Introducing… Hannah and Menna!

Hannah Berry – Social Homes for Manchester Project Lead

Social Homes for Manchester (SH4M) has accomplished a lot since it was launched in late 2023 by community leaders in CLASS’s Community Savers network, and a coalition of partners including GM Tenants Union, Greater Together Manchester, Shelter, Mustard Tree, and Steady State Manchester. Not least, there has been the year long Social Housing Commission, which is about to launch its final report and recommendations.

All this has been achieved by people volunteering their time, so having had the fortune to be employed by CLASS as a dedicated project worker for the campaign, I’m eager to see how I can help build momentum and fulfill all the ambitions of the influencing plan!

I fell into community engagement work by accident in 2002, while on a sabbatical from Ethical Consumer magazine, and one job has led to another, culminating in my current role! I set up and coordinated Manchester Women’s Network (bringing together community groups), Manchester Women’s Design Group (to lobby and influence on planning issues), and co-directed a ‘popular education’ organisation which ran workshops in low income areas of Manchester and Salford. More recently, at GM level, I worked for the ‘Ambition for Ageing’ neighbourhood development programme, and the GM Equality Alliance, where I learned a lot about city-wide and regional policy making. 

Until last month I was based at Fuel Poverty Action, a straight-talking member-led organisation which fights for warm homes and clean, affordable energy, under the control of people and communities (I really like SH4M’s environmental focus for this reason). I was the Operations Lead, but like CLASS, we were a small team, so I picked up useful campaign skills.

Being involved in GM Housing Action (GMHA), and our community-led housing project, GM Housing Futures, whose legacy SH4M is taking forward, was also a pretty good grounding for this role. What feels exciting, is meeting all the wonderful activists and community leaders in CLASS’s networks, via whom the campaign already has roots in many wards and neighbourhoods, and the structures and expertise needed to extend its reach.I look forward to posting regular updates on the SH4M news page, activating the mailing list, as I continue to work alongside the SH4M Steering Group, Community Team and lovely colleagues at CLASS.

Menna Hassan – Independent Living Worker

Working with older adults is incredibly meaningful to me. Every day I have the opportunity to support individuals in maintaining their independence and confidence in their own homes and communities. Sometimes this support involves helping someone access services or navigate housing and wellbeing systems, and other times it simply means listening and making sure someone feels seen and supported.

A key part of my role is also ensuring safety and wellbeing through risk assessments, safeguarding processes and Duty to Refer when appropriate. My goal is always to make sure people feel secure, respected and empowered to make decisions about their own lives.