Welsh housing association Cartrefi Conwy and its subsidiary, Creating Enterprise, has provided 30 of its own tenants with jobs, meaning more than 15% of its overall workforce now comprises tenants.
It’s believed the percentage of tenants employed by Cartrefi Conwy is “incredibly rare” and “much higher” than any other housing association in the UK.
Roles range from painters and plumbers to community workers, admin, and finance jobs.
Among the tenants Cartrefi Conwy employs is father-of-four Jarred Lampkin (pictured, right), 43, from Abergele, who had previously been a stay-at-home dad for nearly 20 years.
After enrolling in the Creating Futures academy, he has now secured a job as a painter with the property maintenance team.
Jarred said: “The kids getting older meant I could start looking for work and the support I’ve had from the employment academy has been fantastic.
“I had a mentor in the office and people on site, teaching me this, that, and the other.
“It’s a great company to work for, and I love the job.”
Creating Enterprise was established as a community interest company in 2015.
As well as maintaining Cartrefi’s 4,000 properties, it also builds wood-framed modular homes.
Its commercial profits are reinvested into the employment academy, which, according to Cartrefi Conwy, has helped more than 500 people find new jobs.
Community and social impact manager Sioned Wyn Williams said: “I think traditionally there’s maybe the stigma of having tenants directly involved in service delivery but the inclusive ethos here has helped break down those barriers.
“We are seeing real benefits of having tenants, not only volunteering or on a work placement with our teams, but also actually integrated into the workforce as part of the business, so they are involved in delivering those services themselves.
“Being a housing association is about more than putting a roof over people’s heads, it’s about enhancing and improving the quality of life of our tenants.
“To be able to confidently encourage people to better themselves or to go for opportunities that they thought were out of reach is an absolute privilege.
“It’s very rare where you get the opportunity in your day-to-day work to see so many people do things way beyond what they would have dreamed they were able to do.”
Group chief executive Andrew Bowden added: “We want to do more than look after our tenants and provide great accommodation which is safe and secure.
“We want to be properly embedded in the community and provide added value.
“This record of employing 30 of our own tenants is something that makes us stand out amongst our peers of actually being a great anchor organisation, a community-based organisation that is making a real difference.
“This is about building the confidence of our tenants, who are often among those furthest from the job market, giving them the opportunity to get a great job and to work with a great organisation.
“Essentially, this is about changing people’s lives for the better and that makes me incredibly proud.”
Main image: (L-R) Andrew Bowden, group chief executive, Cartrefi Conwy; with Clare Murphy, Holly Joinson, and Jared Lambkin. Credit: Mandy Jones
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