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Tenants’ Forum

Members give their views on a broad range of subjects which affect Havebury tenants.

The Tenants’ Forum is a group of volunteers who give up their free time to improve the services and information tenants receive from Havebury. Members also meet monthly to have their say about what’s happening. They discuss policy changes, home improvement specifications, events held for tenants and lots more.

What’s in it for me?

This group will introduce you to lots of other tenants. You will also learn more about Havebury and have your chance to respond to proposed changes.

What’s in it for Havebury?

Feedback from Tenants’ Forum members gives us a well-rounded view of the business and ensures we’re doing right by you.

How to apply

If you’d like to join the Tenants’ Forum, email Chair Sandy Norris at sandra.norris@havebury.com. She will send you an application form when there are spaces available.You will then have an informal interview with Sandy and other members. If you’re successful, you will then have an induction with Sandy and Havebury’s Customer Service and Involvement Manager.

This induction allows you to discuss how the group works and answer any questions you have. Under normal circumstances, meetings are held once a month at our Bury St Edmunds office.

Find out how else you can get involved at Havebury here.

Meet the Tenants’ Forum:

Sandra Norris, Haverhill (Chair)

Sandra Norris, Haverhill (Chair)

Sandy became a member of the Tenants’ Forum after Havebury helped her at one of the toughest points of her life. Back in 2005, she had suddenly become homeless at the age of 60, and says she was hugely grateful when Havebury found her a home in Haverhill. Since then, she has had a defining role in shaping our services through her work on the Tenants’ Forum and on other boards across the association. She has been chair of the Tenants’ Forum since 2009. Sandy calls herself the quintessential grandmother who loves to bake, cross-stitch, knit and spend time in her garden.

Keith Harris, Bury st Edmunds (vice chair)

Keith Harris, Bury st Edmunds (vice chair)

Keith became a member of the Tenants’ Forum in 2017 and is currently the group’s vice chair. As a heating engineer who has worked with local authorities for 40 years, he has a unique understanding of Havebury’s operations from both the business and the tenant perspective. Keith, who is also chair of the Complaints’ Committee and a member of the Operations Committee, says he appreciates having his opinions heard by Havebury in his various roles. Keith’s day job as a quality control inspector keeps him very busy, but he enjoys collecting DVDs in his spare time.

Sandra Payne, Bury St Edmunds

Sandra Payne, Bury St Edmunds

Sandra is one of Havebury’s first tenants, having lived in the same house in Haverhill for 45 years. Now retired from jobs which included hairdressing and retail, she joined the Tenants’ Forum in 2013; she wanted to learn more about what was happening behind the scenes at Havebury, and was keen to help solve problems faced by others. She also relishes the opportunity to make friends with fellow tenants she wouldn’t otherwise have met. Sandra, whose son and daughter both live in Australia, enjoys needlework, cross stitch and creating her own string art to display at home.

Jackie Rudd, Haverhill

Jackie Rudd, Haverhill

Former Haverhill mayor and town councillor Jackie is a long-standing member of the Tenants’ Forum, having joined in 2013 after a stint as a mystery shopper. With health problems causing her to leave her retail job, she says being on the forum has given her a renewed sense of purpose. The grandmother-of-one is particularly proud of being the driving force behind the Tenants’ Hardship Fund during the Covid-19 pandemic. In her spare time, she enjoys making her own greetings cards and jewellery, listening to the music of Andre Rieu, and being with her cats Patch and Candy.

Craig Rollinson, Haverhill

Craig Rollinson, Haverhill

Originally from Dudley in the West Midlands, Craig has been a tenant in Haverhill for 40 years. The grandfather of 14 was an HGV driver before owning his own haulage, fencing and landscaping business; sadly, spinal injuries suffered in an accident led to his early retirement. Wanting to put his free time to good use and make a difference in his community, Craig became a member of the Tenants’ Forum in February 2020. Given his background, the keen Wolves FC fan has a particular interest in keeping our communal green areas spick and span.

Pauline Stevenson, Bury st Edmunds

Pauline Stevenson, Bury st Edmunds

Pauline first joined the Tenants’ Forum in 2012, hoping to make new friends and become more active in the community after her husband Steve passed away. She says she loved being a member, as her fellow tenants were so friendly and welcoming. In particular, she relished being able to help other people through the forum’s annual budget. Having moved away from Suffolk for some years, she rejoined the group in 2021. Pauline, who previously worked in a bank in South Africa, enjoys walking her rescue dog Murphy and spending time in her garden.

Vicky Arnold, Haverhill

Vicky Arnold, Haverhill

Vicky answered the call to introduce younger members to the Tenants’ Forum in summer 2021. The carer and house cleaner has lived in her Havebury home in Haverhill with her partner Michael since 2019; they welcomed their rescue Staffordshire Bull Terrier Zaine the following year. Vicky herself has benefited from initiatives launched by the Tenants’ Forum, finding herself in need of the support from the Tenants’ Hardship Fund during the Covid-19 pandemic. She loves reading thriller novels and riding pillion on Michael’s KTM 1290 Super Duke R motorbike.

Patricia Donovan, Haverhill

Patricia Donovan, Haverhill

Patricia has been a member of the Tenants’ Forum since 2014, having previously spent time as one of Havebury’s mystery shoppers. She says she enjoys learning about new developments taking place behind the scenes and helping others through her long-standing role. Patricia has lived in Haverhill almost all her life, working at the town’s meat factory in sausage production before becoming a mum to her son. When she is not busy with her responsibilities on the Tenants’ Forum, Patricia enjoys knitting and crocheting and watching dramas on television.

Tenants Forum meeting minutes

To find out more about the Tenants’ Forum and its work, please click on one of the links below to read the minutes of its meetings. Please note that minutes from each meeting will only be published once they have been approved by the Tenants’ Forum.

2021

2020

2019

2018

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