21 Talks

July 2025 Resident Newsletter

This is your audio edition of the resident Housing 21 Monthly Newsletter: July edition. Read to you by Lucy and Joel from the Communications Team.
Housing 21 is a leading not-for-profit provider of Retirement Living and Extra Care for people over the age of 55. We operate in 215 local authority areas across England, managing over 24,000 Retirement Living and Extra Care properties and providing over 49,000 hours of social care each week.
Connect with Housing 21 on
Housing 21 website - www.housing21.org.uk
Facebook - facebook.com/Housing21
LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/housing21
Instagram - instagram.com/housing21living
YouTube - www.youtube.com/@housing2171

June 2025 Resident Newsletter

This is your audio edition of the resident Housing 21 Monthly Newsletter: June edition. Read to you by Lucy and Joel from the Communications Team.
Housing 21 is a leading not-for-profit provider of Retirement Living and Extra Care for people over the age of 55. We operate in 215 local authority areas across England, managing over 24,000 Retirement Living and Extra Care properties and providing over 49,000 hours of social care each week.
Connect with Housing 21 on
Housing 21 website - www.housing21.org.uk
Facebook - facebook.com/Housing21
LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/housing21
Instagram - instagram.com/housing21living
YouTube - www.youtube.com/@housing2171

May 2025 Resident Newsletter

This is your audio edition of the resident Housing 21 Monthly Newsletter: May edition. Read to you by Lucy and Joel from the Communications Team.
 
Connect with Housing 21 on
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/housing21
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Housing21/

April 2025 Monthly Newsletter

This is your audio edition of the resident Housing 21 Monthly Newsletter: April edition. Read to you by Lucy and Joel from the Communications Team.
 
Connect with Housing 21 on
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/housing21
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Housing21/

March 2025 Resident Newsletter

This is your audio edition of the Housing 21 Monthly Newsletter: March 2025 edition. Read to you by Lucy and Joel from the Communications Team.
 
Connect with Housing 21 on
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/housing21
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Housing21/

February 2025 Resident Newsletter

This is your audio edition of the Housing 21 Monthly Newsletter: February 2025 edition. Read to you by Lucy and Joel from the Communications Team.
 
Connect with Housing 21 on
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/housing21
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Housing21/

January 2025 Resident Newsletter

This is your audio edition of the Housing 21 Newsletter: January 2025 edition.
Read to you by Lucy and Joel from the Resident Communications Team.
 
Connect with Housing 21 on
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/housing21
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Housing21/

Activities to positively impact your wellbeing

Across Housing 21 we often talk about wellbeing and the importance of it, but what does it actually mean for residents living in our schemes?
Local Housing Manager Laura Gilling is passionate about the benefits physical activity can have on people’s wellbeing. In this episode of 21 Talks, she sits down with residents Zohra and Austin to find out what activities positively contribute to their wellbeing, as well as advice they’d give to other residents who are looking to try something new.
Episode time stamps
00:00 – Intro
01:18 – Austin and Zohra share where they live and how long they’ve been a Housing 21 resident
02:15 – Benefits of outdoor space  
03:00 – What it’s like to be a basketball coach
05:18 – Completing a cooking course
05:52 – Chair-based exercise classes
07:47 – Residents leading on group activities
09:37 – What does wellbeing mean to you?
11:14 – Advice for people looking to try a new hobby
15:04 – Outro
Further information: 
If you’re a Housing 21 resident interested in taking part in a future episode or have a topic you’d like us to explore on an upcoming episode, we’d love to hear from you by filling out this form.
Learn more about our pet policy for residents.
If you’re interested in a career in care or housing, check out our latest vacancies.
Connect with Housing 21 on
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/housing21
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Housing21/

Getting to grips with tech

Technology plays an important role in our everyday lives. 
It enables people to stay connected with one another, order food, pay bills and shop, and for some, enables them to do their jobs effectively from home. However, this always been the case.
Across the UK, there are still many people who do not have the digital skills needed to use a laptop or tablet, with Age UK estimating that two million people aged over 75 are digitally excluded, including Housing 21 residents Rosina and Pauline.
In the first half of this 21 Talks episode, host Geoff Hopcraft, Lead Learning and Organisational Development Partner for the South at Housing 21, is joined by the duo to hear more about their experiences of using technology and the steps they are taking to improve their knowledge.
Geoff is then joined by Local Housing Manager Dave Vause to discuss how Housing 21, through its digital strategyand partnership with Barclays Digital Eagles is supporting residents like Pauline and Rosina.
 
Episode time stamps
00:00 – Intro
02:29 – Rosina and Pauline’s experience using technology
08:36 – Benefits of using tech   
15:00 – Dave’s experience and passion for improving digital skills
17:13 – What devices are typically used by residents
18:45 – What are Housing 21’s Digital Champions
23:35 – Advice for listeners who want to improve their digital skills
24:34 – Outro
 
Further information: 
If you’re a Housing 21 resident interested in taking part in a future episode or have a topic you’d like us to explore on an upcoming episode, we’d love to hear from you by filling out this form.
 
Read more about Transform 21 on page 17 of our Housing 21 Strategic Commitments Report.
 
Find out more about our Digital Eagles and Digital Champions please contact your Local Housing Manager or visit: Digital learning - your way | Digital Wings (uk.barclays)  
 
Connect with Housing 21 on
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/housing21
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Housing21/

Financial Wellbeing, Housing 21’s Tenancy Gurus and Helping Hands Fund

In 2021, Housing 21 launched a new scheme aiming to provide specialist training for employees to act as Tenancy Gurus. These colleagues are part of a commitment to helping residents sustain a healthy tenancy, preventing issues, such as rent and service charge arrears, before they arise. They’re also key to delivering Housing 21’s Helping Hands Fund, which offers residents a one-off grant for when something unexpected arises affecting their financial wellbeing.   
   
In this episode of 21 Talks, host Nikki-Leigh Dipper,  Business Improvement Officer at Housing 21, sits down with residents David and Emma (not their real names) who have both received support through our Tenancy Gurus initiative to share their experiences and advice on seeking financial support and advice.   
  
Next to them, are guest panellists and Court Managers Jessica Ettridge and Julie Izzard, who have both been heavily involved with the initiative to talk more about how this approach is enabling independent living through financial confidence, dignity and autonomy, as well as how it collectively saved residents £700,000 in its first year. 
 
Episode time stamps 
00:00 – Introduction 
02:21 – Why was Tenancy Gurus first setup? 
04:43 – Guests share their stories about the support the received through Tenancy Gurus  
14:00 – Brief summary of what Helping Hands is 
14:20 – Tenancy Gurus share their stories on support provided to residents 
17:09 – More about the helping hands fund and Housing 21’s Make A Difference (MAD) days 
18:47 – Information on how to apply for the Helping Hands fund 
19:13 – Stories from guests and Tenancy Gurus about how Helping Hands has helped residents 
26:10 – What’s next for Tenancy Gurus? 
27:14 – Guests sum up the Tenancy Gurus initiative in one word 
27:56 – Advice for listeners who are struggling to talk about money 
29:15 – Outro  
 
Further information:  
If you’re a Housing 21 resident interested in taking part in a future episode or have a topic you’d like us to explore on an upcoming episode, we’d love to hear from you by filling out this form. 
 
Connect with Housing 21 on 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Housing21 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/housing21