South East Eye - November 2007
Welcome to the first CIH South East ezine
About time too, many will no doubt say!
This is one of a number of improvements we are introducing in response to our members' opinion survey earlier this year. We recognise that improved communication with our members is really important, and hope that this ezine (electronic news) will help keep you better informed.
In introducing our ezine, we believe we can provide you with more timely and accessible information - and save a few trees in the process!
Please tell us what you would like to see in the new ezine - we want to make it as relevant and topical as we can for you, our members.
The regional committee has also recently agreed to progress the development of a Moodle. For non-techies like me, that basically means a free software e-learning platform you can access via a website. A Moodle is designed to help provide you with opportunities to interact with features including:
- forums
- resource information
- blogs
- surveys
- chat
- glossaries
We see this being particularly important in enabling you to access papers and take part in policy debates. We hope to be able to involve you more directly in identifying and addressing the housing issues in the South East. More on this in 2008.
If you haven't already done so don't forget to bookmark our regional website - www.cihse.co.uk. The site contains a range of useful information about CIH's work in the South East.
Happy reading!
Graham Maunders
CIH South East Chair
Affordable Home Ownership conference: 31 October 2007, Crawley
After an excellent response from last year's delegates, we ran another Home Ownership one-day conference. It picked up on the affordability issues central to the CIH Manifesto for Housing in the South East.
Communities South East - Challenges & Solutions
The theme for our 2008 Branch conference and exhibition is Communities South East - Challenges & Solutions. The event, which will run from 4 - 6 March 2008, is being held at the Hilton Brighton Metropole Hotel.
The IDeA has launched four new programmes designed to support you and your members in enhancing your strategic housing role. These programmes are being run at no, or very little, cost to your authority. These programme form part of the IDeA's overall strategic housing offer.
Housing education courses in the South East
There are currently two education centres in the South East offering CIH housing qualifications - Mid Kent College and Southampton Solent University. Other options are the CIH distance learning courses and centres in the London Region.
International study trip: Berlin, 16-21 October 2007
Last month's branch visit to Berlin proved very popular. We had a very strong delegate list of over 22 people, including members from other branches including London and the North West.
International study trip: Chicago, 15-20 March 2008
Next year's branch visit to Chicago will again be hosted by the Chicago Housing Authority, in particular by Bill Povalla, Assistant Housing Commissioner, working with Rick Gentry from the National Equities Fund.
Working with the South African Housing Federation
Chris Moquet from our international group has had some informal discussions with colleagues in South Africa. The South African Housing Federation is keen to support some of its members at a student or junior level to experience housing in the UK.
Useful bookmarks
The next South East Regional Eye will be emailed in January 2008. The deadline for all copy is 14 December 2007. Contact Gill Varley by emailing gill@sparkleweb.co.uk with any content you would like to be considered for inclusion.
South East Regional Eye is the quarterly ezine of the Chartered Institute of Housing South East. It is developed and edited by Sparkleweb Ltd.