PlaceShapers come together to see regeneration in action

Housing association colleagues visited whg to see how investment in homes and neighbourhoods is creating opportunities for communities across Walsall.

The study visit for members of PlaceShapers, a national network of place-shaping housing organisations, brought housing professionals together to explore our approach to regeneration and share ideas about supporting people into employment, improving wellbeing and tackling inequality.

Visitors toured Lockside, where former steelworks and factory land has been transformed into a new neighbourhood. They also visited Goscote, where a £115 million regeneration programme has delivered almost 1,000 new homes and improved 46 acres of open space.

Alongside seeing these developments first-hand, guests heard about the work that helps people build healthy, secure and fulfilling lives in their homes. Discussions explored our Social Justice Strategy and the partnerships that bring together housing, health and community expertise.

Learning from lived experience

Our Community Champion model was a highlight of the day. The approach recognises the skills and knowledge within our communities, recruiting local people who use their lived experience to build trust and help others access services and opportunities.

Visitors met Kirsty, who shared how her work as a Community Champion helped increase breastfeeding rates in her own community. Her experience and local connections enabled her to build relationships with families and provide encouragement in a way that felt familiar and accessible.

As Kirsty put it: “Lived experience is my superpower.”

Guests also learned about our social prescribing service and asthma pathway, including how home visits can help identify whether housing conditions are affecting a child’s health. These approaches connect practical help at home with health services and wider support, recognising how housing, wellbeing and financial circumstances affect each other.

Sharing ideas across the sector

The visit provided opportunities for members to discuss their own experiences, exchange ideas and consider how partnerships can improve outcomes for customers.

Reflecting on the day, PlaceShapers said: “It was great to see how they’ve regenerated whole estates so they are places people can be proud of”.

Sharing our experience and learning from others is part of our commitment to using whg’s voice to help shape wider change. Through visits like this, we can contribute practical examples of how housing associations work with customers and partners to tackle inequality and create stronger communities.

Thank you to PlaceShapers, everyone who joined us and the whg colleagues who helped bring the day together.