Formed in 1998, the Solomon Project was the first group of small housing associations in the UK to get together to form a benchmarking group. We said from the outset that we would do more than just benchmarking and so it has been. We have notched up a formidable list of achievements through partnership and collaboration:-

Annual staff conferences
Regular meetings of practitioner groups
Shared training events
Joint procurement
Sharing of policies and good practices
Joint tenant events
Events for board members
Joint annual reports
Collective responses to consultation documents
Staff secondments

Partnership is one of those "buzz" words, describing something to which we should all aspire. The reality is that to do it well requires compromise, patience and respect. It demands that you listen to others' viewpoints, that you honour deadlines and that you commit resources. It sounds obvious but all these things are vital if a collaborative network is going to work. It's much more complicated than making one single organisation work. It's a bit like being part of an extended family where members hold strong views, sometimes fall out with each other but are always there for each other in a crisis. You can share your problems and trumpet your successes in a safe and supportive environment – and we do!

In a changing world, we recognise the strength that comes from our networks and partnerships. We have recently broadened that partnership to include SolFed, our South London counterparts. That makes eleven small housing associations now working together on joint activities. It is a formidable group, representing some 320 staff who in turn manage over 4,000 tenancies. Within this grouping we have an enviable range of specialist expertise which is recognised and respected within the sector.

We see a range of opportunities both individually and collectively in the future. For all of us, the over-riding goal is to use the Solomon Project to drive up service standards and make our homes a better place for our tenants. Our next challenge is to explore a framework which will enable us to set up a joint tenants' forum with real power to influence our work.

Members of the Solomon Project

Agudas Israel Housing Association
Hornsey Housing Trust
Innisfree Housing Association
Shian Housing Association
Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation
Waltham Forest Housing Association

Members of SolFed

Ekaya Housing Association
Lambeth & Southwark HA
Southwark & London Diocesan HA
Housing for Women
New World Housing Association