Eastlight Community Homes

🏡 What does it really take to buy a home in the UK today? 🏡 With house prices at 8.5x the average salary, affordability remains a huge challenge – one that deeply impacts our residents and communities. In our latest Resident Academy video, expert speakers Dave Smith, Gavin Barwell and David Orr CBE break down the realities of homeownership – covering everything from mortgages and deposits to policy impacts and the future of housing. 🏘️ At Eastlight, we know that homeownership isn’t an option for everyone, which is why we’re committed to providing high-quality social housing and Shared Ownership opportunities to help bridge the gap. This video series aims to inform and empower residents, giving them the knowledge they need to navigate the housing landscape – and get involved in shaping the services they receive for the better. 📺 Watch now: https://bit.ly/4bkvcDh

"None of this would have been possible if I didn’t have a safe home to live in." We all know housing is important, but for domestic abuse survivors, it’s life changing. More than a decade ago, Eastlight resident and Customer Influence Committee Member, Rue Garande 🇿🇼🇬🇧, made the brave decision to leave an abusive relationship to seek safety for herself and her daughter. Finding refuge with Next Chapter before settling into their Eastlight home, Rue is now using her voice to support and advocate for others, reminding us all of the vital role housing providers play in helping survivors rebuild their lives. Her story is powerful, thought-provoking and inspiring. 📽️ Watch the full video here: https://bit.ly/3EPRlNG #DomesticAbuseAwareness #HousingMatters

Involving your residents from start to finish means you’re co-creating something you can all be passionate about ☺ After meeting with residents on the Eastlight Comms Committee, we launched Shine, our magazine for residents, in summer 2023. Thanks to residents telling us what they want to read about, we ensure: 🌟Our lead story and front cover is about a Resident Hero, and not about us 😅 🌟We keep all articles as short as possible – with no jargon, corporate speak (no “circling back” or “brain dumps”🤢) or unnecessarily long words 🌟We use photos of real Eastlight residents, staff and partners – not those filtered, white-toothed, shiny-haired stock images, or even worse, AI! 🤦🏿♀️ 🌟We include a mix of need to know and want to know, ensuring our key services are always showcased 🌟We always include opportunities for residents to have their say on our services. Read all about it here: https://bit.ly/3CTMGK7

We had a fantastic time in Halstead this week as we officially opened Bumble Bee Park, the brand-new playground at our Mount Hill development! 🐝 It was brilliant to see residents come together to celebrate, especially Lilly, aged 6, who won our competition to name the park. Her excitement cutting the ribbon made the day even more special. Nice work, Lilly! This playground is more than just swings and slides though — it’s a space for children to play, neighbours to connect, and a community to grow. Built alongside our development partners, Stonebond, who also joined us on the day, this park is a symbol of our shared commitment to enhancing the quality of life in the communities we serve. Stonebond’s expertise in delivering high-quality, sustainable developments has been vital in bringing this vision to life. This play area is a wonderful addition to our 71-home affordable housing development, which marks a huge milestone for us as our first Eastlight-led project. We’re incredibly proud of the work that’s gone into making Mount Hill a fantastic place for all. A big thank you to everyone who joined us for the celebration. We can’t wait to see the playground being enjoyed by children and families for years to come! #development #community #essex #playground #partnership

Looking for a rewarding career in housing? We have multiple exciting opportunities for you to join our team! At Eastlight, we want to make a difference in our communities. If you're passionate about helping people and want to work in a supportive and friendly team, apply today! ✅ Fire Safety Officer – play a crucial role in keeping our residents safe. 📅 Closes: Wednesday, 26 February ✅ Customer Services Advisor – three positions available. Help provide vital support for residents! 📅 Closes: Sunday, 2 March ✅ Repairs Scheduler – become an integral part of what makes our Repairs Team tick! 📅 Closes: Sunday, 2 March ✅ Stock Analyst - help us run a tight ship so our teams are always at the ready to help residents. 📅 Closes: Thursday, 6 March 📢 Interested? Find out more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/erb84sR9

From apprentice to Asset Manager 🚀 Last week’s National Apprenticeship Week got us reflecting on the incredible career growth we often see within Eastlight. We’re proud to support colleagues in developing their skills through initiatives such as our Apprenticeship Programme. One shining example is Charlie Edgar MCIOB, who started as a plumbing and heating apprentice back in 2012 – and is now our Asset Manager (Sustainability and Performance). 🏠👏 Charlie’s journey shows the potential of apprenticeships to build not just expertise, but leadership: "The transition from technical hands-on work to strategic planning has shown me the immense value of apprenticeships – they provide a solid foundation of transferable skills that evolve with your career." 🙌 From the tools of the trade to shaping and delivering our Sustainability Strategy, we’ve loved seeing Charlie’s professional journey go from strength to strength. Bravo, Charlie – and thank you for driving meaningful change for our homes, communities and planet! 🌱💡 #NAW2024 #NationalApprenticeshipWeek #CareerGrowth #Apprenticeships #Sustainability #Eastlight

Five big stories, one quick read ⬇ Including £350m being added to the Affordable Homes Programme, the release of the Housing Ombudsman annual report, and more! #UKHousing #SocialHousing #TheHousingEdit

✨"You can only be what you see."✨ Yesterday, we had the privilege of welcoming Toby Mildon, Workplace Inclusion Architect, for a powerful webinar on Disability & LGBTQIA+ Intersectionality – a vital conversation during LGBTQ+ History Month. 🏳️🌈 Through personal storytelling, Toby raised awareness of the double discrimination faced by disabled LGBTQ+ people and the hidden barriers that too often go unnoticed. He challenged us to think beyond visible diversity, reminding us that so much of what shapes us remains below the surface. 🌊 💡 Key takeaways included: 🔹 Representation matters – in the workplace, in media, and in leadership. When people see themselves reflected, they know they belong. 🔹 The social model of disability – true inclusion means redesigning systems and removing barriers, not just offering adjustments. 🔹 Equity vs. Equality – fairness isn’t about treating everyone the same, but empowering people with the tools they need to thrive. 🔹 Accountability starts at the top – creating an inclusive workplace requires senior leaders to champion change and for all of us to play our part. A huge thank you to Toby for such an inspiring and thought-provoking session. We’re excited to turn these insights into action – because inclusion isn’t just a policy, but rather a shared commitment that transforms workplaces and lives. 🌍✨ #EDI #LGBTQ #LGBTQPlusHistoryMonth #Inclusion #DisabilityAwareness #Intersectionality #LeadershipForChange

Wishing the best of luck 🍀 to our Chair of the Board, Hattie Llewelyn-Davies, who’ll be joining a panel at the National Housing Federation Board Leadership 2025 conference tomorrow! 🎤🏡 Hattie will be alongside fellow Board Chairs Mike Kirk and Victor Andrews, as well as esteemed NHF colleagues Ciarán Tully, Bethan Buck (she/her), and Jo Allen. Together, they’ll tackle the important topic of managing and mitigating reputational risks within the affordable housing sector 🔍💼 This exclusive session for housing sector Board Chairs will explore how Boards can safeguard trust, uphold integrity, and protect their organisation’s reputation with stakeholders and the community. 🤝 Best of luck to all the speakers! 🙌 We look forward to hearing the key takeaways and valuable insights shared 📢✨ #NHFBoards #Leadership #AffordableHousing 

Good luck to our Queen of Comms, Lydia Stockdale, who’s chairing a Winmark Network Meeting tomorrow 🥳 The event, called ‘The Catalyst for Change - Transforming Leadership Thinking’, will help equip attendees with the tools to lead with resilience, adapt with agility and embrace innovative strategies for success 👊🏾. Lydia will be joined by speakers Susie Braam from the UK Ministry of Defence, and Andrea Baker from Poplar HARCA. Sounds like a stellar set of pros - we hope the speakers and attendees really enjoy it 😊