50 turn out for first housing panel

Berneslai Homes - the council’s housing arm - held the first Customer Panel at the Metrodome. It will be held every few months to give tenants the chance to help shape the way housing is run. Barry McGowan, chair of Barnsley Federation of Tenants and Residents, said: “It was nice to see a diverse section of the community turn up to the event. The Federation is very keen to see this kind of event succeed.”

Berneslai Homes chief executive Helen Correy said: “For me tenant and resident involvement should always be at the heart of what we do, how we hear people’s views and voices and how we get people actively involved is critical.

“Barnsley has a strong tenant and residents’ movement through the Federation but at Berneslai Homes we wish to go one step further, in partnership with the federation, and open up involvement to more people.

“The Customer Panel will be an open forum which will meet every few months and have an annual programme of events where people can come and share their views.