FORMED in 1975, Newington Housing Association (NHA) is much more than just a housing provider in North Belfast.
They are governed by a Board of Management consisting of unpaid volunteers, who set the strategic objectives and goals.
The day-to-day operation of Newington is carried out by 20 full-time and two part-time members of staff, led by the Chief Executive, Anthony Kerr. Newington currently manages 720 homes within North Belfast and have delivered in excess of 350 additional new homes since 2014.
Jacqui Gilmore, Head of Housing and Communities, explained more about what Newington Housing Association are all about. "Newington Housing Association was formed in 1975 by local residents due to the Troubles in the area. A lot of properties were lying abandoned and people needed houses.
"We now have 720 properties under our management but we are much more than just a landlord. Tenant participation, community engagement and community investment are really important to the organisation.
"We invest three per cent of our rent income back into the community for various projects. Our investment is all about supporting people in our community."
Sadie Reid, Community Engagement Officer with Newington Housing Association, detailed more about their work in the community. "My role involves engaging with tenants, community partners and statuary agencies," she said. "In Camberwell Court, we fund a GROW project every year for tenants and their garden with polytunnels and the like.
"We also fund a student bursary programme, which is open to everyone within our tenancy. It is a unique programme which allows young and old tenants to get into further education. Back in 2018 after the introduction of Universal Credit, we worked with North Belfast Advice Partnership and funded a post to offer independent advice to both Newington Housing Association tenants and wider tenants. During Covid, we provided funding for local food banks and had a number of staff volunteer at them. We also have a tenant hardship fund which can help them out in times of need and is open to everyone.
"Over the next three years, we want our focus to be on youth. Everyone knows about the cuts to youth services and provision. Young people are our future and may even be our future tenants, so it is important to try and look after them.
"We also have a tenants forum, which gives them a voice to tell us what is working and what is not working. We have monthly meetings with them which is really important for communication.
"We also have a thing called the Brian Mullan fund, named after one of our board members, which is £10,000 a year and is open to all local community projects.
"Sponsorship is also important to us. We sponsor TAMHI, a local mental health organisation who use sport to promote positive mental health and provide some sponsorship to local boxing clubs.
"We also supported the meet, heat and eat scheme in Camberwell Court which was started last winter to support people during the cost of living crisis. We helped provide funding to get the weekly food and they all come in, have dinner and a chat and get some heat."
A more recent example of the importance of community for Newington Housing Association is the appointment of a Housing Apprentice.
Aodhan Thompson (19) has been working with the organisation since January and in September will be starting a housing-accredited course at North West Regional College one day a week for two years.
“Since joining Newington Housing Association, it has been a massive eye-opener for me, especially with the emphasis on community," he said. “I have worked in a number of departments within the organisation so far. I have learnt many lessons and a lot about myself. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity.”
As for the future, Jacqui says it a case of "more of the same" for everyone at Newington Housing Association.
"We are doing our strategic plan for the next three years at the minute. We want to make our homes more energy efficient and sustainable," she added. “We want to continue to look for development opportunities in order to build more houses for people in need in North Belfast.
"We hope we can continue to have a positive impact on the local community for many years to come."
Newington Housing Association, 300 Limestone Road,
Belfast BT15 3AR. Tel: 02890 744 055
Email: admin@newingtonha.co.uk
Web: www.newingtonha.co.uk
