, particularly around tackling stigma and ensuring accountability, the collective commitment to listening, learning, and acting on tenant voices offers real hope for the future of social housing.
Watch the highlights on YouTube