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| During the late
1980's the tenants movement within Sandwell managed to successfully
resist an attempt by the Central Government of the day to move
some of Sandwell's housing stock into a Housing Action Trust.
After managing this successful blocking manouvere the tenants
asserted their right to have an independent autonomous borough-wide
organisation to serve the tenants of Sandwell. This 'people
power' was the catalyst for the development of the organisation
known today as Sandwell Community Information and Participation
Service (or simply SCIPS!)
This organisation was originally and for many years known as
Sandwell Tenants & Residents Federation but we changed our
name to SCIPS in
late 2002 as we moved to charitable status. |
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| SCIPS
was established in 1989 with
a small grant along with a seconded officer from Sandwell Metropolitan
Borough Council (SMBC). During the following years the organisation
made much progress and gained much experience, especially around
the issues of: |
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-
Tenants
rights.
- The
formation of new Tenants & Residents Associations.
- Partnership
working (especially with SMBC).
- Raising
the profile of the tenants movement locally in Sandwell.
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| SCIPS
had come a long way, but was still some way of achieving the
original vision of a fully independent and self-governing tenants
organisation. The realisation of that original vision came in
1994, when SCIPS
negotiated a funding package which enabled the organisation
to directly employ their own staff. |
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| Having
recruited staff the tenants felt were fully committed to the
organisation SCIPS
continued to prosper. Two more major milestones were reached
in a short space of time - |
- SCIPS
registration as a Limited Company with a Board of Directors
made up of tenants.
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- SCIPS
opened its own resource centre (which is still in operation
today). The centre being officially opened in 1996 by Nick
Raynsford, MP (Shadow Minister for Housing & Construction).
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