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Title: Gateshead Rent Campaign In For National Award
Date: 22/04/08
A hard-hitting rent campaign by The Gateshead Housing Company has been short-listed for a prestigious national award to be announced next month.
The National Federation of ALMO’s (NFA), which oversees over one million council owned properties across the UK, has recognised the campaign as one of the country’s top three ‘Most effective uses of communication’.
With slogans such as “The latest phone or no home?”, “Designer scent or pay the rent?” and “Designer gear or eviction fear?”, the marketing campaign aimed to get tenants thinking about their spending priorities.
And for those who ignored the help and advice on offer, the real threat of an eviction was the consequence of adding further arrears or not keeping to payment plans.
The high-impact, low-cost campaign helped the company collect a record £65.8m of rent in 2007/08, with rent arrears reducing by almost £250,000.
The Lovell Partnerships NFA 2008 ‘Best use of communication’ category recognises organisations from across the country that go above and beyond the call of duty, engaged with residents and set up projects to tackle difficult issues facing them.
Steve Hale of sponsor Lovell Partnerships Ltd, who was part of the judging team, said: “The Gateshead Housing Company undertook a brave and innovative communications campaign to educate and support its residents.
“This project shows massive tenant involvement and a real commitment by its employees. It also demonstrates the benefit of pro-actively tackling issues before they get out of hand.”
The housing company, which manages just under 22,000 homes, was the only northeast housing organisation to be short-listed for any of the awards, with the winner being announced in mid-May at the NFA’s national conference in York.
Bill Fullen, Chief Executive of the housing company said: “The rent tenants pay goes directly towards essential services, such as emergency repairs and local estates.
“The majority of our tenants pay their rent each week – but unfortunately others, despite our best efforts, fall into arrears.
"This campaign has helped raise the profile of the dangers of not paying your rent and we are delighted our campaign has been short-listed for such a prestigious national award, as well as with our record rent collections last year.”
Dennis Rees, NFA Chair, said: "The 2008 NFA awards received an overwhelming response and the quality of entry was excellent.
"The fact that the Government has begun to recognise the quality of the ALMO framework and are extending the role of ALMOs, giving us broader responsibilities and functions is testament to the great work being done around the country."
The awards were judged by an independent panel; Roy Irwin, the Chief Inspector of Housing at the Audit Commission Housing Inspectorate; Janet Dean, the Strategic Housing Advisor, for the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA), Michael Gelling, Chairman of the Tenants and Residents Organisations of England (TAROE) and Steve Hale from awards sponsors Lovell Partnerships.
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