14 April 2005 D12/2005

Downland pilots new scheme in Brighton

Downland Housing Association has been awarded one of only 10 places available in the country to pilot an innovative new project to train social housing residents to work within their own community.

Downland applied to pilot the ‘Residents as Neighbourhood Workers Programme’, run by the Priority Estates Project Trust and supported by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) and the Housing Corporation.

The project will be run on the Meadowview Estate in Brighton, and Downland will provide the employment and 50% of the funds for the initiative. The remaining funding will be provided through a partnership arrangement with Sanctuary Housing Association, James Butcher Housing Association and William Sutton Housing Trust who all manage homes on the estate.

Following a leaflet drop on the estate inviting applications, an open day (Weds April 20) and interviews the following week, one local resident will take up paid employment with Downland as a neighbourhood worker.

The successful candidate will enrol on an intensive one-year training programme run by PEP Trust and will also work to develop the use of the Meadowview Community Centre by consulting with local residents and organising events and activities which meet local needs.

Richard Tomkinson, Participation & Communities Manager for Downland said “This is an extremely exciting and innovative project, and Downland is very pleased to have secured a place in the pilot stage.

“One local resident will benefit from 2 years paid employment and an intensive year long training programme, but in addition all residents of the Meadowview estate will benefit from improvements in the running of their local community centre,” he added.