As part of the Eurhonet Exchange Programme, Niklas Hagnelius, Community Engagement Manager at ÖrebroBostäder (Sweden) visited Poplar HARCA (UK) to gain new ideas about resident engagement strategies.

The Exchange Programme gives employees at all levels of Eurhonet member organisations the chance to spend 3-5 days working alongside their counterpart in another member organisation. During this time, they learn different approaches and methods to tackle similar challenges in another cultural context.

“It couldn’t have gone any better,” said Niklas. “I got to see a lot of the work that Poplar HARCA does and found new perspectives on a lot of things. I was shown estates going through regeneration, community gardens, community centres… and I met a lot of wonderful people. The main takeaway is the next level way that Poplar HARCA works with resident engagement on all levels. I was very inspired by a project called Knitting the Air, which aimed to raise awareness for engagement for air pollution through knitting.”

What advice would Niklas give to someone thinking about doing the Eurhonet Exchange Programme? “I think they should just go ahead already! They won’t regret it. It’s such a great opportunity.”