Last year we won £30,000 to train residents so they can act as a voice for local people and make change happen. The training starts in February, and will help you develop the skills you need to support and build your community.

Don’t worry if you don’t have any experience. We’re just looking for people with a commitment to improving their local area.

For more details, please call us or email getinvolved@chg.org.uk

In March we’re running a three week ‘recipe for work’ course. It is open to 18 -24 year olds who are not in education, employment or training.

• Week 1: Food hygiene, first aid sessions and CV writing
• Week 2: You’ll get a week’s experience at Fifteen London, a restaurant set up by Jamie Oliver, where you’ll learn butchery, fishmongery and bakery
• Week 3: Work experience with a local employer and signposting to a future career path

This opportunity will give you the tools you need to get into the catering industry.

Interested? Then come along to our open day on 16 February at John Astor House, 3 Foley St, London, W1W 6DN.

To book a place or for more details call Deryl on 020 8832 3497 or text ‘recipe for work’ to 07814 233 863

The regeneration marked the Topping Out ceremony, a traditional construction event to celebrate completion of a building’s frame. In this case it celebrated reaching the highest point of the new estate at four storeys high. This followed a celebratory ‘bingo’ lunch on the estate.

This is the first of three construction phases, which will see Mill Farm Close transformed and completely regenerated. In 2009, 88% of tenants who took part in a ballot voted in favour of becoming tenants of Catalyst Housing and for the regeneration plans, which will deliver 158 properties. These include a new home offered to every Catalyst tenant currently living on the estate, shared ownership properties and homes for private sale. Residents have had input into the design of the estate and have chosen wall colours, floor coverings and kitchen units  for their new homes, as well as having a choice of the location of their new home where possible.

Six residents of Mill Farm Close have found employment during the regeneration in trades ranging from carpentry to administration, thanks to a partnership between Catalyst Housing and Higgins Construction.

The regeneration is also helping to tackle the digital divide. The government’s digital champion Martha Lane Fox revealed this month that nearly half of the people that aren’t online are social tenants. Catalyst Housing has provided every home on Mill Farm Close with a laptop computer along with training to help them get access to online information, including information about the regeneration.

Portfolio holder for housing, London Borough of Harrow, Cllr Bob Currie said:

‘I am pleased that residents at Mill Farm have been closely involved in the regeneration with a number of job opportunities and training schemes underway.  We are very lucky to have strong and united communities in Harrow and it is our priority that this is maintained and nurtured for future generations. We are working with the team at Catalyst and Higgins to make sure that this ambitious regeneration continues to be a great success.’

Anne-Marie, a resident who found employment on the construction site was at the event and commented:

‘I love my job. Thanks to Catalyst and Higgins I’ve been given an opportunity and a real fighting chance.’

Rod Cahill, Chief Executive of Catalyst Housing said:

‘We pride ourselves in being experts in regeneration, and I’m thrilled to see Mill Farm Close progressing so well. It’s really important that jobs have been created on site for residents. As well as an income this offers people training and skills that will be invaluable in the tough financial conditions that everyone is facing.’

Steve Leakey, Managing Director of Higgins Construction said:

‘We are proud to be involved in this project and excited that so many local people have been employed here.’

Residents voted for the stock transfer to Catalyst Housing in April 2010. Work began on site in September 2010 and the first completions will take place in January 2012. Residents will begin to move into their new homes from February 2012.

Friends and employees were on hand to wish her a happy birthday and to also help her eat a large cake and a selection of treats provided by Acton Care Centre. There was also a live musician to help set the party mood.

The Deputy Mayor of Ealing, the Councillor Mohammed Aslam and Mayoress Mrs Aslam were all in attendance. Special speeches were given by both the Deputy  Mayor and the General Manager of Acton Care Centre, Mary McLaren.

Maria says that her secret to living a long and healthy life is ‘being happy in herself and enjoying life. Maria has been a resident at Acton Care Centre since 2009 and has a son and granddaughter that live in Portugal.

Catalyst Housing Ltd and its private developer arm, Catalyst by Design, have appointed Ardmore Construction Ltd as the main contractor for Portobello Square – the first phase of the Wornington Green Estate regeneration project.  Work will start in January 2012.

Griff Marshalsay, director of Catalyst by Design, commented: “From an outstanding short list, choosing Ardmore was based on a number of criteria including their experience and expertise in building high quality mixed tenure regeneration schemes in London. We are very pleased with the selection process outcome.”

James Byrne, the Ardmore director who will be responsible for the project told us “We are delighted with this news and the entire project team is looking forward to working with Catalyst on this unique and prestigious contract.”

The Wornington Green Estate is owned and managed by Catalyst Housing Ltd. Over a number of phases, Catalyst plans to undertake a full redevelopment of the Estate which is situated at the northern end of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, bounded by Portobello Road to the West, the main Paddington/West Country railway line to the North and Golborne Road to the South.

Phase 1 will deliver 324 new mixed tenure homes – 141 for private sale, 174 affordable and 9 for shared ownership. The scheme also includes re-provision of a public park and retail units.

When complete, the regeneration will transform the existing estate into a vibrant mixed-tenure neighbourhood with new streets, a new park, shops, business space and community facilities.  The development currently has planning for up to 1,000 new homes, the first of which will be ready for occupation in 2013.

You can ask Chris anything you want – from how he’s managing our communities to how he’s improving services.

For every resident who tweets us, we’ll donate £1 to the British Heart Foundation

To send us a tweet, you will have to follow us. You can do this by clicking on the button below: 

Follow @Catalyst4You

“There is a desperate need for more homes, and it’s good to see the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister taking this issue seriously. The support for first time buyers is obviously welcomed, but with average house prices more than seven times average incomes in London and the South East we are keen to work with the government to help deliver more affordable options for young people keen to get on to the housing ladder.”

The app lists and promotes affordable homes to buy and rent, across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Milton Keynes and Surrey. It’s free to download from the iTunes App Store and enables anyone with an iPhone device to instantly access the wide selection of home ownership options provided by Catalyst HomeBuy. An Android version of the app will be available on the Android Marketplace later this month.

The app makes it easy for users to browse and find their new home from the continually updated selection of high quality homes to buy and rent. Users can view multiple properties on a map and navigate and search by chosen area. Saving search criteria and individual properties allows for offline use.

Uniquely, the app enables users who have already registered with the HomeBuy service to use their existing profile information for an optimised search on the app.  Non registered users can easily complete their registration straight from their mobile phone.

For each listed property entry, comprehensive details such as photos and location map are provided, and users can directly contact with the participating housing providers with a single tap, for a direct call or to request more information.

A dedicated events section informs users continually about upcoming events such as open days or HomeBuy shows in their chosen area. Using date-driven push notifications users are reminded of new and upcoming events, directly on their mobile handset.

A special section provides information on solicitors and financial advisers that can help with completing a property purchase, listed by region.

Tom Titherington, Director of Business Development and Marketing for Catalyst Housing said:

“Catalyst has always been at the forefront of innovations to help people get on to the housing ladder – we intend to be the catalyst for change in all that we do. This HomeBuy Smartphone app is all about making it even easier for people to find the right home in the right place, helping them build a better future.”

Farhaan Mirza, Marketing Manager for Catalyst Housing added:

“We are extremely enthusiastic about the release of the Catalyst HomeBuy iphone app and are confident that it will further enhance the service that we offer the existing 40,000 plus households that currently interact with the service across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey. With the imminent release of the android version we will be able to service 90 per cent of the smartphone marketplace.”

Face painting at the Dee Park Summer Fayre

Dee Park’s exciting new future has become a reality this week with a celebration to mark the completion of the first new houses and flats for affordable rent.

Representatives from Dee Park Partnership – Willmott Dixon Homes and Catalyst Housing in partnership with Reading Borough Council – and community representatives, joined the first resident to move into their accommodation  during a small celebration  on Friday (October 28^th).

The occasion marked the completion of 24 two and three bedroom houses and also the completion of Frazer House a block of 27 one and two bedroom apartments. CRAG – Dee Park’s Community Regeneration Action Group – chose to name the new accommodation after Frazer Drury, Reading Borough Council’s former Dee Park Regeneration project manager. Frazer worked alongside DPP and CRAG for a number of years on the £150 million regeneration project, which will see the transformation of Dee Park in Tilehurst, Reading.

Frazer’s parents Joy and Ian Drury were also at the opening of Frazer House to mark the occasion with the community, which included representatives from CRAG.

Building work started just over a year ago on the regeneration to revitalise Dee Park into an attractive modern housing development suitable for 21st century living, with brand new homes and improved surroundings. 1960s flats are being replaced with brand new homes for rent and for private sale.

Over the next two years 187 affordable homes will be delivered allowing families to move into brand new homes that have been designed by HCA Architects with the help of residents. The Homes and Communities Agency, the Government’s national housing and regeneration body, is investing £14.2m in the affordable homes scheme.

The Dee Park Partnership is delivering the regeneration for Reading Borough Council.

As well as new affordable homes at Frazer House, the regeneration has so far provided  brand new  sport pitches for use by Ranikhet Primary School and the local community. There is also competitively priced housing for sale including starter homes for first time buyers.

The regeneration has also helped boost employment for the local community, with Dee Park Partnership offering residents of Dee Park and the surrounding area access to training and opportunities for apprenticeships and work experience on the construction site.

Speaking on behalf of Dee Park Partnership, Catalyst Housing’s chief executive Rod Cahill said:

“It’s very exciting to witness the regeneration of Dee Park become a reality, and to see residents who have lived in dated 1960s flats move into new homes that they’ve helped to design. This is what this regeneration is all about: building a better future for Dee Park. This is just the beginning – we are here for the long haul to be the catalyst that creates a better community. Our support for Dee Park residents groups is already helping to provide everything from summer fairs and glee clubs to training and employment opportunities for the local community. I look forward to the continued transformation of Dee Park over the coming years.”

Councillor Jo Lovelock, chair of the Dee Park Board and leader of Reading Borough Council said:

“This has been an emotional moment in the regeneration process – one of the main reasons for this project is to get people out of old 1960s concrete flats into new homes fit for the 21^st Century. To see the first people actually moving in, really is turning the vision into a reality after all the years of planning.  It is a tribute to everyone who has worked on the regeneration. It is also great to see the community wanting to thank Frazer Drury who put so much into the scheme while he was the project officer – a much deserved legacy.”

Norma Sinclair, chair of CRAG (Community Regeneration Action Group), said: “The journey from the first meetings until now seems like a lifetime ago. Despite hours of work, never ending rounds of meetings, training sessions and concerns that this adventure would never be delivered, here we are at Frazer House and the first tenants are now in residence.

“CRAG, when choosing the name Frazer House, did so in recognition of the work and support given by Frazer Drury to the CRAG and indeed the whole project. We also wish to thank DPP.

“I feel sure that the Duchess of Kent who originally opened the Dee Road estate all those years ago, would agree that these new homes are so much better. They offer the families so much and on behalf of CRAG, I wish each and every one of them good luck and much happiness in their new homes.”

Peter Jones, HCA head of area, said:

“This is great news as it will see much-needed new homes delivered in Reading. Our local team has worked closely with DPP over recent months to ensure that the scheme brings the maximum benefit for local people. But in many ways, the hard work starts now and we’ll be focused on ensuring that people in Reading see the benefits of our investment over the next few years.”

This accreditation allows Catalyst  to offer better service and training to its residents, bringing tenants and front-line service providers together to deliver first class housing services and create great places to live.

To be successful, Catalyst had to prove that the business is customer focused. This award confirms that all staff and the Board are committed to involving tenants and leaseholders in shaping and developing the services provided.

Special mention was made of the hard work done by Katerina Getsevich and the youth forum ‘Successful Futures.’ One area that was highlighted was a prison visit which gave young people the opportunity to find out what life is really like behind bars. Some of the young people that went on this trip have become young representatives for Catalyst, speaking to other young residents about their future and the resident involvement activities we offer.

The award was presented by TPAS Board member Sara Thakkar who said:

“By awarding Catalyst Housing with this accreditation it shows that Catalyst care about residents and are at the heart of what Catalyst do.”

Read the Landlord accreditation report from TPAS