Get Involved
At Arawak Walton, we've always believed housing is about more than bricks and mortar. Since 1994, our roots in Manchester's African-Caribbean community have shaped a simple belief: that we build stronger neighbourhoods by listening to tenants and investing in the places they call home.
That means two things, working side by side. Tenant involvement is about making sure every tenant has a genuine say in how we run our services — not just a small group of familiar faces, but a real cross-section of everyone we house. Community engagement is about backing the people and organisations already making a difference in Manchester, Stockport and Trafford, through partnerships, funding and events.
Both were reshaped in 2026 by what tenants told us directly — through a tenant-wide survey, scrutiny from Tenant Voice, and review by our Tenant Experience Committee — before either strategy went anywhere near Board approval.
Explore how to get involved, or find out how we support your community, below.
Tenant Involvement
"Every tenant has a voice. Every voice is heard. Every voice makes a difference."
That's the vision behind our Tenant Involvement Strategy 2026–2029 — shaped directly by what tenants told us through a tenant-wide survey, Tenant Voice and our Tenant Experience Committee, and approved by our Board in July 2026.
We know we've relied too heavily on hearing from the same familiar faces. So alongside our formal governance — Tenant Voice, our Tenant Experience Committee, and the Complaint Learning Forum — we've built a wider range of ways to get involved, so participation doesn't depend on being able to attend a meeting:
- Tenant Voice — formal meetings and informal, tenant-led “deep dives” into specific services
- Neighbourhood walkabouts and mystery shopping — hands-on, practical ways to scrutinise our services
- Scrutiny groups — short, focused reviews of one service area, such as repairs or complaints handling
- Online engagement, surveys and everyday feedback — for tenants who'd rather have their say without attending anything.
Every quarter, we publish “You Said, We Did” updates within our Tenant Performance, Engagement & Influence Dashboard so you can see exactly what's changed as a result — not just that we asked.
Community Engagement
"Every in communities, Building partnerships. Creating lasting change."
Arawak Walton was formed in 1994 with roots in Manchester's African-Caribbean community, and we're the largest independent Black and Minority Ethnic housing association in the North West. That history shapes how we support the neighbourhoods where our tenants live — not just their homes.
We do this in three main ways:
- Strategic partnerships — working alongside local organisations who share our priorities
- Community-led initiatives — funding and practical support for groups already doing great work
- Events we deliver directly — at least eight community events a year, covering health, money matters and local facilities
Our Community Investment Fund is central to this. It offers two routes: Small Grants of £100–£1,000 for one-off events or short projects, and Strategic Partnerships offering larger, multi-year support for organisations with lasting impact. Both are assessed against our six core themes — Health and Wellbeing, Financial Inclusion, Community Facilities, Employment and Skills, Environment, and Community Safety and Cohesion — which are directly shaped by what tenants have told us matters most.