Metropolitan Thames Valley

This week, we’re celebrating #YouthEmploymentWeek, an annual event highlighting the importance of youth employment and showcasing initiatives supporting youth development and career pathways. At MTVH, we are proud to highlight our extensive work through partnerships that actively empower youth voices and create pathways to employment opportunities. Our initiatives, led by young people, are at the forefront of driving meaningful change. For instance, our Flourishing Futures research project, now in its second year, demonstrates the profound impact of youth perspectives on service design. Key findings from this research included: * 70% of young respondents have faced or witnessed discrimination, impacting their mental well-being. * Age and gender discrimination remain significant issues. * Flexibility for mental health and educational needs is crucial. * Schools urgently need accessible, youth-led career support. * 42% of secondary students have never met their careers counsellor. The report can be read in full here: https://lnkd.in/ei4QuxzF Here's how we're making a difference: 🌟Training Young Connectors at Clapham Park: In collaboration with Active Communities Network, we trained young people from Clapham Park in Youth Work. MTVH Young Connectors engaged in a 12-week program to enhance peer engagement, tackle social issues, and promote positive change. They are now employed by ACN for the next 12 months and have designed their own program of work, focusing on: *Raising young people’s voices; influence, professionalism, and purpose *Health, well-being, and equality. *Connecting young people to community resources. *Inclusive regeneration planning: youth-led input. 🏠Amplifying young voices in housing: Recognising the role of youth voice in housing decisions, we partnered with Clarion, Hyde, and the Partnership for Young London to establish a 'Youth Voice in Housing' initiative. Six young people, one from each housing association, were trained as peer researchers. Over the last twelve months, they surveyed over 50 young housing association residents and interviewed housing association CEOs and colleagues to understand how to include youth voices in future housing decisions. Insights from our young peer researchers were shared at our ‘Housing Reimagined’ event in April. 💼Flourishing Futures in Brent: Through the Youth Futures Foundation's Connected Futures Programme, we empower young people in Brent to overcome employment barriers and foster inclusivity. By involving them as peer researchers, we ensure their perspectives drive civic action and continue to shape the project's trajectory. We're committed to listening, understanding, and acting on young residents' needs to ensure their voices shape meaningful service design and housing policy. Stay tuned for updates on our efforts to support and empower young people across the sector. #YouthEmpowerment #HousingFutures #MTVH

Following this morning's King's Speech, our Chief Executive, Geeta Nanda OBE, has given her reaction to the welcome announcements for the housing sector: “Today’s King’s Speech further demonstrates how this government grasps the importance of housing to the UK’s future growth and prosperity.   Planning reform is a key component of a long-term plan for housing, and we are pleased by the government’s clear commitment to this. Today’s Speech also contains a basis for which to ensure this reform can be effective through greater devolution of planning powers to elected Mayors and local authorities, who are well placed to identify suitable land for housing.   The scale of the government’s ambition is extensive and housing associations will be key partners in achieving these. MTVH built 892 new homes last financial year whilst investing £149m to maintain and improve our existing homes. With the right resources and rebuilding our capacity, housing associations like us can play an even greater key role in helping to tackle the housing crisis.   We welcome the early engagement we have had with the government and look forward to continuing to collaborate towards meeting one of the greatest challenges of our time.”

We were delighted to welcome new Environment Minister, Daniel Zeichner MP, to Queensway, Cambridge. Queensway is a mixed tenure MTVH estate of 79 homes, ranging from studio apartments to three-bedroom homes, of which 51 are for social rent and 28 are leasehold. The local housing team at Queensway have known Daniel for many years and have enjoyed a collaborative and supportive relationship with him.    It was clear from our meeting that Daniel understands the housing crisis and its impact across our communities. It was great to hear about the important role that DEFRA will play in planning reform as the department works to remap land use across the country. We were also really encouraged to hear Daniel’s support for building more social housing, which supports the sustainability of communities, and for bringing greater stability and security to the sector.   We’re looking forward to continuing our positive relationship with Daniel as the work continues to address one of the greatest challenges of our time. 

In a blog for the National Housing Federation, our Assistant Director of Care & Support Strategy, Claire Wise, writes of the need to increase the number of social homes to give greater security and stability to those leaving supported housing. You can read Claire's full blog here: https://lnkd.in/evuqCVeb

We're incredibly proud of our Chief Executive Geeta Nanda OBE's role on The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales's homelessness initiative, #Homewards, National Expert Panel which celebrated its first year of progress today. This represents a significant milestone for the five year programme which has spent its first year building vital partnerships across six locations in Aberdeen, Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole, Lambeth, Newport, Northern Ireland and Sheffield to put these areas on a trajectory towards ending homelessness. Through building vital partnerships, bringing together hundreds of individuals and organisations from the public, private and third sectors, the first year of Homewards has laid the foundations for success and begun to generate real system change whilst placing those with lived experience of homelessness at its heart. Through improving understanding of homelessness and building optimism that it can be ended, Homewards is helping to change the narrative on this vital issue. The programme will launch an exhibition at the Saatchi gallery in London later this summer and will feature in a two-part ITV documentary in the autumn, exploring homelessness and following the initiative's first year.

Following Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP’s speech at HM Treasury this morning, our Chief Executive Geeta Nanda OBE has given her reaction to the announcement of the reintroduction of mandatory housing targets and reforms to the planning system: “When it comes to the housing crisis, the Chancellor is right to say there is “no time to waste”. The new government’s early focus on housing is welcome and the appointments of Angela Rayner, Matthew Pennycook and Jim McMahon to their respective Ministerial positions will bring a wealth of experience, and expertise to DLUHC.   The measures set out today to reintroduce mandatory housing targets and to make planning work better for housing delivery are positive first steps on what will be a long road to tackling the housing crisis.   Investment in housing is an investment in our entire economy and society. The government must work to build on the positive steps announced today by engaging with the housing sector and ensuring the resources are in place to extend our capacity to deliver the homes, across a full range of tenures, which our nation so desperately needs.”

We are thrilled to announce that MTVH and our shared ownership brand, So Resi, have been shortlisted for three awards at this year’s Inside Housing Development Awards: 🏡 Best Shared Ownership Development: SO Resi Bracknell  🏡 Best Affordable Housing Development: SO Resi Bracknell 🏙️ Best Regeneration Project: Clapham Park In addition, our Procurement team has been recognised at the CIPS Excellence in Procurement Awards, making the shortlist for: 🏆 Procurement Team of the Year (Small Org). Congratulations to all the teams involved - your hard work and dedication are truly commendable. We wish you the best of luck at the awards later this year. #MTVH #SOResi #InsideHousingAwards

We are thrilled to announce that our colleagues Jon Foster and Violet Tariro Pugh have been recognized in Inside Housing's prestigious “40 under 40” list, celebrating the future leaders of the housing sector. Violet, our Senior Manager of Marketing Communications, was honoured for her outstanding work on MTVH’s 75th Windrush anniversary celebrations, her leadership in our ethnicity network group ‘Rise’, and her role as Communications Director for UNIFY. Jon, our Director of Operational Risk, was recognized for his dedication to fostering inclusivity and diversity. As sponsor of the Proud network for LGBTQIA+ colleagues, Jon has championed initiatives that have positively impacted our workplace culture. In his role as director of operational risk, Jon is committed to ethical and responsible leadership. A special shoutout to our colleagues Dominic Briant, Dan Fielder, Guy Palmer, Luke Wille, and Nisha Aslam, who were also nominated. Congratulations to all for this remarkable achievement! #MTVH #HousingHeroes #InsideHousing40Under40 #Leadership #DiversityAndInclusion

Kara Davies, one of our young residents from Chalkhill, Brent, recently spoke at Manchester 2024 today, the UK's leading housing event, bringing together key stakeholders to discuss the future of housing. Kara has played a pivotal role in our initiatives to elevate the voices of young residents and was a significant contributor to our initial Housing Futures research. This was an active research project with young residents on a national level, and in 2022, we published our findings in “Housing Futures: The vital role of home in young people’s future.” This research has paved the way for wider collaborative work with Partnership for Young London, Clarion Housing Group, The Hyde Group, and an ever-growing peer research programme. During her speech, Kara highlighted critical insights, emphasizing that "young people can be the invisible group within decision-making" and advocating for inclusion with, "don’t make decisions about us, without involving us." In 2023, Kara interviewed MTVH Chief Executive Geeta and other key colleagues across MTVH, enhancing her understanding of the housing sector and refining her research skills. She is currently engaged in our peer research programme, delivered in collaboration with Partnership for Young London, and is actively working on 'The Gap', a research project designed to connect young people with opportunities to lead and influence decision-making. At Manchester 2024, she was joined by Saba from our Empowering Futures team and Iris from Partnership for Young London. We are proud of Kara's achievements and look forward to her continued impact. #MTVH #Manchester2024 #YouthEmpowerment #HousingResearch #CommunityVoices

We are proud to join over 100 organisations by putting our name to an open letter calling on the next government to address migrant homelessness if we are to prevent and end homelessness for all.   Everyone needs a safe place to live, but the immigration system can push people into homelessness, the impact of which is devastating for individuals and communities.   This letter has been coordinated by the charities Homeless Link and the No Accommodation Network (NACCOM) who we are a long-term partner of. It urges all party leaders, no matter the outcome of the election, to tackle homelessness for everyone in our community.    Ending homelessness means deploying evidence-based solutions that unite communities, and we seek to lead by example through our Migration Foundation which tackles migrant destitution.