As a Community Cohesion Officer at Hume, Richard is always looking for ways of connecting people with their community and helping them realise their goals. 

"It's all about bringing our customers' strengths and potential to the forefront and helping them connect with one another. You need to be an exceptionally strong networker to link people with the right mix of services that will enable them to thrive. More than anything, it's about building a sense of community that people can be a part of, belong to and be proud of."

“I was drawn to apply for the role as it built on my ability to connect with people and my local community knowledge and networks”.

Richard was attracted to Hume, as a not for profit organisation, because we echoed many of his own personal values. 

“I enjoy my work because it's quite varied and diverse. It's also people-focused and that's what I do best - supporting people, building their self-confidence and helping them to connect with others and thrive."

Hume recently took over the management of more than 2,000 homes and is supporting more than 4,200 customers in the Hunter region. As Hume is a relative newcomer to the district, Richard and the Community Cohesion team are introducing themselves to each local community and listening to what customers want to improve, foster and develop.

“We’re passionate about customers driving and contributing to the programs and services we offer.” 

"My role is incredibly rewarding. At the first Hume event we hosted in Raymond Terrace, a customer came up to me and said: 'In all of the 26 years that I've lived here, we've never had a community gathering in the park like this'. She was so grateful for the opportunity and that really stayed with me. People are excited about what we're doing and they're thankful that somebody is trying to bring their community together."