We’re proud to share a heartwarming story about one of the residents we had the privilege of supporting many years ago.

In 2011, a young person reached out to us after experiencing a family relationship breakdown and needing somewhere to live. They had never heard of Forum Housing before, but after connecting with us, we were able to offer them furnished accommodation in Wallasey.

As time passed, we saw their determination to build a better future. They became interested in the building industry and were eager to train as a carpenter. We guided them through the application process for an apprenticeship, and they were thrilled to be accepted. Their passion for working and learning a trade was inspiring.

A few months later, we supported them in transitioning to live independently in their own flat on the Wirral – a huge milestone that filled us with pride.

Fast forward 14 years, and we couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw them again – this time, working as a fully qualified joiner on the refurbishment of Caroline Place, one of our very own projects! It was an emotional reunion for Lesley, the support worker who had helped them all those years ago. Lesley still works with Forum today as the Project Manager at Caroline Place, and she was overjoyed to see how far the resident had come since those early days.

It’s incredible to see how our support and guidance helped shape the life they now have, and to think, by sheer coincidence, they ended up working on one of our projects – what a small world!

Stories like these remind us why we do what we do. The support we offer truly changes lives, and it’s moments like this that show just how far someone can go with a little help and guidance.

We’re excited to be celebrating #NeurodiversityWeek with one of two inspiring staff roadshows happening this week.

Deputy Chief Executive Vicky Bannister kicked things off with an insightful talk on the importance of neurodiversity—challenging misconceptions, breaking down barriers, and celebrating the incredible strengths and talents of neurodivergent individuals.

Following this, Heather Calveley, Head of Human Resources, shared the results of our annual staff survey, offering valuable insights into the voices that shape our workplace.

Forum Housing Association is proud to announce the official opening of Curzon House in Saltney, Chester, a new supported accommodation facility aimed at providing a safe and secure home for individuals facing homelessness.

Curzon House, owned by Chester West and Chester Council, has been refurbished into high-quality supported accommodation after being previously used as a residential and respite home. The refurbishment was completed in November 2024, and the first residents were welcomed shortly thereafter.

Forum Housing Association has been appointed by the council to manage the accommodation, providing crucial support to residents in their journey to independence. The Forum Housing team will be on-site 24/7, offering support in housing, employment, health, and personal finance. Most residents are expected to stay at Curzon House for around six months before moving on to permanent homes.

The official opening on January 31st, 2025, marked the beginning of a new chapter for the 36 private rooms available at the facility. Forum Housing Association Ambassador Sue Elliott unveiled a commemorative plaque alongside Councillor Christine Warner, Chester West and Chester Council, key partner agencies, and local community supporters.

Debbie Thompson, CEO of Forum Housing Association, expressed her enthusiasm about the project, stating:

“We welcomed our first residents to Curzon House in November and quickly reached full capacity. The outstanding turnout at the official opening showcased the strength of collaboration between agencies in addressing homelessness and reaffirmed the council’s belief that prevention is far more effective than cure. Our dedicated team is committed to providing the necessary support to help individuals move on to permanent homes and live independently. We are extremely proud to be part of this important initiative.”

Cllr Christine Warner, Cabinet Member for Homes, Planning, and Safer Communities at Chester West and Chester Council, commented:

“As a Council we believe that nobody in our Borough should be forced to sleep rough and become homeless. People sleeping either on the streets or spending prolonged periods of time confined to a single room in a hotel is not an adequate response for people in difficult circumstances, and not one that we would want for our family or friends. That’s why we’re using accommodation like this so that we can continue to help vulnerable members of our community who are at risk of homelessness. Curzon House can provide people with the right support and suitable, supported accommodation while they seek a more permanent long-term home.

“We know that this is a subject that matters deeply to lots of people in Chester. Homes like this make a massive difference to people’s lives and are an important part of our community. They keep people away from life on the streets and in the current climate, where more people are struggling to deal with the cost of living, they are more important than ever.”

Last week marked a significant step forward in the ‘Towards Net Zero Hamilton Square’ project as detailed surveys at our HQ, a Grade II listed social housing building, were completed.

Hamilton Square’s rich heritage is central to Birkenhead’s identity, and Forum Housing Association is an integral part of it. However, like many historic buildings, it faces challenges in energy efficiency.

Through this project, Wirral Council, in collaboration with the University of Liverpool, and Ecospheric aim to develop a model for low-carbon retrofit solutions that can be replicated across the region. Last week’s in-depth surveys, supported by student volunteers – will inform strategies to make our homes warmer, healthier, and more affordable to run, all while preserving the architectural significance that makes our beautiful building unique.

Heritage buildings play a vital role in our communities, and this project demonstrates how they can also contribute to a more sustainable future.

Haniyeh Karbasi, Senior Lecturer in Low Carbon Architecture at Liverpool University is leading the work.

This #NationalApprenticeshipWeek, we’re proud to highlight the exceptional apprentices at Forum who are making a significant impact in their respective fields.

Curtis Elston – IT Support

In a short time, Curtis has become an invaluable member of the IT team, consistently developing his skills and making a positive impact every day.

Huge thank you to Baltic Apprenticeships for supporting Curtis on his apprenticeship journey. We’re excited to see how he continues to thrive!

Chelsea Dobson – Support Worker

We’re also thrilled to shine a spotlight on Chelsea, who has been excelling in her Housing & Property Management apprenticeship since joining Forum in August 2023. Her hard work, dedication, and passion for her role have truly set her apart.

Chelsea’s dedication was recently recognised when she was awarded ‘Learner of the Year’ at our annual Celebration Dinner. This prestigious recognition highlights not only her personal development but also the positive impact she’s made in her role as a Support Worker.

Thank you to The Learning Curve Group for their continued support of Chelsea’s apprenticeship journey.

At Forum, we’re committed to supporting and nurturing the talent of our apprentices. This #NationalApprenticeshipWeek, we celebrate their achievements and look forward to the bright futures ahead for both Curtis and Chelsea.

If you share our values of Hope Empathy Acceptance Respect Trust and have a heart for making a difference in the lives of vulnerable homeless people, please contact us about a rewarding opportunity to join our friendly Board.

Forum have been providing support and accommodation to homeless young people and adults for 55 years.  We care about people. Our committed staff and Members have a heart for our residents and are dedicated to equipping and empowering them with the skills, abilities, and confidence they need to go on to live well and independently.

It is an exciting time for us at Forum as we deliver the fourth year of our 5 year business plan “Building Lives Enabling Change”.  We are building, adapting and developing our services to provide the best possible accommodation and support.

We are proud of our Christian foundation and enduring ethos and are committed to increasing the diversity of our Board.  We seek applications from people with a range of abilities, skills and backgrounds,  who are empathetic to the Christian faith and way of life.  To better reflect our resident population we would particularly welcome female applicants, and those from under represented groups . 

In addition to the usual skills required to be an effective Board Member, we are specifically looking for candidates with skills, knowledge and experience in any of the following Housing Sector areas: 

tenancy management principles / customer consultation / income management  (rent) / regeneration

Forum’s valued Board Members serve on a voluntary basis, with expenses reimbursed.  Board Members gain the experience and reward of being able to make a difference in the lives of the local  homeless people we strive to support. 

If you are interested in joining us please contact Georgina Dulhanty for a recruitment pack.  georgina.dulhanty@forumhousing.co.uk or 0151 649 9718 ext 0254

Forum Housing Association recently welcomed guests to the launch of their new Learning & Wellbeing Hub.

Forum’s vision was to create a safe, informal, and comfortable space to encourage and enable Forum residents to come together to build their skills through activities, learning sessions, group study, and accessing online courses.  Forum also recognised that supporting a person’s wellbeing is key to enabling engagement in learning.  

Forum became a partner within the education engagement consortium led by Wirral Met College, which secured UK Government Department of Levelling Up, Communities & Housing Town Deal funding under Wirral Council’s regeneration of Birkenhead.

The Hub was opened by Forum’s Chair, Sue Elliott, who has a passion for ensuring everyone has access to learning and education, irrelevant of their life circumstances. Sue said “With our versatile learning area, comfortable wellbeing space, a computer suite for small group study, research, and college and job applications, and the quiet 1-2-1 support room, we are now able to take our vision forward to delivery and fill each day with an array of learning and wellbeing activities and support to help our residents realise their potential and move forward in their lives.”

Sue went on to thank Kate Pierce, Principal Economic Development lead at Wirral Council, the Town Deal Board, and Sue Higginson, (CEO of Wirral Met College during the Town Deal bid) for their support in taking the bid forward which enabled Forum to realise their vision of the Learning & Wellbeing Hub for their residents.

Forum are looking forward to working with Wirral Met College and other partners to deliver learning and wellbeing sessions and activities to support their residents in improving their skills, confidence, and resilience, to enable them to move on positively with their lives.

Organisations interested in working with Forum residents within the Learning & Wellbeing Hub which is located at Forum Head Office, Hamilton Street, Birkenhead, should contact Lisa on lisa.leece@forumhousing.co.uk

Pictured below: Chair Sue Elliott officially opening the hub with partner organisations and residents.

Councillor George Davies and Councillor Tony Jones from Wirral Council

Forum Housing Association Chair Sue Elliott and Chief Executive Debbie Thompson

Tonight, Monday the 10th of June, Forum residents, staff, association members, partners, and friends will be celebrating our achievements of 2023 at our annual AGM.

The Jubilee Centre, Wallasey, is kindly hosting the AGM this year, and we are looking forward to a wonderful evening of celebration.

You will find our 2023 Annual Report here and you can read the minutes of our last AGM here

We are looking forward to meeting everyone, and having a great night together.

Forum Housing Association are extremely pleased to announce that we have been successful in securing funding and permissions to take forward two projects to enhance our accommodation and support to young people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Through funding from Homes England and the Department of Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities, Forum will be able to provide much needed additional supported accommodation on the Wirral and in Ellesmere Port. We have worked closely with both Wirral Council and Chester West & Chester Council to develop projects that meet their individual strategic plans, to provide additional supported accommodation to young people aged 18-25 under the Single Homeless Accommodation Programme.

The Wirral project will see additional flats created at our property in Oxton, a beautiful Victorian house that has been at the heart of our association for over 50 years.  The outside of the property will not change as all works to increase the number of young people we can accommodate will be internal alterations, carefully designed to provide appropriate, warm, comfortable, and manageable flats.

In Ellesmere Port, Forum are already providing supported accommodation through our Quays Project on the upper floors of the building. The ground floor has previously been used for commercial purposes, the last being the offices of Citizen Advice, but has been empty for a few years.  Forum saw the potential for the site, to bring the ground floor back into use, and to create much needed additional flats to support young people from the local area.

Both projects will have 24/7 support staff on site to provide young people with the support they need, when they need it.

Debbie Thompson, Chief Executive of Forum Housing said “We are very pleased to have received funding for both projects, and to have secured the permissions to move forward with the developments of the sites. 

We provide a much needed service to young people, many of whom have experienced difficult times in their lives, to have a safe and caring environment within which to grow and develop their life skills.  The availability of our accommodation helps to reduce homelessness, and provides the stepping stone for our young people to move forward with their lives.

We are looking forward to starting the work and having the new flats available for young people in Wirral and Ellesmere Port.”

The two projects will also bring new support worker jobs to the local area.  People who are interested in working with us can visit our website to see our latest vacancies and apply on line.

Works on both projects are likely to start early Summer.

Forum carried out its Tenant Satisfaction Survey 2023 as required by the Regulator of Social Housing. Our survey showed a 90% satisfaction level with the accommodation and services that Forum provides.

In addition, 91% said they were satisfied that their home was well maintained, and 82% were satisfied that we listened to their views and acted upon them.

We are really pleased with the results of the survey, and have identified ways that we can improve our services further. You can read or download a copy of our full Tenant Satisfaction Survey Outcome Report by visiting our Resident Engagement page.

We were really pleased to welcome Councillor Ian Lewis, Councillor Lesley Rennie, Councillor Colin Baldwin, and Councillor Gary Bennett to Forum recently.

On a rare sunny morning in early April we welcomed the councillors to our head office for a briefing on Forum and the work that we do, followed by a tour of two of our projects.

The councillors visited our Beacon project, providing supported housing for those aged 18 and over, and Caroline Place, a project supporting 16 and 17 year old care leavers.  They met staff, and visited residents’ flats to see the quality of the accommodation and support provided by Forum.

Debbie Thompson, CEO of Forum Housing said

“It was a pleasure to meet the councillors and talk to them about the work of Forum Housing.  We had a good discussion with the councillors, our Chair Sue Elliott, and the senior management team at head office, which continued as we visited the projects and met with staff.

The councillors enjoyed their visit and have given us very positive feedback expressing how they were impressed by Forum and what we provide.  Cllr Ian Lewis thanked us for arranging the visit, and for the discussions that helped to make it so worthwhile.  All the councillors have commented on how impressed they were with all that we do.”

Our thanks to the Councillors for taking time to visit Forum and to hear about our work with young people and adults who are experiencing or facing homelessness.

We are really excited to announce that Forum were successful in securing capital and revenue funding for two projects from Homes England and Department of Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) under the Single Homeless Accommodation Programme.

The funding means we can take forward one project on the Wirral and one in Cheshire West & Cheshire supporting young people aged 18-25 years with complex needs, who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness.

The combination of capital and revenue funding will help us develop the accommodation and employ a team of experienced staff to deliver quality support, enabling young people to manage, improve, and move on positively with their lives.

Debbie Thompson, CEO of Forum Housing said

“We are thrilled with the outcome of our two bids, securing both is a great achievement. We thank Homes England and DLUHC for seeing the value and impact this investment will have for young people who need supported accommodation on the Wirral and in Ellesmere Port”.

By working in partnership with both Wirral and Cheshire West & Chester Councils, we were able to develop bids that clearly showed how we could meet the gaps in provision that each council had identified in their individual strategic plans.

We are looking forward to working together to bring these projects to fruition in the coming months, and providing a safe, secure, and supported home for young people as part of their journey to independence.

Forum have been providing support and accommodation to homeless young people and adults for 55 years.  We care about people. Our committed staff and Members have a heart for our residents and are dedicated to equipping and empowering them with the skills, abilities, and confidence they need to go on to live well and independently.

It is an exciting time for us at Forum as we deliver the fourth year of our 5 year business plan “Building Lives Enabling Change”.  We are building, adapting and developing our services to provide the best possible accommodation and support.

We are proud of our Christian foundation and enduring ethos and are committed to increasing the diversity of our Board.  We seek applications from people with a range of abilities, skills and backgrounds,  who are empathetic to the Christian faith and way of life.  To better reflect our resident population we would particularly welcome female applicants, and those from under represented groups . 

In addition to the usual skills required to be an effective Board Member, we are specifically looking for candidates with skills, knowledge and experience in any of the following Housing Sector areas: 

tenancy management principles / customer consultation / income management  (rent) / regeneration

Forum’s valued Board Members serve on a voluntary basis, with expenses reimbursed.  Board Members gain the experience and reward of being able to make a difference in the lives of the local  homeless people we strive to support. 

If you are interested in joining us please contact Georgina Dulhanty for a recruitment pack.  georgina.dulhanty@forumhousing.co.uk or 0151 649 9718 ext 0254

As December approaches we would like to invite you to our Christmas Carol Concert.

The concert will take place on 7th December at 6pm at Salvation Army Community Church, Rock Ferry. It is an occasion for all the family and we hope you will join us for a cuppa and cake, singing of carols, and meeting our special guest, Father Christmas. Details are in the poster below.

We look forward to seeing you.

We would like to invite you to one of our short stakeholder sessions where you can share your views and ideas about what we do, how we can work better together, and how Forum can improve to better serve our community.

What Do You Think? sessions are being held on Thursday 28th September in Birkenhead, and Thursday 26th October in Ellesmere Port. We have three sessions each day, 9am to 10.30am, 12:00 to 1.30pm, and 4pm – 5.30pm. Please see the information below.

You can book on Event Brite by searching “Forum Housing Association What Do You Think”, or drop us an email on admin@forumhousing.co.uk to book in. Places are limited at each event, so please book early! Refreshments will be available and you’ll have opportunity to network with Forum staff, volunteers, board members, and other attending organisations.

We hope you can join us for a cuppa and a chat, and we look forward to hearing your views.

Thanks to funding from Wirral Council CVF Funds, Forum Housing supported a group of residents to develop and produce a short film on barriers to residents getting involved with services and activities in their local community. 

We invited residents to “apply” to be part of the core film crew, or to take part behind the scenes.  Following applications and meetings with those who had shown an interest, a core group of 5 residents became our Forum Residents’ Film Crew: Sean, Emily, Summer, Cole, and Brandt.

During an intense 6 month period, our Resident Film Crew, who had no previous media experience, came together to create a short documentary. The Film Crew knew they needed to co-ordinate and work together to produce the film within the timeframe of the funding.  Emily, one of the Interview Leads in the Forum Residents’ Film Crew said

“There was a lot of teamwork involved in this project, which is something I haven’t had much experience with before. There were a few times throughout the entire thing where no one could agree on how to proceed with something. A big part of this experience was learning to compromise and work together to come up with solutions to these issues and to communicate and work as a team. This has made me a lot more confident in my compromising and communication skills than I was before.”

The Film Crew took part in 5 days training with Lee Elwell of Switch River to learn about filming and editing techniques and using the editing software, which was chosen because it was free software that residents could use on their own devices in the future.  Lee supported the residents to look at how they would edit the film footage, and there was much discussion on how to edit around 3 hours of footage.

Emily said  “Overall, I think this experience gave me so many new skills that I never had before. The experience has had a huge positive impact on me and I am very happy that I did it.”

Organisations including Open Door, Make It Happen, Salvation Army, Wirral Mind and Wirral Ways agreed to be interviewed by the Film Crew to share insights into how they engaged with Forum residents and welcomed them into their organisations. 

The film premiered at a special screening at Future Yard to an audience of over 50 people.  Anthony Poldervaart, Senior Encouragement Officer at Make it Happen said “Just wanted to say a big thank, it was brilliant to see the film. Forum residents should be very proud of what they achieved.  Once again, big congratulations to them all!”   

Alan Triggs, Programme Manager at the Salvation Army’s Steps to Work programme said “ I was so impressed by the thought, insights, reflections and teamworking of the residents who helped make the film happen. You have some amazing residents who deserve to be heard and given the support and opportunities to realise their dreams”.

You can now watch the full film on Youtube by following this link:

What About Us – A Community Conversation – YouTube

Mark had taken part in our Resident Film “What About Us?… A Community Conversation” and talked about wanting to get out into the woods and countryside, but he thought this was too far away from the Forum project where he lived. 

Forum were starting to work more closely with Grow Wellbeing CIC, and as part of the new partnership, a Bush Craft Taster Day was arranged for our residents at Grow Wellbeing CIC’s project site in Bidston Woods, and we invited Mark to take part.

Mark said of the initial taster day “I was excited to go there and meet other residents from Forum.” He really enjoyed the session which made him want to get involved in other projects that Grow Wellbeing CIC ran. 

The Grow Wellbeing CIC Team invited Mark to take part in the Woodcarving Class.  “It was pleasant to be among new people where I could learn new skills.  I really enjoyed hanging out with people and having a laugh.  I had never used a firelight before, or whittled wood.”

Mark is continuing to attend the woodcarving class and said that being able to get involved with Grow Wellbeing CIC, spending time with other people and surrounded by nature, has made him “more confident in making connections and sharing time with other people”.

We hope that more of our residents will get involved in the woodland, bush craft, and horticultural sessions that Grow Wellbeing CIC deliver, and we are definitely looking forward to seeing Mark’s finished woodcarving.

We have some very exciting news to share!

Forum has recently achieved the Investors in People (IiP) Gold standard.  We are incredibly proud of this amazing news and want to say a huge thank you to all of our outstanding staff for helping make this happen.

IiP status is recognised globally as a mark of excellence and high performance through people management, and the award demonstrates that Forum’s approach to people engagement creates positive outcomes for our staff and in turn, for our residents.  We have held standard level since our last assessment, so to achieve Gold this time is absolutely fantastic achievement.

Only a small number of organisations attain IiP Gold status, and this achievement reflects Forum’s determination to ensure we are a great place to work where staff feel empowered, supported, valued, happy and healthy.

Debbie Thompson, the Association’s Chief Executive said “We are thrilled to receive this prestigious accreditation. Our people are at the heart of everything we do; providing support and taking care of them is paramount. Giving them the opportunities to develop and enhance their skills enables us to provide exceptional services to our residents. This award is for them they are amazing”.

The assessment itself involved staff being asked to complete an anonymous survey, with the results of this coming back significantly higher than national averages, placing us within the top 10% of organisations assessed within our size bracket. From the survey 97% of staff agreed that ‘Forum Housing is a ‘great place to work’.  Interviews were carried out with the Association’s Chair of Board and 17 staff selected at random from a variety of positions within the organisation. Areas of particular strength highlighted by our assessor were:

• Our people love working for the Association and are hugely positive about the work we do and the inspiration that leaders share with them.
• Our contributions to the communities we work within and the people within them are what keep staff highly motivated.
• Our staff feel empowered to take appropriate decisions
• We have a very clear set of organisational values in place that are owned and lived by everybody within Forum

During the assessment one of our staff commented “I believe in Forum, they believe in me, trust me in what I do, listen to me, respect me. You are part of the Forum family; residents can see and feel it the same way as staff do.”  

Head of Human Resources, Heather Calveley said “I am immensely proud that the Association has received this amazing accreditation, our staff have worked through a difficult few years and have flourished and grown during this time, always living out our Values.  The Association is the wonderful organisation that it is due to our amazing team who make a difference every day.  To know staff feel supported, valued and are thriving, is a great feeling”.

We look forward to continuing to grow and develop our team further, with a bright future ahead for all.

We had a fabulous evening at our recent AGM and Celebration event, held at the Jubilee Centre in Wallasey. 

Whilst the AGM had some official business to conduct, the main part of our evening was to celebrate the achievements of our residents, award our annual trophies, and to thank our residents, staff, Board Members, Association Members, partners, and friends for all their support over the year.

“It was a pleasure to greet everyone at the AGM in the wonderful setting of the Jubilee Centre” said Debbie Thompson, CEO of Forum Housing Association. “The evening really was a celebration of Forum, particularly highlighting our residents’ incredible journeys and achievements.  Hearing about the difference the support of our staff and the partners we work with makes to our residents, really does cement the “Cornerstone” of our wonderful organisation: our Christian principles, mission statement, and complete commitment to those whom we provide our services to.”

We were very pleased to welcome our guest speaker Rebecca Mellor, Senior Public Health Manager for Wirral Council who talked about the impact our work has on the health and wellbeing of our communities. Rebecca emphasised the importance of the support provided within Forum and the positive outcomes this achieves, and how our working together with health professionals makes a real difference to those we support.

Our thanks to Craig Brown of Rage Fitness Wellbeing Group who, from his own lived experience, understands the obstacles faced by our residents.  Rage Fitness Wellbeing is working with Forum, and Craig supported our resident Josh on stage, to tell us how he is now on a pathway to become one of Craig’s team so he can help others to improve their physical health and wellbeing and reach a brighter future.  Josh’s story has already encouraged other residents to get involved.

And our thanks to Brian Reed of The Whitechapel Centre who spoke about our highly successful partnership helping people who are homeless, particularly those with addictions.  He was joined on stage by our resident Tom and our Project Manager Sean, both of whom have faced extremely difficult times due to addiction.  Both Tom’s and Sean’s stories were inspiring and uplifting, and gave hope to those still travelling on their own pathway.

We heard from Beth, Summer, Emily, Julia, and Ellie about life with Forum and how each of them has been helped to move their lives forward.  Summer and Emily are members of the Forum Film Crew who filmed and produced a documentary entitled “What About Us – A Community Conversation” a short trailer for which was shown on the night.  Emily shared the positive impact being involved in the Film Crew had personally for her, and Summer shared her journey with us. We heard from Ellie who shared some of her story including how she had reached an amazing goal of achieving a very limited place, from 3000 applicants, on a paramedic course.  Beth who has not long moved in with us and talked about the support she has had already which has helped her realise she can have a positive future, and Julia has been supported in many ways, including keeping in touch with her family who are such an important part of her life.

Sue Elliott, Chair of Board, conducted the official AGM business, and thanked two of our long standing members, Jayne Pugh and Bob Hall, who are stepping down from the Board. We are pleased that both will continue to support Forum as Association Members.

Debbie Thompson said “We thank our Patron the Right Reverend Julie Conalty, Bishop of Birkenhead for joining us and opening in prayer, the Mayor and Mayoress of Wirral for attending the event and presenting the Frank Houston Trophy, to Duane Chong of Grow Wellbeing CIC for judging and presenting the Peter Keane Trophy for the Garden Design Competition, our guest speakers, all our Forum staff, and our guests who came to support the evening.  But most importantly, we thank all the residents who took part who were such an inspiration to us all.” 

Don’t forget to take a look at the AGM photo album below.

We are looking forward to our AGM this evening when we will be celebrating Forum’s achievements of 2022, and most importantly, celebrating the achievements and journeys of our residents. You can view the minutes of last years AGM by following the link below. We look forward to welcoming our residents and friends this evening.

Minutes of 2021 AGM

Our residents enjoyed watching and celebrating the Coronation of King Charles III.  From cream teas to BBQs, residents got together to share the memorable day, and to take time to meet up and socialise with each other.

There were some wonderful decorations and fabulous cakes, and luckily the weather remained good for those celebrating in the garden.

We send our congratulations to King Charles III on his coronation. 

Our Spring Shout! Newsletter is now available on line.

Click the Newsletter below to read about the amazing achievements of our residents and team. We hope you enjoy it.

Forum Creative Enterprise are looking for additional people to join them as Trustees for this exciting new charity.

Forum Creative Enterprise (FCE) is a registered charity who are

Committed to providing high quality and meaningful support, services, activities,

and opportunities to enable people to live positive lives.

FCE’s focus is on young people and adults who are living in supported housing due to having been at risk of homelessness or having been homeless. 

FCE recognised a need to provide additional, added value opportunities, activities, and support “at home” beyond the scope of the core work of supported housing.

Further Information can be found on the Forum Creative Enterprise Charity page of our website.

FCE are looking to build a small, committed, effective Board to take the charity forward for the benefit of those they support. If you would like to join them to help create activities, services, and opportunities to enable people who have been or who are facing homelessness to develop their resilience, wellbeing, confidence, skills, and abilities, then please get in touch and they will send you a Trustee Recruitment Pack.

You can call Georgina on 0151 649 9718 ext 0254 or email georgina.dulhanty@forumhousing.co.uk

Even though it is February already, we wanted to share with you the wonderful work of our volunteers at Christmas.

Volunteers Alan and Alison have been working with our residents at Ash Villas by holding weekly food preparation and cooking activities.   The residents choose and agree the cooking plan and take part in all the preparation, cooking, and of course eating the delicious meal they prepare together.

Menus have covered sweet and savoury recipes including scones, pizzas, flapjacks and pies.  The sessions have not only helped residents to plan and cook healthy meals and snacks, but have also provided an opportunity to come together, chat, and enjoy each other’s company.   Alan and Alison have built up positive relationships with residents and staff, and are a valued part of the Forum team. 

Forum residents were very happy to welcome Alan and Alison on Christmas morning for a festive food session, making a wonderful brunch, and sharing Christmas gifts donated from the community.  They really made a difference to Christmas for the residents that took part.

And for our other projects over Christmas, staff delivered parcels of food and gifts donated by members of our community, and a special thanks to our wonderful food share volunteers Les and Lesley who were busy collecting and delivering food donations, which included some lovely festive treats.

We thank all our staff, supporters, and volunteers for their help over Christmas, which made a real difference to our residents.

Forum are delighted to announce that we were successful in our bid to continue the Supported Lodgings project for young people aged 16 to 21 years in Cheshire East.

The project, commissioned by Cheshire East Council, provides a safe, caring, home environment for young people who are not quite ready to live on their own.  Young people are provided with a room in our host families home, and given all the help and support they need to prepare for independence. 

Forum’s Supported Lodgings Case Coordinators recruit Host Families, who go through a full vetting and training programme before becoming available to support a young care leaver.  We take great care to match young people with the right Host for them, to ensure they get the maximum benefit and best possible outcomes.

With a focus on the individual, our case coordinators and Hosts work with young people to enable and empower them to grow in confidence, to learn new life skills, and to access learning, activities, and support that will help them to move on to independent living.

Our experienced Supported Lodging team are excited to be continuing to work alongside our Hosts to make a real difference to the lives of young people in Cheshire East.

“Forum are absolutely delighted to be able to continue our support for young people in Cheshire East” said Debbie Thompson, Chief Executive of Forum Housing. “It is an important service for young people who will benefit from being part of a family environment, but are unable to live with their own family and not quite ready for living on their own.  Our Hosts are amazing people, giving space in their home, their time, and their support to young people, and making a real, positive difference.”

One of our Hosts described supported lodgings as “Mutually beneficial; youngsters benefit from a safe, secure, welcoming environment and a positive role model, and Hosts benefit from training, lots of support, personal development, and a house full of laughter!”

If you are interested in becoming a Supported Lodging Host, please contact us for more information and an informal introductory chat.  

We were honoured to welcome The Mayor and Mayoress of Wirral on their recent visit to Forum.  After meeting with our Board Chair, Sue Elliott our CEO, Debbie Thompson, and our Head of Operations Sue Barker, the Mayor and Mayoress spoke with some of the staff based at our head office in Birkenhead.

After coffee and cake, The Mayor and Mayoress went on to visit some of our project sites. 

Lesley Rogers, Project Manager at the Links, explained how the project supports 16 and 17 year olds and young people leaving care.  The Links Wellbeing Worker, Amy Barker, introduced the Mayor to a resident who was taking part in a Tie-Dying session.  Amy explained how the session provided a relaxed and practical way to engage with residents, support good wellbeing, and encourage conversations about their future plans, goals, and aspirations.  After a visit to one of the resident’s flats, the Mayor and Mayoress travelled on to the Beacon project.

Having been met by the Project Manager, Pam Rigby, and Head of Operations (Safeguarding & Wellbeing) Rebecca Cowin, the Mayor and Mayoress had a tour of the Beacon site, and met a group of residents who were taking part in a cook and eat session in the newly refurbished activity room, and a new Arts based Merseyside Police initiative, “We’ve Got He’Art” that uses art sessions to build relationships between the police and members of the community.

The Mayor and Mayoress took time to chat with the residents about their art projects, and about living at Forum before moving on to the The Bridge, the final stop on the tour.

The residents at The Bridge were taking part in a budgeting session, which enabled the Mayor and Mayoress to see how Forum support residents to manage their money.  The Mayor and Mayoress were also invited to visit a resident’s flat to see the accommodation provided at the project. 

“It was wonderful to welcome the Mayor and Mayoress to Forum, and for them to meet and talk to our residents and our staff teams.” said Debbie Thompson, CEO.  “We hope to welcome them both back to visit us and to welcome them to future Forum events”.

The Mayor said “I was delighted to visit the Forum HQ and three of their exciting projects. I really enjoyed listening to residents and staff along with visiting flats/apartments and seeing a number of group sessions underway.” He added, “With Sue Elliott’s guiding values of ‘What would Jesus want us to do’ so evident in Forum’s approach, I was particularly keen to thank the entire team for their years of dedication and for everything Forum did during COVID 19, and for all they continue to do for some of the most vulnerable residents in Wirral.”

It is with grateful thanks we acknowledge the dedication of Chris Allen BEM for her seven years of service as President of the Association. Chris graciously accepted the Board’s request to hold the honorary position from 2015 following her retirement as CEO.  Chris’s vision and unwavering commitment have been fundamental to the development of the Association since its infancy. We remain indebted for her 40 years of service and wish her well for the future.

The Association’s Board, Members, Executive team, staff and residents send our heartful condolences to the Royal Family on the sad news of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.  We are all so very grateful for Her Majesty’s remarkable service and dedication.

At this extremely sad time for so many within the Association and across the country, we have paused all social media posts until the national period of mourning ends. May she rest in peace.

At the end of June our friends at the Spider Project came along to Ash Villas to work with our residents to upcycle old pallets to bring a new element to the already blossoming vegetable garden.

Volunteers Steve and Paul showed the residents how to use the power tools safely, so they could transform the old broken pallets into garden planters.  With guidance from Steve and Paul, the residents measured, cut, drilled, stapled, and painted the new planters, which are now ready to be filled with compost and prepared for the seeds to be planted.

The residents really enjoyed building the planters, and are looking forward to doing more upcycling of pallets, possibly into garden furniture.  As “J” said, “All we need to do now is to build garden furniture from the remaining pallets so people can sit down in the garden space and visualise what they want to see next”

“L” really enjoyed painting some of the planters pink and “A” was keen for Spider Project to return for the next stage of the transforming the garden into a nice, and useful, outside space.

As with all our activities, we ask our residents for feedback.  We had some really positive comments about enjoying working with other residents, that it helped them with their communication with others, and they would have liked more residents to have taken part.  The residents felt that it was very enjoyable, and better than they were expecting! They learnt skills that they would definitely use again and taking part had given them confidence in themselves and confidence to learn new things.

We are extremely grateful to A41 Pallet Services Ltd for donating the pallets, and for helping Chris our support worker to load the van to bring them back to Ash Villas to get their upcycling make-over.

Next job will be to plant out some seeds and watch the garden grow.

We are delighted to have received a donation of twelve exquisite handmade quilted overthrows from our friends at Project Linus.

Project Linus UK is a volunteer organisation who provide a sense of security and comfort to babies, children and teenagers through the provision of new home made patchwork quilts and knitted blankets, and give volunteers across the UK the opportunity to contribute to their local community.  Their volunteer Area Co-ordinators and Assistants deliver around 3,500 quilts and blankets to sick, disabled or disadvantaged children and young people across the UK each month. 

We will now begin to distribute these to our younger residents, who we are sure will love them as much as we do.

Our sincere thanks to Project Linus for the kind and beautiful donation.

We are extremely honoured to announce the appointment of Bishop Julie Conalty as our new Patron.

Bishop Julie has kindly accepted the position of Patron, following the retirement of Bishop Keith Sinclair. 

Bishop Julie was announced as the next Bishop of Birkenhead in May 2022. Prior to ordination she found work running a homeless shelter, trained as a social worker, and began a career in the Probation Service in London.  After becoming a priest in 2000, Bishop Julie remained in a secular setting working for the Youth Justice Board before becoming the national manager of a resettlement project and then a Local Authority manager for Specialist Youth Services.

As Archdeacon of Tonbridge from 2017, she was the lead for safeguarding in the Diocese of Rochester, a role she has since assumed in the Diocese of Chester as its Lead Bishop for Safeguarding.

Forum Housing are pleased that Bishop Julie has agreed to join us as our patron, particularly with her understanding of the journey that our residents are travelling, and the challenges that they face. 

Bishop Julie said “As Christians, we are called to respond with compassion and care towards those in need and so it is with thanks that I am able to support Forum Housing as their Patron.”

Debbie Thompson Forum Housing’s CEO said “Forum’s Board and I are delighted that Bishop Julie has agreed to be Patron of the Association, her presence will be a gift to our residents.”

In June residents, volunteers, board members, supporters, and staff gathered together at Hulme Hall, Port Sunlight, for our AGM and to celebrate all that our residents and staff have achieved over the year.

With the tail end of the pandemic still very much in everyone’s mind, we were all happy to be together again after two years of being unable to meet in person for our annual review and celebration.  An evening of meeting and sharing, and our theme of Courage to Continue was very much brought to life as our resident’s showed immense strength as they took the stage to share the lows and highs of their very personal journeys.

Forum were honoured to welcome the Mayor and Mayoress of Wirral, and the Right Reverend Julie Conalty, Bishop of Birkenhead, who joined us as our guests.   We also welcomed Simon Nunn, Executive Director of National Housing Federation, as our guest speaker.  Simon talked about the current landscape for social and supported housing, the key role of the Federation to support its members, the importance of Forum Housing in terms of the support we provide, and the value that we bring to the community.

The Chair of Board, Mrs Sue Elliott, carried out the important AGM business, but it was the residents who were the focus of the evening, showcasing their artwork entries for the Peter Keane Award, taking part in the previously held football competition for the Frank Houston Trophy, and sharing their personal stories of how Forum Housing provided them with the place, space, care, and support to make a real, positive difference to their lives.

Debbie Thompson, CEO of Forum Housing said “It was an extremely emotional and moving evening, and we are all immensely proud to be part of the Forum family, of our supportive and caring staff teams, and particularly proud of our residents who shared their inspirational stories of perseverance, determination, and achievement.”

Click to Read our 2021 Annual Report

Tonight, Wednesday 9th of June, we are celebrating our 2021 year at our AGM to be held at Hulme Hall, Port Sunlight. This year’s theme is Perseverance – The Courage to Continue. We will bring you news and pictures of the event over the next few days.

As part of the preparation we publish the previous years AGM minutes, and you can access them here.

AGM 2020 Minutes

We look forward to sharing our evening with you

Volunteers Week starts today, 1^st of June, and we wanted to highlight the amazing contribution our volunteers make to Forum and to our residents.  Our thanks extend to all our volunteers, those that work with residents, our supported lodgings hosts, our board members, and others who come to support us from time to time.  And our thanks is extended to the volunteers who work with other organisations, that come to deliver lots of different activities and support to our residents. We are very grateful for everything you do.

Alison

Alison has been volunteering with Forum for about a year.

Alison has been working with our young residents at The Lock, she has a natural and gentle approach, and a unique way of making young people feel valued.

As well as spending time with young people, she has always been ready to ‘muck in’ and has supported residents and staff with practical housing management tasks, including cleaning, flat checks, and assisting young people with different types of forms they need to complete. Alison has become a natural part of the team, taking on a variety of tasks in between engaging, meeting, and supporting our residents.

Ann (pictured centre) with another volunteer, and Helen (right) our volunteer coordinator

Dan

Dan has been a Forum volunteer in Cheshire for about 2 years

Dan became a volunteer mentor during the Pandemic, helping young people to stay connected, he has also spent time supporting residents in our Warrington project last year. Dan volunteers for other youth organisations and has done lots of missionary work. Dan supported a young person to access boxing, and was involved in developing a sensory garden for people with autism.

After a break in volunteering, Dan met up other Forum volunteers and potential new Supported Lodging hosts earlier this month, he is great at sharing and promoting our vision and values and creating a positive culture amongst our young people.

On the 20^th of May 2022 we will be celebrating International HR Day.

It is our chance to thank and celebrate our HR team, and to recognise their dedication to the role, and to all of us who work or volunteer at Forum Housing.

Our Head of HR, Heather, has worked in HR since leaving University in 2004. “I love the diversity of the role” she said, “it encompasses so many different areas such as recruitment, welfare, employee relations, and legislation.”

Jan and Nicky support the HR function including preparing the packs and advertising for our vacancies, preparing the shortlisting, supporting the interview process, and carrying out the important DBS checks on all our new and existing staff.  Nicky says the best thing about being in HR is the people, our staff and the HR Team.

HR also includes staff training.  Helen leads on arranging our induction and mandatory training, and supports the development and delivery of Forum’s training packages to staff and to volunteers.

And its not just our staff teams that benefit from the amazing work that our HR team do.  “Forum fully recognises the skills, commitment, and benefits our volunteers bring,” Helen, who is also our volunteer coordinator, said “I am hugely motivated by people who support us voluntarily, sometimes quietly in the background, simply because they believe in what we do.”

Debbie Thompson, CEO said “The future of Forum lies with the people we appoint, we care for our staff like family members and people who feel cared for and appreciated always do more than what is expected.”

We thank our HR team for always being on hand to deal with the big issues, and the smaller things that make a big difference, and for their personal, caring, and supportive approach.

The Chair, Mrs Myrtle Lacey, and members of Forum’s Service Delivery Committee, were pleased to welcome Aaron and Lisa, two residents of Forum Housing, to the committee meeting on the 10^th of February.

Aaron and Lisa had met and spoken with Bishop Julie at her recent visit to Forum Housing, and were invited to join the Service Delivery Committee to share their experience of the visit, and of their life with Forum.

It is important to Forum that the voice of our residents is heard, and we are developing a number of ways in which residents can participate.  Part of our engagement work is to support residents to take part in visitor events at projects, as well as an active role in our governing committee meetings; not only to share their stories and views, but also to build their confidence in meeting and speaking to people, and in helping Forum to make the right decisions on our accommodation, services, and support.

Aaron and Lisa were supported by Forum Project Manager Pam Rigby at the visit by Bishop Julie, and at the Service Delivery Committee meeting.  “Both Aaron and Lisa really enjoyed being a part of the visit, and being at the committee meeting” Pam said, “Aaron had a big smile on his face! It is important that our residents are engaged in events and decision making, receive all the support they need to attend, and be confident enough to have their voice heard.”

Following the meeting, Lisa said “I was so overwhelmed with the welcome we received.  I feel like I matter and that my opinion is listened too – I’ve not had that feeling before.”  

We were honoured to welcome The Right Reverend Julie Conalty, Bishop of Birkenhead, to Forum Housing last week. 

Having met our Chair of Board Sue Elliott, our Chief Executive Debbie Thompson, and our Director of Operations Sue Barker at the new head office in Hamilton Street, Bishop Julie visited the accommodation on site and was given an introduction to Forum Housing, our history, our services, and the difference we make to those we support.

A busy schedule of visits to 4 of our projects in Birkenhead, Tranmere, Rock Ferry, and Oxton, enabled Bishop Julie to see our work in practice, to meet some of our staff members and project managers, and most importantly to talk with some of our residents.

Residents Aaron and Lisa spoke to Bishop Julie about their stories, and how being at Forum was not only giving them a safe place to live, but the support they received was helping them move forward with their lives. 

“I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Forum Housing Association, and was really impressed by the levels of support offered to their residents” Bishop Julie said.

Being able to visit residents in their flats gave Bishop Julie a good insight into the need for manageable, comfortable, supported accommodation.  “I am particularly grateful to those residents who let me visit their flats, which were super-tidy” said Bishop Julie during her visit to one of the projects, “and to those who took the time to chat with me, including Lisa and Aaron.” 

Debbie Thompson, Chief Executive of Forum Housing said “we really enjoyed showing Bishop Julie round some of the Forum Housing projects, introducing her to our staff, and, most importantly, to our residents.  Our residents and staff were able to show Bishop Julie that with the right support, within a caring, tolerant, and safe environment, those that had found themselves homeless can find a way forward to a more positive future.”

Forum look forward to welcoming Bishop Julie again in the future and believe her final remarks reflect the mission of Forum Housing. 

“What struck me most was how important it is for each of us to have a safe place we can call our own”

As 2021 comes to a close, and we remain in an uncertain time with Covid still with us, we at Forum wanted to take a moment to wish you all a Merry Christmas.

We have all come through so much over the past year, and we give our thanks to God that we continue to be able to support each other and provide the much needed services and support to our residents. Many things have had to be put on hold, but our commitment to those we support, and to each other, remains as strong as ever.

As we move into 2022, we pray that we will be able to come back together, to meet and work together, for our communities to open up again, and for our lives to return to whatever the new normal may be as we face the challenges together.

We pray for all our residents, staff, volunteers, partners, and communities at this time of year, and hope that you all have a peaceful, safe, and healthy Christmas.

The Chair of Board, Sue Elliott, and new Board Member Annie Lau recently visited our Warrington Homeless project.  Our Board Members have been visiting projects to meet our residents, listening to their stories, and finding out how we have helped them. 

Sue and Annie joined residents at an art session and talked to them about what brought them to Forum, and how the support from the staff team at Haven House has helped them to look towards a more positive and brighter future.

Our Board Members visit projects to keep in touch with the residents and the staff teams that support them.  Seeing the difference Forum makes to people’s lives first hand helps the Board in their decisions, and keeps the views and needs of the residents at the core of everything we do. 

HitZone Congleton gym members recently took part in the Charity Marathon event to raise funds to support Forum’s Supported Lodgings Project. 

On what was a lovely sunny September day, the team ran through parks, tracks, and roads around Bidulph to achieve a marathon donation of £600.00.

We are very grateful to the team for choosing Forum Housing Supported Lodgings project as their charity for the day.

If you would like to support Forum Housing by doing a sponsored run, or any other fund raising activity, please contact us on info@forumhousing.co.uk or by completing the contact form.  We’d love to hear from you!

Over two days in September some of the residents from our Market Wells project got involved with designing and building a new outside space from reclaimed pallets.

Working alongside the team from the Wirral Spider Project, with Forum staff providing an additional pair of hands, day 1 saw the residents design and build 2 benches and a table. They were taught how to use power tools safely, including drills and wood saws, and with the expert guidance from the Spider Team, achieved the goal for the day.

The second day dawned on a new challenge.  The furniture needed to be stained and protected, and low level planters needed to be built and filled with a range of colourful plants.  The residents worked very hard, and whilst the painting and planting became a particularly messy session, they all agreed that it was really good fun, and extremely rewarding to achieve what they set out to do, working together as a team.

Residents said that it was “great to have learnt how to use power tools, how to control them and use them properly and safely”.  They felt this would be useful for them in the future.   And to do a project from design, to build, to finishing off the furniture and planters, one that meant that the outside space at the project looked so much better and all the residents would be able to use, added to making it “an amazing day working with Spider”.  The residents that took part said that they “loved it, and wanted to do more!”.

Luckily the rain stayed off over the 2 days, which was a major bonus. The completed garden furniture looks amazing! Our friends from The Spider Project said “We found working with Forum residents to be a very rewarding and enjoyable experience”. 

Now it’s all complete, it’s just a case of going out there to do the weeding, and to sit and enjoy the new outside space.

Pictured below are some of the residents and the team from Spider working on the furniture, and planting out the low level planters.

Forum Housing Association were pleased to welcome Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHCLG) and Warrington Borough Council representatives at a recent visit to our Haven House homeless project.

Councillor Maureen McLaughlin, cabinet member for housing, public health and wellbeing, Thara Raj, Director of public health for Warrington, and Cathy Fitzgerald, Head of service for addictions and chaotic lifestyles at the council, joined Alistair Reeves of MHCLG to see the great work that Forum are doing to support homeless people in Warrington.

Also, joined by Forum’s Director of Operations Sue Barker, and Deputy Chief Executive Vicky Bannister, our guests learned about the specialist, person centred work of the Forum Support Team, and how we work in partnership with other local organisations to enable residents to access the services and support they need.

Following a tour of the facilities, they met with residents to hear about their experiences of living at Haven House, and how moving off the streets to live in a safe place, with the support provided by Forum, had helped them to look towards a more positive future.

Cllr Maureen McLaughlin cabinet member for housing, public health and wellbeing, said: “Our priority is, and will always be, protecting our most vulnerable residents. This is part of our ambition to provide the right support, at the right time, to help people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

“I’m grateful to Forum for the work they do to support homeless people in Warrington. We have been working with them over the past couple of years to enable people who are homeless or sleeping rough to access help and support when they need it. Haven House provides an important service that helps to ensure people have somewhere safe to stay while being supported on their journey from being homeless to gaining long term, settled accommodation.”

Cathy Fitzgerald, Head of service for addictions and chaotic lifestyles at Warrington Borough Council, said: “It was great to see first-hand the services being delivered at Haven House and to speak to residents about their experiences there. I look forward to working with staff and residents in the future.”

Debbie Thompson, CEO of Forum Housing, said “We are delighted that Councillor McLaughlin, Thara Raj, Cathy Fitzgerald, and Alistair Reeves visited our Haven House project.  We are proud of the work that our teams are doing in Warrington to support those who are homeless, and helping them to make positive changes to their lives.  We look forward to continuing to work alongside Warrington Borough Council, MCHLG, Public Health, and our other partners to help protect those who are most vulnerable in our society”.