Meet our involved residents

The sky is your limit and only you can control your destiny. Determination and a positive mindset are key. Use the negativity as your motivation and become everything they said or thought you were not going to be.

Resident Strategy Group member Charlaine Nkum successfully won a Resident Hero Award at the G15 Ethnicity in Housing Awards 2022.

Her determination to support and empower others is incredible, sharing her lived experience and bringing her expertise in inclusion and diversity to the table.

A mother of three by the age of 20 she had her first child during her final year of her GCSEs. But nothing phases Charlaine, if it’s something that will support her family, her local community and even issues at a national level, she’ll take it on.

In her 20s Charlaine was working part-time, studying for a degree full time and raising three children under the age of seven.

She’s gone on to use these experiences to her work as the Lead for Diversity and Inclusion for a local authority, where she’s able to use her knowledge and influences to empower other residents and her community.

Charlaine is already involved in a range of initiatives. In March 2022, she led a session for International Women’s Day on overcoming the biases of domestic abuse in the BAME community with Lisa Gallagher, Domestic Abuse Coordinator. Charlaine spoke directly to more than 70 participants about her personal experiences. She then ran a workshop to explore how we overcome these biases and support those impacted.

As a survivor of domestic abuse Charlaine, is passionate about supporting others. She’s so generous in sharing her own experiences to help others in regaining their confidence and giving them a sense of hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel.