Do you live in Belle Isle?
Could you spare some time?
Do you want to help make a difference to services and the community?
Could you be a BITMO Board Member?
What is Belle Isle Tenant Management Organisation (BITMO)?
BITMO is a tenant-controlled organisation that has been responsible for managing Leeds City Council’s housing and estate management services in the Belle Isle neighbourhood of Leeds since 2004. Services are delivered through a Management Agreement under the ‘Right to Manage Regulations’. BITMO manages the following services for the Belle Isle Estate (about 1,830 Council properties).
Repairs, planned investment, caretaking, lettings, dealing with anti-social behaviour, support to vulnerable tenants, Retirement Life (housing for older tenants), rent collection and tenancy changes and community development.
BITMO is an independent organisation whose Board of management has a permanent majority of local tenants and is elected by local tenants (who are its Shareholders) on an annual basis.
What are BITMO Board members responsible for and what do they do?
The BITMO Board sets the strategy, direction and policies for;
• Letting empty houses
• Repairs and maintenance
• Rent arrears
• Tenancy management
• The GATE community activities and development
• Maintaining the estate.
Board members do not run these services directly, instead there is a team of staff who report to the Board and run things on a day to day basis.
Board members attend about six Board meetings per year. These meetings are held in the BITMO offices on the estate.
The Board has a Chairperson who is elected every year and manages Board meetings. BITMO has two Vice Chairs who support the Chair.
Amongst other things Board members decide and discuss the following;
• How the organisation spends its money
• Priorities for the estate – including managing improvement work and contracts to homes and the estate
• How the organisation is performing and how things can be best delivered – for example whether repairs are being done quickly enough and on time.
BITMO provides training to Board members.
Who can become a BITMO Board member and how does it happen?
BITMO has two types of Board members – Tenant Board members and Co-optees.
To become a tenant Board member you must be;
• Over the age of 18
• A Council Tenant in the BITMO area
• A Shareholder of BITMO (with a simple sign-up procedure and no cost)
• Elected at the Annual General Meeting
To become a co-opted Board member you must be elected by the Board itself.
Where can you get more information?
Please contact Karen Hoole on 0113 378 2182 or complete the form below and we can arrange for you to receive more information or to arrange a discussion with the Chair of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer.
