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A New TARA For Kexborough
Berneslai Homes is pleased to announce that a new Tenants and Residents Association (TARA) has recently been formed in the Kexborough Area of Barnsley.
The area which the TARA represents covers Brookhill Road, Highfield Road, Holmes View Road, Braithwaite Road and Windsor Avenue. The group are keen to work with Officers and local members to try and resolve problems created by anti social behaviour in the area.
The new TARA will be the second one in the area and the group have adopted the name K2, as one member jokingly said; Its because we feel we have a mountain to climb to achieve our aims .
There are currently 26 TARAs across the Borough which are formed by local volunteers who work together to give a voice to their community on housing and other community issues. Many TARAs also organise and encourage community and social activities such as playgroups, bingo, coffee mornings, trips for the elderly and discos and by doing so encourage a sense of community spirit in their areas.
TARAs are non political and each is open to everyone who lives in the area it covers.
Support from Berneslai Homes ranges from providing a grant of £410 annually, hiring a suitable venue for TARA meetings, and ongoing training to enable TARA members to develop their potential.
Joan Gaines Community Development Officer for Berneslai Homes adds: We currently have 26 TARAs in the Borough and they all started out with a small group of people coming together to try and improve things in their local area. They attract more people as time goes on, acting as a voice on issues for others who may not feel as confident in dealing with officers directly.
TARAs are only one of the ways for tenants and residents to get involved in helping to shape the housing service provided by Berneslai Homes.
Methods range from estate walkabouts, being a member of a focus group held around specific issues, or joining one of the forums; for example Leaseholder Forum, Older Persons Forum and Black Ethnic Minority Forum.
Berneslai Homes is particularly keen to hear from younger people aged 16 to 30 years to boost the membership of the younger persons forum.
A new method of involvement is being launched in July 2007 this will be the Customer Panel . This panel is open to all Tenants, and is a less formal, more flexible way to be involved. Becoming a member of the panel will mean that in time you will gain more understanding about how Berneslai Homes works and also help to improve the service it provides.
If you live in Barnsley and wish to know more about any of the methods referred to then please contact Joan Gaines on Telephone 01226 774379 or e mail: joangaines@berneslaihomes.co.uk
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