Housing group help tenants save cash

The housing group based on Asher Lane, worked with almost 40 of its tenants during a community impact week.

One tenant found an extra £2,000 in their finances thanks to the housing provider’s team of volunteer Budget Buddies - a team of tenants who help neighbours with money tips.

And 11 tenants were shown how they could save nearly £1,500 on their energy bills thanks to a greener living event in Peveril Court, Ripley.

John Whetton attended the volunteer discovery day and is keen to get involved to help others.

The Ripley resident said: “I’ve been interested in volunteering for a while so this was a good opportunity to see what Futures does in the community. I want to be able to help other people out and the event has helped me make up my mind.”

Paul Parkinson, executive director of Futures Homescape, said: “Helping tenants do more with their money is one of our main aims and I’m really pleased that our teams and volunteers have been able to find £3,500 worth of savings for our customers.

“This kind of community work is really important at a time when people are struggling to make ends meet so we’re happy to support it.”

The events were part of five days of activity for Futures which was run by the National Housing Federation, which represents housing associations nationally.

It ran from November 16 to 20, and was designed to not only help tenants, but also to showcase the services they provide to help people stay independent and support community projects.