David's journey: being an involved tenant for 20 years

As an involved tenant David has taken part in many community events, helped to make services better, and spoken up for tenants. David shares his experiences and the milestones and challenges he faced along the way. 

Start of his journey

In late 2005, David began his journey as an involved tenant. “My family was interested in what I was doing because it was something completely new as nothing like it had never been done before. It was something to show at job interviews.”

Budget setting

“For the first time, in 2008, tenants were involved with the budget setting process, so that just shows the progress and how much things were changing for the better.”

Tenant feedback

David helped with putting together a press statement for the support provider and later for Progress Housing Group, which RWP is part of, highlighting the importance of tenant feedback. 

Antisocial behaviour

David's panel achieved a milestone by creating the "Do’s and Don'ts" poster for combating antisocial behaviour. “At the time, the government was taking this issue very seriously due to its impact. It was around this time we began working with the Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS) and then some years later we also went on to work with Learning Disability England.”

Welcomed and settled at RWP

David had joined fellow involved tenant Michael at various events and group meetings for involved tenants. He refers to a involved tenant Michael’s poem which Michael wrote after attending a tenant conference in 2016.

David said: “Michael’s poem captures the spirit of how important it is for tenants to get involved and to hopefully inspire others to also get involved. Hopefully this will serve as an inspiration to others.”

A few lines from Michael's poem:

Only here I have been so welcomed,

People were so kind and understanding and welcoming.

Here I will show the same back as much as I can.

Contribution and community

David’s involvement has not just been about participating in events but also about shaping policies and practices that would benefit all tenants. David is involved with the RWP Tenant Committee and Tenants' Voice - improving services. This sense of belonging and purpose drove him to continue his active involvement.

Find out more about the RWP Tenant Committee here: RWP Tenant Committee