“That’s All Folks” – A retirement message from Ceri

So, here’s the thing – I’m retiring. There I’ve said it, the R word. When I tell people, the usual response is- ‘I’m so jealous… I wish I could do that’.

Leaving a job is often a hard thing to do- saying goodbye to lovely colleagues, interesting projects and great partnerships with other people and organisations. Usually, however, you are leaving one job to go to another, but this time, for me, there is no new job, so it’s a time when I can reflect on my past several decades in housing- where we have come from and where we are now. I could write a book on all those reflections and experiences (maybe I will!), but for now, just a few thoughts from me.

Some things haven’t changed that much. Homelessness in the late 1980s, when I started as a Housing Officer, was as significant an issue then as it is now. I can still remember the joy it gave me, handing over the keys to a new home, to families who had been living in a hostel for many months.

I guess what has changed, is, certainly within the housing sector, that equality, diversity and inclusion now plays a part in the services that are delivered, the housing that is built and the strategic direction of the organisations that build them.

Over the past eight years at Tai Pawb, I’ve been lucky to be part of an amazing group of people who all want to make Wales a better place to live. I’ve also been lucky to be part of so many impactful projects, including our Open Doors and Gwent Boost private rented equality projects, our Seeking Sanctuary project with Housing Justice Cymru and Wales Refugee Council, our Deeds Not Words work and our QED equality award for housing associations. There is still a long way to go, but I know that my colleagues at Tai Pawb will continue challenging and working with the housing sector to build on what has already been achieved.

See some of Ceri’s times at Tai Pawb below: