Rendall & Rittner has a Community Engagament Manager to build relations across its developments. Here the man for the job, Marc Gomes talks about why everybody needs good neighbours.
Some may muse, that gone are the days of nipping around to your neighbours’ home to ask for a cup of sugar. However, we are looking to change all that. My new role has been set up to build closer neighbourhood engagements across a number of the company’s residential developments by overseeing, facilitating, supporting events and community activity. The CBRE recently reported that social interaction is crucial to wellbeing and a longer life while one poll cited a third of people were unable to recall their neighbour’s first name. We wanted to take a collaborative approach for some of our larger developments.
My history at Rendall & Rittner lies with Stanmore Place, in Harrow, where I helped to improve engagement between a community of approximately 2,000 residents. From parent groups to summer fetes and art groups to a senior citizen meet-up and even Gita classes there was a lot to do.
After working at the development for some time I got a feel for the types of residents at the development and while coming from South Africa I am born and bred neighbourly! Everyone there knows their neighbours’ by name and once in a while will get together. This does not happen so much here in the UK anymore and at Rendall & Rittner we want to change that. I strongly believe that there does not need to be this segregation of private versus housing association and at Stanmore Place we proved this to be true.
It is amazing that after setting up one parent club, engagement among residents spiralled. Creating more groups, talks and classes has really boosted community spirit. Marc is now working across lots more developments to build relations and is creating a successful formula for social and neighbourhood activities, which will suit each individual site. I enjoy seeing communities bond and giving those on site that nudge to get to know their neighbours’ is really rewarding and something that I am passionate about.
As we Rendall & Rittner grows it is important that we provide value added service across our sites. It is important to be ‘hands-on’ at our developments, working with our clients and residents to encourage everyone to look out for each other and become more social.
This is an extension of our team at Rendall & Rittner not just managing bricks and mortar but also about building communities too. For those who are managed by Rendall & Rittner and would like to increase community activities contact Marc via email on Marc.Gomes@rendallandrittner.co.uk.
Take a look at some of our other blogs to see more of our community engagement events.
