Transforming Communities: Dulux Trade Paint launches campaign to help raise tenant satisfaction

Tenant satisfaction levels are one of the most important key performance indicators (KPIs) used by local authorities (LAs), housing associations (HAs) and registered social landlords (RSLs) to benchmark achievement. Research has shown that tenant satisfaction is strongly linked to the appearance of social housing, as attractive, colourful and well maintained community areas encourage individuals to take pride in their homes and neighbourhoods, promoting cooperation and community spirit within a population. In fact, according to a recent survey of 27,000 social housing tenants from across the country by the Tenant Service Authority (TSA)*, 81 per cent of tenants listed repairs and maintenance as the top issue that they expected their landlord to get right.

As the market leader in the paints and coatings arena, Dulux Trade is ideally placed to help LAs, HAs and RSLs transform their housing stock and provide attractive and colourful public areas that help to inspire cohesive communities and maximise tenant satisfaction levels. It is therefore launching the 'Transforming Communities' campaign - a chance for providers of social housing to win a Dulux Trade transformation for a community area at one of their properties. From a youth centre to a communal garden, all nominated projects will be considered.

Three projects will be selected to receive a Dulux Trade transformation, worth up to £2,000, and the remaining seven shortlisted entries will receive £100 in Dulux Decorator Centre vouchers to put towards their own Dulux Trade transformation - all helping to create colourful communities that tenants can be proud of.

For a chance to win a Dulux Trade transformation, LAs, HAs and RSLs should nominate the area that will make the biggest difference to tenants' lives, by completing the following sentence in 50-100 words: 'Our project needs a Dulux Trade transformation because' Entries can be submitted by post, along with a photo of the nominated area, to 'Transforming Communities', Tangerine PR, Giant's Basin, Potato Wharf, Castlefield, Manchester, M3 4NB. Alternatively, entries can be submitted online, before 5pm on 30 September 2009.

Projects will be judged on originality, community involvement and the benefit the transformation will bring to the residents, and will need to include the use of paint in the transformation. The renovation work will need to be completed in late October 2009, so access to the area at this time will be crucial.

Shortlisted entries that meet all of the above criteria will receive a site visit at the beginning of October, after which the winning location will be chosen and the Dulux Trade transformation will begin. A range of PR activities will also support this initiative, so winning projects will benefit from great publicity opportunities for the nominating LA, HA or RSL.

* Tenant Service Authority 'National Conversation', June 2009