Beki Lee-Burrows started working in housing nine years ago after completing a degree in Media Communications. Though she counts herself lucky that she’s been able to work from home during the Covid-19 crisis, she can’t wait to get back to working out and about in the community again. Read her story here:

“My housing journey started nine years ago, and time really does fly when you’re having fun.

Two days after graduating from the University of South Wales with a degree in Media Communications, I started at Cynon Taf Community Housing Group on a Media Placement.

It was a 10-week graduate scheme, in partnership with Go Wales. I was very excited and didn’t know what to expect, but I can assure you, it wasn’t being a core funded Communications Officer by 2020. Each time my contract was due to end it was extended until I was made a permanent member of the team.

I have loved every minute of working in housing. It’s such a rewarding career, knowing I’m having a positive impact on the people and families in my local community.

I am very lucky to go to work every day and do a job I absolutely love.

My tasks as the Communications Officer have always been based around online and offline communication channels, but since Covid-19, everything I currently focus on is online.

I create content and manage our social media channels, and we have quite a few! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Linked In. It is hugely important to me to use language that is easy to read and understand, and I work hard to design good quality communications that people want to engage with.

As well as sharing content publicly on our social media and website, I share a lot with our staff too. I deliver regular updates to make sure we are keeping staff informed with the latest news as well as positive stories and wellbeing advice, as we know now more than ever how important our physical and mental health is.

I also lead on getting staff together – virtually that is!

We have various virtual drop-in meetings for staff, where they can discuss questions, ideas, and thoughts with senior management, receive feedback from Board Meetings, and at the end of a busy week, we have a social get together. This really boosts morale and has kept us feeling connected during the pandemic.

Something I’m really missing is seeing people face to face. At Team Cynon Taf, we pride ourselves on the amazing relationship we have with our tenants, and I am lucky to spend a lot of my time with them, our board members and those in our local communities, talking to them and capturing their stories.

This is something I’m really looking forward to doing again, when it’s safe for everyone to do so.”

Beki Lee-Burrowes is a Communications Officer at Cynon Taf Housing Group.