Volunteers Week 2025: Celebrating resident volunteers
We’re celebrating Volunteers’ Week this week, between 2 to 6 June, to recognise and appreciate the incredible efforts and contributions of resident volunteers.
We want to put a spotlight on the positive impact they have on communities, organisations and individuals.
Last year, we had just under 300 residents get involved with us, dedicating their personal time to help improve our services and better their local areas, along with many others who volunteered outside of L&Q in their local communities.
This year, we’re celebrating resident volunteers for their contributions in line with our values.
Each day this week, we’ll tell you about the winners of each award and why they’ve won.
Learn how residents can get involved as a resident volunteer.
Our ‘People Value’ award goes to Sarah Chaney, Rhys Fowler and Isobel Palmer
A resident who proactively seeks support and offers support to neighbours to get the best outcomes for their community.
They take ownership to continually learn and better their community.
They work with front line teams with a solution-focused persona to help create initiatives we can be proud of.
People Value award winner, Sarah Chaney
Sarah from Walthamstow has shown outstanding leadership as a Chair for Stadium Place Residents Association, playing a key role in advocating for residents and securing positive outcomes.
She said, “We could all see that there were issues that were not always being resolved quickly, and so myself and a group of other residents got together back in 2018 to improve our community for the better.”
Under her guidance, the associations gained recognition in the local press including the Waltham Forest Echo, and she successfully secured a grant of £12,500 in funding from CHIP Community Chest Fund and L&Q’s Walthamstow Stadium Community Sports Trust to help establish a new Community Hub.
“It’s fantastic when we do see a real difference in the area.
Getting the youth space going in 2023 was a real struggle, but since then it’s been great seeing it go from strength to strength” Sarah said.
This funding supported a range of activities over the past year, including youth sessions, Zumba, boxing, table tennis coaching and health and wellbeing events.
Notable community events led or supported by the TRA include a Summer Party, Black History Month Open Day, Halloween and Christmas parties, an Easter celebration and an Eid gathering collectively engaging with over 500 local residents.
In addition to event coordination, Sarah and the TRA took an active responsibility in managing building works and temporary relocations at Stadium Place, making sure resident are supported throughout the process.
Her commitment has significantly strengthened the community spirit and cohesion.
“The TRA committee are a fantastic bunch and so supportive. It’s definitely the people around me that keep me going.”
People Value award runner up, Rhys Fowler and Isabel Palmer
These residents have given up so much of their time over the years to meaningfully engage with us, to make sure we understand the very real challenge a third-party managing agent can have on the resident experience and to help improve the homeowner experience with us.
Moreover, their input into the setting up of our new Managing Agents team have been invaluable.
It's very clear that they don't shy away from challenging conversations, but always do so in such a passionate, proactive and kind manner.
They have a long standing commitment to getting involved and working in partnership with us. It's a real pleasure to be able to work with both.
To become an involved resident, register your interests.