My experience at the National Tenant Conference
Monday 24th of July 2023
This is the 1st time I've attended a Tpas conference, I have learnt a great deal and thoroughly enjoyed giving my input and ideas to the speakers and groups. I found it extremely interesting listening to the speakers in regards what is coming and changing in the future and how they plan to do it.
I have come away with some amazing ideas to help onward go forward with their Tenant groups and getting Tenants to take part and get involved too.
One of my favourite sessions was about using the internet and social media, this generated some great ideas for me to take away, for example a few of the landlord groups had tenants themselves running Facebook groups, ideas such as posting old photos of the areas where there housing was, proved really successful, tenants sent in their own old photos and memories of their past too which got lots of tenants talking to each other. Posts with 3 or more phots got 42% more views... so a good point to remember!
A business doesn't always have to be just about them, the whole point of the face book page is about getting tenants involved and using the site as an information area as well as a fun area. I think this is something I would love to be involved in. Also, once you get enough interaction you can do quiz evenings once a month for example keeping the page fun so tenants actually want to keep checking in.
I attended a mediation workshop too; I've never even heard of mediation between neighbours and tenants before so picked this workshop to find some information out. I wasn't disappointed, it was filled with information that was interesting for all. Problems arise from the pettiest things like using a washing machine during the night to dogs barking, kids screaming to name but a few. I think this service is amazing and talking to the mediators and discussing it with other tenants on the day was really eye opening and very informative. The fact that you can either be self-referred of referred by your landlords or even the police is amazing, I thought if people fell out with their neighbours, they just moved house!
I'm so pleased to have been involved in such a great conference and will pass the details on to the groups I'm involved with, this will hopefully help to make some positive changes too.
Amanda Townsend, Onward Homes
