This is the message from Ken Mills, Chairman of the Dorset County Tenants Forum who says he believes that the inaugural meeting of the Dorset County Tenants and Officers Participation Group is the first of its kind in the country.

"I believe that this is the first Group of its kind that brings together a truly representative cross section of tenants and officers from both Local Authorities and Housing Association's in our region (Dorset). Our aim is that statutory services within Dorset will use the tenants connected to this group as a consultative body for any new policies, issues and seek their comment on services provided. A key focus will be training, current housing affairs, and Government legislation. We also plan to register a representative Dorset tenants perspective by responding to national consultation papers that relate to housing, communities, community planning and local strategic partnerships."

The Group held its first meeting this week and staff and tenants from Bournemouth Borough Council, Poole Borough Council, Signpost Housing Association, Weymouth and Portland Housing Society, Purbeck District Council, Magna Housing Association, East Dorset Housing Association, and Raglan Housing Association all attended the meeting. The Group will meet on a quarterly basis.

It is fair to say that due to the rural nature of Dorset, Tenants are under represented when public views are sought. The formation of this Group will ensure that tenants have a voice and the statutory agencies will realise the strength of bringing community initiatives to the Group for discussion.

David Moreland, Best Value Manager at Signpost Housing Association and organiser of the first meeting added, "We will actively encourage agencies such as the Police, Fire, County Council services, and community groups to come and seek the views of the 25000 social housing tenants that this group currently represents."

Ends: For further information please contact David Moreland on 01258 484823, Ken Mills on 01747 824283 or Tina Partridge, Marketing Manager on 01258 484884.

Notes to the Editor

Tenant Participation in Dorset has grown from strength to strength. In 2001 the Dorset County Tenants Forum was set up and included elected representatives from Tenants Groups across the region. It is now hoped that representatives from this Group will be elected to sit on the Dorset County Tenants and Officers Participation Group, which will drive strategic issues and implementation plans on wider issues to do with community involvement of which housing has a major part to play. The whole process has been done democratically and each tenant has been truly represented through this democratic process, with all having