Wayne's story - Black History Month

This Black History Month, we are sharing stories of the great work done by our Black members of staff, celebrating how they make a positive difference in our communities every day.

Wayne Lee from Cardiff joined United Welsh earlier this year. He is a Specialist Housing Coordinator in our Living Well team, which provides homes and services for over 800 people aged over 55 across South East Wales.

“Before working for United Welsh, I managed a community centre in the St Mellons area of Cardiff.  It was a large centre with several businesses renting space along with a nursery, café, churches, Fareshare and a foodbank service.  It was a very challenging yet rewarding experience, developing a space where commerce and communities could exist effectively side by side and help shape each other.

“Now I work as part of the Living Well team in Thrive, I oversee the running of three housing schemes for older people across Cardiff.  This includes property checks, estate inspections, alarm testing and welfare checks.

“A key part of the role involves getting to know tenants, building relationships and understanding their individual needs. In many cases, we are the most consistent contact in a tenants’ network.  Relationship building is crucial, as well as partnership working to ensure each tenant can thrive in their homes and community.

“Working in housing provides an opportunity to gain a deeper insight into people’s circumstances. I was a Youth and Community worker for several years and I often felt that if I could meet a person in their family or home setting it would go a long way in understanding a person better and shaping their support.

“If we can help people to feel safe, secure, and comfortable in their own homes, it can create a solid platform to build a better quality of life. The one thing I’d like people to remember about me is that I don’t like to judge; I like to support.

“I think my career highlight is broad in the sense of having had the wonderful opportunity to work for organisations that have supported people in various settings, including youth work, community work, economic inactivity, equalities, and homelessness prevention.

“I have learnt so much in each role and I have been able to impact the lives of families and individuals in a positive and sustainable way, which gives me much satisfaction.

“United Welsh recognises that every person living in a United Welsh home is different. They invest in a strengths-led approach to focus on people’s strengths rather than what they can’t do, and while this takes time and resources, we do it because it’s the right thing and we are determined to improve the quality of each tenant’s experience at our Living Well schemes.

“The three things I enjoy most about my role are building relationships; solving problems and the unpredictability, knowing that each day can hold something different and something new.

“Housing is one of the most important, basic human needs – it impacts health and wellbeing and so much more. I am delighted to be a part of it.”