Hyde Life October 2012.indd - Hyde Housing Association

Getting involved
Hyde provides a whole variety
of locally designed community
projects, and expert advice,
which help our residents to
get involved, improve their
community or to help them
change their own lives or the
lives of those around them. We
often work in partnership with
other organisations, or provide
funding to help communities
develop services or activities
that they can then either take
part in or run on behalf of
others in their community.
Here are four different ways
that residents have got
involved with their local
communities...
Inside and
The Value of
Volunteering
When Kirby Mukeza wanted to
find out more about working with
young people we arranged for her
to spend some time volunteering
at the Underground Youth Centre,
which Hyde runs and which is near
to where Kirby lives. The centre
provides a place for the young
people in the area to hang out
together and to take part in a range of different activities – some are provided
at the centre and others away from it.
To begin with Kirby felt a bit shy and wasn’t too sure of the best approach to
use with some of the young people using the Centre, particularly the 15 to 18
year olds, but as her placement went on, she became more confident about
what did and didn’t work.
During her placement, Kirby learned how to plan and deliver sessions and
how to think on her feet. She also had regular sessions with the member
of Hyde staff who was her supervisor. These sessions were used to set her
individual goals and to talk over any concerns or issues that she had.
Kirby said: “The atmosphere was really friendly and the staff were nice.
The young people were a good group to work with. Volunteering increased
my confidence and helped me to find paid work. I used examples from my
experience a lot during my interviews.”
Committed committees
One of the community centres that Hyde owns is the Phoenix
Centre in Brighton. Decisions about how the centre is run are
made by a Management Committee which meets four times
a year. They help Hyde prioritise the work carried out from the
centre and provide an important link to the local community.
Through their involvement, the group has been able to secure
a number of things for the centre:
Extra equipment and free wireless internet access for
the IT suite
Storage lockers fitted for groups to use for their
equipment between sessions
New flooring
Better street lighting provided outside the centre
Because of the successes of the committee, the local
community can enjoy a range of services in the centre
including:
Yoga and Zumba classes
Drop in services for youths
A drop-in Jobs and Training advice service
Groups for parents
A community garden group
IT drop-in and courses
Outings
The Committee is chaired by a Hyde resident and currently
has 12 members, two are Hyde staff, three are Hyde residents
from the estate and seven are people from the services and
organisations who use the Centre.
6 If you have any queries, call our Customer Services Centre on freephone 0800 389 3576 or email customerservices@hyde-housing.co.uk
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