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Latest news

Commonweal presents 2023/24 Annual Review: ‘Digging Deeper’

Commonweal Housing has today launched its 2023/24 Annual Review, ‘Digging Deeper’, capturing the charity’s activities and achievements over the past…

Property solicitor Gerald Kelly joins Commonweal’s Board

Commonweal Housing has appointed experienced property solicitor Gerald Kelly, a Partner at UK leading law firm Macfarlanes, to its Board…

University of Birmingham students share research delivering critical insights into housing issues and social injustices

Final-year University of Birmingham students awarded the Jane Slowey Bursary Memorial for 23/24 presented their compelling research findings, spanning a…

Former Commonweal Trustee Jeremy Swain has died

Commonweal Housing is deeply saddened to hear of the death this week of Jeremy Swain, a former Trustee of Commonweal…

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Blogs

The barriers faced by black renters in the north east of England

By Jessica Nsana | July 15, 2024 |

Jessica Nsana is a recent graduate from the University of Birmingham’s School of Social Policy, who received the Jane Slowey Memorial Bursary from Commonweal in her final year. My name is Jessica, and I am a very grateful recipient of the Jane Slowey Memorial Bursary for the academic year 2023/24. Receiving this Bursary from Commonweal…

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Call for New Ideas: It was an opportunity we felt we have worked towards  

By Aliyah Ali | April 19, 2024

Aliyah Fadeela Ali, is a trauma informed trainer, consultant, researcher and the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Daddyless Daughters Project CIC. In this Blog, Aliyah reflects on Daddyless Daughters’ journey with Commonweal’s 2023 Call for New Ideas: Criminal Justice initiative – testing new housing models to address injustices facing those in contact…

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Commonweal’s Conversation with Vice-Chair Amarjit Bains

By Lauren Aronin | April 16, 2024

In this series, Commonweal’s Conversations, we’re chatting to the people at the heart of change in our sector. From frontline service users to CEOs, we want to hear everything from what makes them tick, what hope they see for the future of the sector, and what their favourite ice cream flavour is. We recently sat down…

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Housing barriers impact VAWG survivors journey to recovery and independence

By Lauren Aronin | December 5, 2023

This week marks the second week of ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence’, an international moment to call for an end to violence against women and girls (VAWG), which is a systematic injustice affecting one in three women globally. In the UK, VAWG is rising at an alarming rate. An estimated 2.4 million adults…

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Commonweal’s Conversation with Trustee Dr Elanor Warwick

By Lauren Aronin | November 28, 2023

In this new series, Commonweal’s Conversations, we’re chatting to the people at the heart of change in our sector. From frontline service users to CEOs, we want to hear everything from what makes them tick, what hope they see for the future of the sector, and what their favourite ice cream flavour is. First up…

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It’s about time young adult carers get rights to ensure they have secure housing

By Alicia Jones | November 23, 2023

Alicia Jones, who has experience as a young adult carer, shares her view on the housing issues facing young adult carers this Carers Rights Day 2023.  Adolescence is meant to be a time to enjoy yourself and do all those stereotypical things people do between 16 and 25; like the first holiday with your friends,…

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Understanding the lack of adequate social housing provision for the LGBTQ+ community in the United Kingdom

By Talia Knoble-Gershon | August 31, 2023

It was an honour to be one of four from the University of Birmingham to be awarded the Jane Slowey Memorial Bursary, established in honour of an amazing woman who advocated against social injustices in society. The grant money allowed me to concentrate fully on my dissertation and other pieces of work and conduct many…

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Call for New Ideas: Commonweal were fantastic and supported us all the way through the process

By Gaynor Brooke | August 21, 2023

Gaynor Brooke, Head of Services at successful 2022 Call for New Ideas applicant Servol Community Services, reflects on her organisation’s journey with Commonweal’s Call for New Ideas: I have worked in the Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector in the West Midlands for over 20 years and joined Servol Community Services in 2021…

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The impacts of regeneration on women in the Tower Hamlets

By Grace Hill | July 25, 2023

Grace Hill is a recent graduate from the University of Birmingham’s School of Social Policy, who received the Jane Slowey Memorial Bursary from Commonweal in her final year. The Jane Slowey Memorial Bursary from Commonweal Housing gave me financial freedom. The £2,500 grant money allowed me to devote my time to my studies by drastically…

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Former Move on Up resident shares how the project shaped his future

By Lauren Aronin | June 15, 2023

Tim, a tenant of the Move on Up housing project, share his experience as a young adult carer and how the project helped him shape his future. Move on Up which provides supportive housing to young adult carers aged 18-25 in partnership with Quaker Social Action (QSA), approaches the end of its seven-year pilot period.…

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Feasibility Studies

Solving social injustice requires new and imaginative ideas, and we want to find them. We provide funding and support to frontline organisations to enable them to test their lightbulb moments and establish whether these could be feasible housing models, and if successful we launch a property-based pilot project in unison with our new partners.

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