Blonde campaigner
and a flawed
tenants`
group
Will pretty
blonde Leslie Shannon(above) give anything like the necessary boost to the fortunes of the Taroe Trust, the flawed tenants` group? The trust, we have just
learned is hoping so… it issued this picture alongside a story about her, hopeful of better times to come.
Ms Shannon faces an uphill battle. The Runcorn-based Taroe (Tenants and Residents Association of England) is struggling after financial problems forced it into reported extinction a few months ago.
The trust lost £26,000 in a year but was rescued and has now appointed active tenants` campaigner Ms Shannon as public affairs and tenant engagement consultant.
Darren Hartley, chief executive of the trust, said: “It’s vital that our work is shaped by the issues that are important to tenants and residents.
“Leslie has worked with us on a number of issues in the past, so this new relationship along with Leslie’s knowledge and expertise in this area will really strengthen the charity and extend our reach.”
The charity claims that it works with tenants who have fallen into financial hardship by providing free advice and assistance on housing issues and promotes social inclusion for the public benefit among people who are excluded from society.
Ms Channon said: “Taroe will have a vital national role to play in the months and years to come.
“With the publication of the Social Housing White Paper, it is an exciting opportunity, and I am looking forward to supporting the growing influence and power of tenants’ voices."
Ms Channon is optimisic.She may be looking forward to all this happening. But how realistic is this?
Not realistic at all says Carlisle Tenants` an Residents Federation, which publishes this blog.Not so long ago the federation accused Taroe of hypocrisy. When Taroe was reported to have died, the Federation added: Good riddance.
All this was was told a few months ago on the blog. The hyporisy, the blog related started when the federation was asked by Taroe to arrange a regional conference in Carlisle.
Officers of the federation were very happy to make the arrangements i.e. arrange for the venue, arrange for the attendance and the participation of the Mayor of Carlisle, arrange for the accommodation of Taroe representatives and arrange for Carlisle delegates to attend.
In addition, as a special goodwill gesture, the officers produced a special newsletter for the conference containing conference details and a prominently-displayed “welcome-to-Taroe” article.
Officers were happy to do all this in a spirit of goodwill and comradeship and expected nothing in return.
What in fact they did receive was coldness and suspicion from the Taroe officers, plus rudeness from Taroe Chairman Michael Gelling(below).
The rudeness was an accusation from Mr Gelling that our special newsletter was political and was also shameful in its criticism of the giant Riverside Housing Association of Liverpool.
So Mr Gelling banned distribution of the newsletter to delegates.(The newsletter emphatically was not political)
Mr Gelling then went on to make a conference speech mainly devoted to the empowerment of tenant members. His speech went on praise the big housing associations including Riverside for their financial help to Taroe.
The Federation delegates were staggered by all this from Mr Gelling… urging the empowerment of tenants and at the same time banning a tenants` publication which represented empowerment.
Such hypocrisy …
It wasn`t difficult for the Federation delegates to see the real reason for Mr Gelling banning the newsletter. The real reason was that the newsletter listed the many failings of Riverside contained in an Audit Commission report.
Finally, it emerged the Mr Gelling was in fact a Riverside tenant.
Federation delegates wondered how significant that was in view of the fact that Riverside funds helped to keep Taroe afloat.
On which side of the fence was Taroe?. Was it on the side of the tenants of England or on the side of the big housing associations and other organisations which funded its operations?
Needless to say, all this led to an angry response from the Federation. And as no better explanation for the day`s events was forthoming from Mr Gelling or his executive, all further contact with Taroe was suspended.
There seems to be no doubt that other tenants` and residents` organisations had similar dealings with foot-in-all- the camps-Taroe.
So it was no surprise that the death of Taroe had been reached. The surprise was that it has taken so long.
And in the opinion of the federation it will take more than pretty blonde Ms Channon to bring it back to life.
Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation publishes this blog.
Information about the Federation is available on 01228 522277
