The Programmed team recently fired up the BBQ, bringing tenants together with local community organisations, and igniting community spirit at Canberra’s latest ‘Trade for a Day’ event.
Programmed’s Facility Management team hosts regular community BBQs – designed to bring people together, empower tenants, strengthen communities, and to help ensure maintenance issues are raised and fixed promptly.
Programmed believes in the power of bringing people together, to help promote social connections and build stronger local communities. As well as to ensure that property maintenance issues are identified and fixed as soon as possible. The most recent community information event and free BBQ was held at a Housing ACT aged persons unit. It can be vital for people’s wellbeing, to be proactive over property maintenance, as Gregory Lackey, Programmed’s Social Inclusion Manager explains; “Some older people can feel socially isolated, and some tenants are unsure about raising smaller property maintenance requests. By hosting regular events like today, we bring people together and see the smiles on their faces, as well as checking in with each tenant, to make sure people are connected, properties are well maintained, and people feel happy in their home.”
There were safety and information talks from a variety of local organisations including Housing ACT, the ACT Police, ACT Fire & Rescue and Aged Care services. On the day, trades people serviced all aircon units throughout the Housing ACT units, replacing lights with LED energy efficient lighting and replacing taps with lever taps (which can be easier for people with arthritis to use). In outside communal areas some slip/trip hazards were identified and fixed by a concreter on site. A team also set about painting and sealing garden furniture, freshening up the outdoor communal spaces.
Regular ‘Trade for a Day’ events form part of Programmed’s commitment to delivering social inclusion programs, aiming to connect people and build stronger community networks. The days also enables tenants to raise any property and maintenance concerns and get the jobs done on the day, by trades people.
A day like this strengthens connections by bringing tenants together over a BBQ and introducing them to community organisations, as well as ensuring maintenance concerns are raised and jobs done. The aim is that regular events like these lead to stronger, happier communities, as Programmed’s Social Inclusion Manager Gregory Lackey shares; “Seeing the connections being made on the day – neighbours forming friendships and learning about local support available, is heartwarming to see. The highlight for me was speaking with a tenant who said that the day had really lifted their spirits and made them feel valued.”
