Castle Morpeth Housing Tenants' Forum

What is a tenants' forum?

Any Castle Morpeth Housing tenant can attend these monthly meetings. The group has a Chair (a tenant, elected by the forum members) and an agenda, but the meetings are informal and usually very lively. Officers from Castle Morpeth Housing attend the meetings - to take minutes and to provide support to the group - but are not members of the forum.

What usually happens at the meetings?

The meetings usually last for around two hours and there are standard agenda items that are always discussed, such as the work the subgroups have been doing (see the section on subgroups for more information).
Forum members also receive an update from the board and are given an opportunity to raise any issues that might be going on in their area. Our Housing Officers work with the group to plan the meetings in advance as much as possible and arrange guest speakers and training or information sessions, etc.

What are the aims of the forum?

To provide our tenants with a regular opportunity to have their say on the running of the service and to raise important issues. The forum members are regularly consulted on changes to the service we provide as well as plans for new services. They also monitor and comment on the performance of Castle Morpeth Housing and receive formal and informal training on relevant housing issues.

What else does the forum do?

Because the forum only meets once a month for a couple of hours, there isn't always time to cover topics in great detail, therefore we have set up a number of 'subgroups' that deal with specific isses - repairs, communications (this group also forms the editorial panel for Castle Morpeth@home) and anti-social behaviour. Click on the 'Other consultation groups' link on the left to find out more.

I would like to come along. How do I find out more?

The meetings alternate between the last Thursday and Tuesday of the month and are usually held at the community centre St George's Park, Morpeth. To find out more please contact Angeline Rochford, Community Involvement Officer, on 0845 1170020.