La-Vern Haye is an Involved Customer who lives in one of our homes and helps us to improve our services.
How & why did you get involved La-Vern?
I became an involved customer because my housing officer asked me!! Straight away, I said, “yes absolutely!” I have always been a person that likes to offer my support and help and when I thought of the idea of being able to contribute my ideas and getting involved within my community to hopefully bring about a positive input to my housing community within my borough, I was quite excited.
Getting involved and having your say can make a difference, even if it’s to just one person.
What sorts of things have you been involved in which you have enjoyed?
Ok, so my initial agreed involvement was to do with the Equality & Diversity project. However, it has transpired as you can imagine into other areas. I have worked on the flight tipping project which was very successful with putting together ideas to create the awareness of what flight tipping actually is and ways in which residents can be made aware of how to get rid of unwanted furniture and generally educating about the affects of rubbish being dumped in communal areas.
For BHM, I cooked Jamaica’s National dish, Ackee & Saltfish which was featured in Greatwell Homes newsletter, yes, my cooking made it public!!!
What would you say to other customers who are thinking about getting involved?
To anyone considering becoming an involved customer… STOP the thinking and just do it. Getting involved and having your say can make a difference, even if it’s to just one person.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself?
Hmmm, let me think, a fun thing about me? When I was 13 years old, I wanted to be a policewoman, no, I wanted to be a Counsellor, no actually, I thought I’d like to be a chef because I could cook up a good plate of food, then I realised, nope none of those, instead, at 36 I finally worked out what I had destining to be… … And here I am, a 42 year old, Female, 4ft 1 Bouncer!!
If this is something that interests you, you can find more information on becoming an involved customer here.