Author: Laura

Barry Dealey has been a tenant since 2019. Before moving into his council bungalow in Rawmarsh, he was travelling around the country working for a dog rescue charity.

Barry is full of praise for his experience of being rehoused by the Council and this is what motivated him to want to get involved and give something back. Since then, he’s played an active role in several tenant panels and is currently a member of the Tenant Scrutiny Panel, helping shape and improve housing services for all tenants. He also supports those new to involvement in his role as a Tenant Buddy Volunteer.

Barry doesn’t just get involved with the Housing Team, he regularly volunteers at Council events such as events for the Children’s Capital of Culture programme, the Rotherham Show and the Christmas lights switch on. He also gives his time to other local organisations including the Rotherham Titans and Rawmarsh Foodbank. The brilliant contribution Barry makes was recently recognised when he received an ARCH (Association of Retained Council Housing) Community Champion award.

Barry is proud of working with the Council to improve things and values the friendships he has built with other involved tenants, as well as enjoying playing practical jokes on them every once in a while. Looking ahead, he’s keen to keep doing what he is doing and hopes to encourage more people to get involved. As Barry puts it, he’s achieved more in the last ten years of volunteering than in his forty-three years as a delivery driver, which is a powerful testament to the impact of getting involved and volunteering.

Sandra’s career has included roles at The Star newspaper and Mercedes, but after facing several redundancies, she found herself unemployed for 18 months. During this difficult time, she completed a digital skills course at her local library, where she was introduced to Rotherfed’s Digital Champion service.

Determined to stay proactive, she began one-to-one digital support sessions with volunteer Bridgette, which helped rebuild her confidence and digital skills. Encouraged by the experience, Sandra applied for a Community Support Worker role at Rotherfed – and was offered the job immediately.

Sandra describes the Rotherfed team as “a lovely family and community” and says the digital support was life-changing: “I wouldn’t be here now without it.”

Now thriving in her role, Sandra enjoys helping others and finds the work both fun and rewarding. Although her contract is temporary, she feels more confident about applying for future roles and continues to receive digital mentoring from Dale to support her development. She says the experience has made the future feel brighter and less daunting.

Dale moved into Wellfield Lodge at Kimberworth Park in 2021. Originally from Sheffield, he relocated to Rotherham from Peterborough, to be closer to family following a motor bike accident. Dale has worked in the Civil Service since 2002 and is open about his neurodiversity. He says it gives him a ‘superpower’ in problem solving and ‘just because you are different it doesn’t mean you can’t do stuff, it just means you do it differently.’

Keen to get involved, Dale attended a local resident meeting organised by the Area Housing Officer. It was at this meeting he heard about Rotherfed and decided to get in touch. This led to Dale becoming a volunteer Digital Champion, supporting others with digital skills. The role appealed to Dale as he loves to help people and he was also looking to do something to stop himself from getting bored.

Dale came along to the Open Day last year and heard about the tenant Screen Team.

The evening meetings fit around his work, and he values the chance to improve communications and make a difference. He describes it as ‘another string to his bow’ and enjoys the social side of being involved.

‘Other than appearing in a recent edition of Home Matters being the start of his modelling career’ (a direct quote from Dale) his next ambition is to see if he can work with Rotherfed and other residents to set up a Wellfield Lodge TARA and give the community room a new lease of life.

Winnie Magagula is a tenant that lives at Shaftesbury House. Originally from Zimbabwe, she was living elsewhere in Rotherham when she was rushed into hospital and then moved to a temporary supported living flat on the Shaftsbury estate. She liked it that much she applied for a Council property and has been living in a flat there for about eighteen months.

Winnie is an active member of the Shaftesbury House Tenant and Resident Association (TARA). We spoke with her about the wonderful work the TARA does and the difference it has made to her life.

Winnie got involved with the TARA within two weeks of moving in, joining a bingo session where she was warmly welcomed. Since then, she’s become a regular at the bingo as well as party evenings, shared meals, barbecues, trips to the seaside and days out at other attractions. Beyond the social side, TARA members support each other with practical tasks such as helping assemble furniture. In Winnie’s case, Dennis, the TARA treasurer has been helping her to learn how to use her new mobility scooter (though he jokes she isn’t likely to pass her driving test any time soon!).

Winnie told us that being part of the TARA really helped with the grieving process when her mother sadly passed away. She said she feels happy, relaxed and more secure than she did when she lived elsewhere, and that she looks forward to 4pm on the days when the regular TARA get-togethers take place.
Looking to the future, a keen lover of flowers and plants, Winnie is excited because the TARA is considering what they could do to enhance the estate’s green spaces next year.

Winnie’s story highlights how small acts of connection – like joining a bingo night or sharing a meal – can grow into something much bigger. Through her involvement with the TARA, she’s found friendship, support, and a renewed sense of home.

Jordan is a tenant from Canklow, who has overcome significant personal challenges. Struggling with his mental health, he found support through Talk and Train, a free boxing gym at Millennium that focuses on wellbeing. Initially attending as a client, Jordan became more involved over time, helping out and building strong relationships with others at the gym.

It was through Talk and Train that Jordan met Rob from Rotherfed, who introduced him to tenant involvement opportunities. Rob encouraged him to join the Housing Involvement Panel (HIP), where Jordan began contributing his voice and ideas. He also recently completed Digital Champion Training, using his background in media and animation from Dinnington College to help others get online and build digital confidence.

Jordan’s journey hasn’t been easy, he lives with PTSD, and has dyslexia. Despite these challenges, he’s shown incredible resilience and commitment to making a difference. One of his proudest moments was speaking publicly for the first time at the Tenant Open Day at New York Stadium, where he shared his story and the impact of Talk and Train. “It was nerve-racking,” he said, “but the response was really positive.”

His dedication was recently recognised with the ARCH Community Champion Award for Under 30s. “I don’t take compliments well,” Jordan admits, “but it was nice to be recognised, especially alongside someone I know and respect.”

Looking ahead, Jordan is focused on building a positive future and has connected with Pathways to Work for support in finding employment. His journey shows how the right support, combined with opportunities to get involved, can help people rebuild, grow, and contribute in meaningful ways.