We're crowdfunding! Support your RA
Hilltop Park Residents’ Association has launched a Crowdfunder to help put the Association on a fairer and more sustainable footing.
Find out more here https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-hilltop-park-ra
So far, a small number of residents and supporters have personally funded essential costs such as the register of members, printing, website development and independent advice supported by ResidentsFirst. That has helped us get started, but it is not a sensible long-term model for a volunteer-led organisation serving the whole estate.
We are therefore asking residents to consider making a contribution. Our suggested amount is £10 per household. If every household donated £10, we could raise almost £5,000 to support newsletters, consultations, secure voting tools, community meetings, digital services and specialist advice where it is genuinely needed.
Already making a difference
Although the Association is still relatively new, we have already helped deliver tangible benefits for residents. Our work has contributed to reductions in proposed estate costs, improvements to the MUGA, replacement of a defective path and closer scrutiny of flooding, drainage and open-space obligations.
Most recently, sustained work by the Association, led in particular by one resident who pursued the issue in detail, helped secure Wessex Water refunds and ongoing bill reductions for eligible households.
That represents a saving of around £28 per property each year, or roughly £14,000 a year across the estate, with some households also receiving refunds covering previous years.
What your support will help us do
Funding will put the Association in a stronger position to:
- challenge unfair or unreasonable rentcharge bills;
- scrutinise budgets, maintenance standards and estate costs;
- keep residents informed through regular newsletters and updates;
- organise consultations, meetings and secure votes;
- obtain independent advice where specialist support is needed;
- prepare residents to take a greater role in estate management as soon as the opportunity arises.
This is not about creating unnecessary bureaucracy. It is about making sure residents are organised, informed and ready to protect their interests.
Our transparency promise
Every donation, platform fee and item of expenditure will be recorded and published through regular transparency updates on the website and Facebook group.
Funds will only be used for the published purposes of Hilltop Park Residents’ Association.
Please support the Crowdfunder if you can, and share it with your neighbours.
Together, we can keep building a stronger voice for Hilltop Park and put residents in the best possible position to shape the future of our estate.