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One of Bromford’s first neighbourhood coaches, Paul Martin reveals his secret desire to be a kids’ TV presenter
My role is about developing a new kind of relationship with customers, built on mutual trust. I have a patch of around 175 homes, which gives me the capacity to really get to know my customers and what they want to achieve out of life, and play my part in helping them get there.
So many people say they fell into housing, but I’m not convinced that was the case for me. My dad worked in housing his whole life and I guess him coming home each night and talking about his experiences and challenges inspired me and got me interested in working in the sector.
I studied drama at university, but the great thing about housing is that you don’t necessarily have to have a degree; you just need to have a passion for working with people.
A good day means going home knowing that I’ve positively impacted on my customers’ lives, whether that’s by helping someone to get back into work, education or training; welcoming a new family onto my patch; or starting a brand new relationship with a customer.
Relationships take time to build and, although it doesn’t happen often, it can be frustrating when you get home and feel like you’ve taken a backward step in building a customer’s trust.
Everyone is really nice and caring so I reckon I could tell them pretty much anything (within reason). If I’ve had to deal with something difficult then I know I can call a work mate and get it off my chest.
I’d love to be a Blue Peter presenter! What’s not to love about that job? One day you could be making your very own Tracy Island (yes, I built it as a youngster) and then the next day you could be travelling across the world to report on a charity project.
Without a doubt, I’d put extra funding mechanisms in place to ensure more affordable homes are built across the board. I really support the new garden villages initiative and I’m very interested to see if it will help people get on the property ladder.