If you don’t already know me, I am Demi, the resident voice officer for Haverhill and the surrounding areas. Here is what I have been up to:

• I visited the Stourview Centre in Haverhill, a new community hub funded by the local council. The centre hosts regular sessions with organisations such as Reach Community Projects, Leading Lives and Turning Point, with bookable support available for residents. A community-run café is also due to open soon. We are exploring hosting a bi-monthly coffee morning at the centre, alternating with The Link. The centre is also planning to apply for a Community Investment Grant (CIG) to enhance its garden space, with the aim of setting up a gardening club.
• We carried out a visit to Clements Primary School, which was a positive opportunity to connect with the local community and find out more about how they spent their Community Investment Grant and more can be found out about that in the summer edition of Havebury News.
• We completed a neighbourhood check-in at Chalkstone (Birds estate), joined by a local councillor who provided valuable insight. It was encouraging to hear how much the area has improved over the past year.
• Myself and Jordan, hosted a pop-up session at Stowmarket Library, attended by four residents. Key queries related to bin stores, which we were able to address through our work with the council. Residents also raised issues around HomeLink, Healthy Homes and anti-social behaviour (ASB), all of which have been followed up and actioned.
• We have received applications from Memories are Golden, Hundon Church and Burton End Primary School. These will be going out to resident vote shortly.
• Next month, I am planning visits to Horace Eves Close, Burton End and Chestnut Court to progress the installation of water butts.

If you don’t already know me, I am Jordan, the resident voice officer for Bury St Edmunds and the surrounding areas. Here is what I have been up to:

• I recently visited Lucy Adams House (our homeless hostel) and spoke with 11 residents. They told us they would like to be more involved in community events and have a greater say in what happens where they live. We will be following up to understand what has worked well, what could be improved, and how we can put their feedback into action.
• We held a drop-in session at Anselm Avenue in Bury St Edmunds earlier this month. 11 residents attended, along with two members of our Board. Residents shared positive feedback, particularly about the opportunity to speak with teams face-to-face rather than over the phone. During the session, we were able to resolve a number of issues, including grounds maintenance, service charges, local events and activities, gas servicing, and solar panels.
• We have also introduced three new community champions. I held an initial meeting with them to provide an overview of the role and how they can get involved.
• I have been working with our Neighbourhood and Estates team to create a consultation for residents at Lambert House. We are looking to make some improvements to their outdoor communal areas and are looking to gather their views and ideas.
• I visited Bury in Bloom and Our Special Friends to check in on the progress of their community grant projects and more on these will follow in the summer edition of Havebury News.
• We have started working with local primary schools to design posters for bin store areas, ahead of changes to recycling and waste coming into effect later this year.
• We are also beginning to plan this year’s Havebury in Bloom. This is going to look a little different this year as we focus on sustainability in gardens. The tallest sunflower competition will also be returning. More on this, and how you can get involved will follow soon.
• Community Investment Grants applications are now open so if you have a project you are looking for some funding for, find out more here.