Help shape the future of your housing services 

Contents

— Housing Improvement Workshops
— What to expect
— Upcoming Housing Improvement Workshops
— Tenants and Council Together board
— Upcoming TACT board meetings
— Frequently Asked Questions
— Actions and outcomes

Housing Improvement Workshops 

Our Housing Improvement Workshops are interactive sessions where tenants, shared owners, and leaseholders work alongside council officers to co-design better housing services. These are not formal meetings - they are collaborative spaces where we focus on solutions, not just problems. If you have ideas on how we can improve, or if something is working well and you want to see more of it, these workshops are your opportunity to make a real impact. 

• Safety & Quality Workshop - How safe and well-maintained is your home? What is your experience of repairs and maintenance?
• Transparency, Influence & Accountability Workshop - Do you feel heard? Is our service fair, open, and responsive to your concerns?
• Neighbourhood & Community Workshop - Is your neighbourhood safe and well looked after? How effectively is anti-social behaviour addressed?
• Tenancy Workshop - Are our lettings, tenancy support, and allocations fair and effective?

We are making it easy for everyone to participate! If you need help with transport costs or assistance with access, please contact the Tenant Partnership Team at 0800 716 987 or email tenantpartnership@winchester.gov.uk.

We will provide refreshments at the workshop.

What to expect

The Housing Improvement Workshops are designed to be participatory dynamic, and tenant-led, ensuring that your voice shapes real improvements in our housing services. Each session follows a structured format to make sure everyone has the opportunity to contribute:

• Introductions – A chance for all attendees to introduce themselves.
• Service Update – A senior officer from the relevant area of the housing department provides an update.
• Review of Actions & Outcomes – We go over any progress made since the last workshop.
• Participatory Activity – A hands-on discussion or activity focusing on a key housing issue related to the workshop theme.
• Tenant-Led Voting – Attendees vote on the main focus for the next session, ensuring that discussions remain relevant to attendees' priorities.
• Evaluation – A short reflective exercise to capture feedback and improve future sessions.

By structuring the workshops this way, we create a collaborative space where tenants, shared-owners and leaseholders directly influence the key priorities for the Housing Improvement Workshops.

If you have any questions, please contact the Tenant Partnership Team at 0800 716 987 or email tenantpartnership@winchester.gov.uk.

Book your place using the Housing Improvement Workshop online form, or contact the Tenant Partnership Team at 0800 716 987 or email tenantpartnership@winchester.gov.uk.

Upcoming Housing Improvement Workshops

Need support to attend?

The venue has free parking and full single-level access. We can help with reasonable transport costs and accessibility needs - just let us know. Contact the Tenant Partnership Team at 0800 716 987 or email tenantpartnership@winchester.gov.uk.

Book your place using the Housing Improvement Workshop online form, or contact the Tenant Partnership Team at 0800 716 987 or email tenantpartnership@winchester.gov.uk.

TACT Board (Tenants and Council Together)

TACT is the tenant board for Winchester City Council housing tenants. It has been a part of tenant engagement at Winchester City Council since the group was originally formed in 1995. Over this time the group has experienced, and evolved with, a lot of changes within social housing.

The TACT Board reviews housing policies before they are presented to the Cabinet Committee: Housing, ensuring tenant voices influence key decisions.

The TACT Board includes:

• 4 tenant members
• 2 independent members
• The portfolio holder for housing
• The shadow portfolio holder for housing
• Senior officers, including the Service Lead for Housing and the Strategic Director

Meet the dedicated members of the TACT Board

Mike Sagar (Tenant Member)
Mike has lived in the Winchester area for eight years, spending the last five in central Winchester. With a professional background in IT software and services within Financial Services and Retail, Mike also has experience in property maintenance and repairs. Now mostly retired, he dedicates his time to voluntary work with the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.

Chantelle Lindo-Davies (Shared-Owner Member)
Chantelle brings over 20 years of experience in social work and community development. As a registered Social Worker, she has worked extensively with children and families facing complex challenges. Passionate about creativity and storytelling as tools for change, Chantelle now supports and educates trainee and newly qualified social workers, delivering training on key social issues.

Lin Melish (Tenant Member)
Lin has been a tenant in Kings Worthy for 12 years, having spent most of her life in the Winchester area. She became an involved tenant in 2016 and joined the TACT Board to ensure tenants have a voice in shaping housing policies that impact their homes and communities. Lin is committed to tenant involvement and believes that engagement is key to influencing positive change.

Karen Alexander (Tenant Member)
With a background in social housing since her 20s, Karen has worked extensively in family support and the NHS for over two decades. Holding a BA Honours in Drama, Television, and Theatre Studies, she is passionate about equality and diversity. Karen is eager to contribute to policy development and ensure housing policies reflect tenants' needs.

Matthew Hamilton (Independent Member)
Matt is an independent member with a strong background in customer service and community engagement. He is dedicated to improving housing services and ensuring tenant voices are central to decision-making. Outside of his professional role, Matt is a keen runner, golfer, and football player who enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and their dog, Lola.

Nick Derbyshire (Independent Member)
With over 30 years of experience in Local Government, Nick has worked in Environmental Services, Corporate Policy, Asset Management, and Housing Management. Currently Head of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) at Wiltshire Council, he focuses on preparing for regulatory inspections and managing financial pressures on housing services. Nick aims to use his experience to drive service improvements and share best practices.

Cllr Caroline Horrill (Shadow Portfolio Holder)
Caroline has been a Winchester City Councillor since 2014, representing the Wonston & Micheldever ward. With a career background in marketing for major global brands like Cadbury and Unilever, she is also deeply involved in her local community as a school governor and a key figure in setting up a community shop in her village. As the shadow portfolio holder for housing, she brings strategic insight to the board.

Cllr Chris Westwood (Chair of the Board and Portfolio Holder for Housing)
Chris serves as the Winchester City Councillor for St Paul Ward and Cabinet Member for Housing. With extensive experience in Central Government, Financial Services, and IT consultancy at Oracle, Chris leads the TACT Board in its mission to enhance housing services and advocate for tenants’ needs.

The TACT Board is dedicated to ensuring that tenants are at the heart of housing decisions. If you are interested in getting involved or learning more about their work, stay connected through our Tenant Engagement updates.

Hearing your views is really important to us and to make sure we are offering you the best service, that is also in line with the requirements of the Social Housing (regulation) Act 2023, we have reviewed how tenants, leaseholders and shared owners with Winchester City Council can have a say and help shape the future of their housing service.

More information about the groups can be found on our 'How you can be involved' web page.

If you would like to know more about any of these options of engagement, or you would like a hard copy of the recruitment pack, please contact a member of the Tenant Partnership Team on 0800 716 987 or by email tenantpartnership@winchester.gov.uk

Upcoming TACT Board meetings

Housing Improvement Workshops & TACT - Frequently Asked Questions

Actions and outcomes