Tenants and Residents Associations and Tenants Clubs are very similar in what they set out to do. The main difference between the two is the chosen level of participation or involvement and associated levels of support from St Leger Homes of Doncaster. Both types of organisation play an important role within the community.
Typically, members of Tenants and Residents Associations are actively involved in working formally with St Leger Homes of Doncaster and other agencies towards the provision of an effective and improving housing service - locally and across the Doncaster Borough. Many successful associations operate at this level as well as engaging with their members in an active social life - bingo, raffles, day-trips and coffee mornings raise money for association coffers and help bring the community together on a neighbourhood basis.
Members of Tenants Clubs link with St Leger Homes of Doncaster on a more informal and local basis; the primary aim of a club may be to organise social events, a secondary aim may be to discuss issues that directly affect the club's neighbourhood.
Both types of group are affiliated to the Doncaster Federation of Tenants and Residents Associations, but only members of Tenants and Residents Associations can be elected to the Standing Joint Committee of the Doncaster Federation of Tenants and Residents Associations.
If you would like to talk to someone about setting up a Tenants and Residents Association or a Tenants Club you should firstly contact St Leger Homes of Doncaster Community Liaison Team on 01302 862287 / 862292 or email community.liaison@stlegerhomes.co.uk. A member of the team will give you advice on:
Alternatively you may wish to have an informal discussion with a member of the Doncaster Federation of Tenants and Residents Associations.
The process of setting up an association or club, although formal, is relatively simple. Once you have gathered local support and decided on the boundaries of your proposed association or club you will need to contact everyone in the area, including your local councillors, and invite them to a meeting - usually in a local school or community centre - St Leger Homes of Doncaster will pay for the hire of premises. The outcome of the meeting, which will be managed by a member of the Community Liaison Team, will identify local issues and the level of local interest for setting up an association or club.
A second meeting is then held approximately two weeks later - a member of the Community Liaison Team will also manage this meeting. The meeting will elect a committee and agree a constitution - for the association to be affiliated to the SJC the committee membership and association constitution must be formally agreed. Dependant on the level of local interest the meeting will result in the formation of either a Tenants and Residents Association or a Tenants Club.
A third, or inaugural, meeting is held - usually one month after the first meeting. The elected committee manages this meeting. Subsequent general meetings, usually on a monthly basis, are held in accordance to the association or club constitution. St Leger Homes of Doncaster generally meets the costs of room hire.
If your community chooses to form a Tenants and Residents Association, St Leger Homes of Doncaster will award the association a start up grant of £100 and an annual grant of £100. If the community chooses to form a tenants club St Leger Homes of Doncaster will award a set up grant of £50; there is no annual grant for Tenant Clubs.
