Sent to all customers with a registered email address on 30/06/2022

Dear customers,

I hope you are well and that June has been a good month for you.

It is with sadness I must announce that this will be my last edition of this now popular monthly update, as I leave Bromford for pastures new in July. I’ve enjoyed my time here immensely but I was given the chance to join a FTSE 100 company recently and it was too good an opportunity to turn down. Bromford and its customers will stay very close to my heart and I leave you in the capable hands of my excellent team, with one of them taking it in turns to update you at the same time every month moving forward.

This month, I have some important and exciting updates for you as well as two – yes two –  opportunities for customers to get directly involved with initiatives we are working on or celebrating at present. As I have mentioned previously, it will be a real priority for us in the months ahead to keep demonstrating our commitment to listening and acting on the things you tell us, and we can only do that through your increasing participation and involvement.

After lots of hard work behind the scenes, I’m delighted to say that your brand new customer portal will be live from Monday 4 July!

Over the coming weeks, you will receive a new tenancy reference number in the post. Once you receive your number, signing up to the new portal is as easy as one, two, three:

1. head to: www.bromford.co.uk/createyourpassword

2. create a password for your account and confirm your email address

3. enter your new tenancy reference number in the portal to start using your account straight away

Tenancy reference numbers, or simply reference numbers if you are a shared ownership customer, are being issued in a phased approach over the summer to offer you the best possible user experience. When you receive your number, there is no need to change it on any existing payment methods. We will ensure your payments continue to reach your new account.

Please visit our dedicated hub of information to learn more about the new customer portal, where you’ll be able to pay rent, request repairs, manage your account, access helpful information, and so much more. And remember when you register, you will be automatically entered into our monthly prize draw to win one of five £100 Love2shop vouchers - terms and conditions apply

The Bromford Strategy 2019-2023 is clear that a big priority for us is working with local authority partners and others to improve social justice and play our part in reducing homelessness across our communities. To be able to do that, it’s so important to first understand the root causes of homelessness and that is why we’re so pleased to be supporting the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Homeful campaign.

They are specifically asking Bromford customers with real-world experience of homelessness to step forward and contribute to this vital national campaign, and to say ‘thanks’ each volunteer will receive a small gift voucher. Participation is easy so I would really encourage you to read how you can get involved and have your say.

It is a worrying trend that with household budgets being squeezed to the max, more and more people are turning to illegal money lending, otherwise known as loan sharks, to get by. While some people may do it knowingly, many others will place their faith in a person they think they can trust before getting tangled in a web of debt and other problems further down the line.

As part of our ongoing Money Matters series, we sat down with a colleague and some experts on this topic to get their advice on how we can avoid scams, stop loan sharks in their tracks, and secure more reliable credit. Please give the video a watch.

We know that being a more inclusive organisation will ensure we better represent our diverse communities and help us to create a Bromford that belongs and works for everyone. Colleague groups are helping to bring equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) to life across our organisation and to mark June being Pride Month, we applied to attend Bristol Pride on Saturday 9 July and Birmingham Pride on Saturday 24 September.

I’m chuffed to say we have been accepted to attend Bristol Pride and are just waiting to hear back about Birmingham Pride. Both events are even more poignant this year as it marks the 50th anniversary of the first official UK Pride march held in London on 1 July 1972. A group of colleagues intend to join both events and we are now opening this invitation up to customers as we feel it is so important to all stand together, customers and colleagues, in celebrating love and friendship. If you are interested in attending either march, please email Steph Foster in our learning and development team at land.team@bromford.co.uk for more information.

I hope you enjoyed the read and I look forward to seeing many of you volunteer for the homelessness campaign or the Pride marches, or both of course. I will end with a personal ‘thank you’ for all of the nice messages of support I have received over the months – I read every one! Whatever your experience, positive or not so positive, we always try and take your views on board and learn when we don’t get things right, and I know this will continue long after my departure.

Thanks again and best wishes,