LMH TV was created to help address the need to engage with more tenants, especially young people who are often hard to reach.
We wanted to develop a project that would capture their imagination and sustain their interest to trigger an increase in youth participation in all other aspects of our work.
We also wanted to provide an information service that would empower and benefit not only our tenants, but also the wider Liverpool community. LMH TV is made by tenants for tenants and addresses the issues that are important to our customers.
For the first project we asked the Queens Drive, Utting Avenue, Townsend Avenue Tenants and Residents' Association (QUTTRA) to take part in it. It was decided QUTTRA, which also has a youth group, would create the promotional film to launch LMH TV using an ident animation.
A group of six youngsters visited FACT to attend animation workshops giving them the opportunity to experiment and create, as well as design an advert to promote LMH TV using the LED screens outside the building.
The benefits
As the concept for LMH TV developed, so too did the opportunities to maximise its use to encapsulate a wide range of agendas that are important to Liverpool Mutual Homes as an organisation.
Educationally, LMH TV gives people an opportunity to enjoy a hands-on experience of the digital and new media industry which they may otherwise have considered was difficult to get into or out of reach. People have learnt how to create concepts, write stories, cast, edit and direct films, as well as learning technical aspects such as how to use equipment and upload videos.
LMH TV has also played a significant part in improving community cohesion. Since the first project started six months ago, QUTTRA has seen a dramatic impact and development in the relationships between older and younger generations in the local area. They have built trust and respect for each other and for the community as a whole.
LMH TV offers wider benefits too, such as allowing LMH to send important messages from our tenants to other tenants. It will allow us to communicate with more members of the community and raise awareness of issues such as how to report a repair or book a gas safety check, for example.
We also regularly stream live events such as exhibitions, conferences and meetings, and use it to offer advice, information and day-to-day insights into our operations so more tenants are able to see how we work and how they can get involved.
The challenges
Launching LMH TV posed two challenges. The first was to make sure the project was workable and manageable with genuinely beneficial outcomes. By working with our partners tenantspin and FACT, we have been able to create a range of high-quality films that are improving our communities and also having an impact on social housing in general.
The second challenge was the reserved nature of some youngsters, many did not want to be seen on film while others had doubts about their ability to create ideas or master technology.
We overcame this by creating a variety of roles available to those taking part in video production. Some are happy to be in front of the camera and present while others prefer to create concepts or animations or to edit and direct films.
Training and support were particularly important in banishing doubts about ability and the transformation in confidence levels of the QUTTRA group was particularly pleasing to see. Hopefully this will inspire them to even greater things.
Steve Coffey is chief executive of Liverpool Mutual Homes
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