Winter Campaign

Your Winter Campaign Focus Group: Here’s What We Heard and What Happens Next

Thank you to everyone who joined our recent Winter Campaign Focus Group and shared their thoughts, ideas and experiences. Your feedback is helping us shape this year's winter support campaign to make sure it delivers the information, advice and support that matters most to customers. Twenty-three customers from Birmingham, Coventry and Worcester took part in the online session, providing valuable insight into what works well and where we can improve.

Why We Asked for Your Feedback

As we prepare for winter, we wanted to understand what information customers find most useful, how you prefer to receive updates, and what support you need during the colder months. We were particularly keen to hear your views on damp, mould and condensation, winter wellbeing, energy costs and repairs.

What You Told Us

Several clear themes emerged during the discussion.

💷 Help with Energy Costs and Keeping Warm

The strongest message was that customers want practical advice that can genuinely help reduce costs over winter. You asked for information on:

  • Managing energy bills
  • Keeping homes warm efficiently
  • Insulation and energy-saving measures
  • Trusted financial and energy support services

Many customers told us they want useful, up-to-date advice rather than generic tips.

🏠 Damp, Mould and Condensation

Customers highlighted the importance of clear information on preventing damp and mould before problems arise, alongside guidance on what to do if issues develop during winter.

You told us you want:

  • Practical prevention advice
  • Easy-to-follow guidance
  • Clear reporting routes
  • Information about how Citizen can help

🔧 Winter Repairs and Responsibilities

Customers asked for greater clarity around emergency repairs, including:

  • What qualifies as an emergency repair
  • Whether winter affects repair classifications
  • What Citizen is responsible for
  • What customers can safely do themselves

We heard that this information needs to be straightforward and easy to understand.

🤝 Community Support and Wellbeing

Winter can be a challenging time for many people, and customers highlighted concerns around isolation, mental wellbeing and accessing local support.

You told us you would like information about:

  • Warm spaces and community hubs
  • Social supermarkets
  • Local community events
  • Advice and wellbeing services
  • Support available within your local area

We will be promoting these services throughout the campaign.

📬 How You Want to Hear from Us

While email remains a popular way to receive information, customers told us that a single communication channel does not work for everyone.

You asked us to use a mix of:

  • Emails
  • Letters and leaflets
  • Text messages
  • Telephone contact
  • Community noticeboards and digital screens
  • Face-to-face opportunities where available

This feedback will help us make the campaign more accessible.

🎨 Making Communications Simpler

Many customers felt last year's materials contained too much information on a single page.

You asked for:

  • Simpler designs
  • Clearer key messages
  • Strong winter-themed imagery
  • One main topic per communication
  • Less visual clutter

Our Communications Team will use this feedback to create clearer and more engaging materials.

What We've Already Done

Since the focus group:

✅ We've reviewed and analysed all customer feedback and discussion notes.

✅ We've shared your feedback with the Communications Team to help shape the Winter Campaign.

✅ We've started planning campaign content around the key themes you identified, including energy costs, damp and mould, repairs and wellbeing support.

✅ We've committed to using a wider range of communication channels to ensure more customers can access information and support.

What's Coming Next

Over the coming weeks we will:

  • Develop and launch the 2026 Winter Campaign based on your feedback.
  • Share preventative advice before winter begins, particularly around damp, mould and condensation.
  • Promote local support services, including community organisations, charities and social supermarkets.
  • Create clearer and simpler campaign materials.
  • Explore a customer survey allowing you to vote on preferred design concepts for future communications.
  • Consider opportunities for customers to share their own experiences, stories and photographs

Your Winter Campaign Focus Group: Here’s What We Heard and What Happens Next

Thank you to everyone who joined our recent Winter Campaign Focus Group and shared their thoughts, ideas and experiences. Your feedback is helping us shape this year's winter support campaign to make sure it delivers the information, advice and support that matters most to customers. Twenty-three customers from Birmingham, Coventry and Worcester took part in the online session, providing valuable insight into what works well and where we can improve.

Why We Asked for Your Feedback

As we prepare for winter, we wanted to understand what information customers find most useful, how you prefer to receive updates, and what support you need during the colder months. We were particularly keen to hear your views on damp, mould and condensation, winter wellbeing, energy costs and repairs.

What You Told Us

Several clear themes emerged during the discussion.

💷 Help with Energy Costs and Keeping Warm

The strongest message was that customers want practical advice that can genuinely help reduce costs over winter. You asked for information on:

  • Managing energy bills
  • Keeping homes warm efficiently
  • Insulation and energy-saving measures
  • Trusted financial and energy support services

Many customers told us they want useful, up-to-date advice rather than generic tips.

🏠 Damp, Mould and Condensation

Customers highlighted the importance of clear information on preventing damp and mould before problems arise, alongside guidance on what to do if issues develop during winter.

You told us you want:

  • Practical prevention advice
  • Easy-to-follow guidance
  • Clear reporting routes
  • Information about how Citizen can help

🔧 Winter Repairs and Responsibilities

Customers asked for greater clarity around emergency repairs, including:

  • What qualifies as an emergency repair
  • Whether winter affects repair classifications
  • What Citizen is responsible for
  • What customers can safely do themselves

We heard that this information needs to be straightforward and easy to understand.

🤝 Community Support and Wellbeing

Winter can be a challenging time for many people, and customers highlighted concerns around isolation, mental wellbeing and accessing local support.

You told us you would like information about:

  • Warm spaces and community hubs
  • Social supermarkets
  • Local community events
  • Advice and wellbeing services
  • Support available within your local area

We will be promoting these services throughout the campaign.

📬 How You Want to Hear from Us

While email remains a popular way to receive information, customers told us that a single communication channel does not work for everyone.

You asked us to use a mix of:

  • Emails
  • Letters and leaflets
  • Text messages
  • Telephone contact
  • Community noticeboards and digital screens
  • Face-to-face opportunities where available

This feedback will help us make the campaign more accessible.

🎨 Making Communications Simpler

Many customers felt last year's materials contained too much information on a single page.

You asked for:

  • Simpler designs
  • Clearer key messages
  • Strong winter-themed imagery
  • One main topic per communication
  • Less visual clutter

Our Communications Team will use this feedback to create clearer and more engaging materials.

What We've Already Done

Since the focus group:

✅ We've reviewed and analysed all customer feedback and discussion notes.

✅ We've shared your feedback with the Communications Team to help shape the Winter Campaign.

✅ We've started planning campaign content around the key themes you identified, including energy costs, damp and mould, repairs and wellbeing support.

✅ We've committed to using a wider range of communication channels to ensure more customers can access information and support.

What's Coming Next

Over the coming weeks we will:

  • Develop and launch the 2026 Winter Campaign based on your feedback.
  • Share preventative advice before winter begins, particularly around damp, mould and condensation.
  • Promote local support services, including community organisations, charities and social supermarkets.
  • Create clearer and simpler campaign materials.
  • Explore a customer survey allowing you to vote on preferred design concepts for future communications.
  • Consider opportunities for customers to share their own experiences, stories and photographs

  • Register for the Winter Campaign focus group

    This survey is being carried out by Citizen, in line with the UK GDPR Data Protection Act 2018. The data controller is Citizen. The information collected in this survey will be used by Citizen to contact customers who would like to take part in a Winter Campaign focus group. All information produced will be anonymised. An external data processor stores your personal data on servers on servers in the United Kingdom and they give an undertaking never to disclose the survey questions or your responses to others without permission. By completing this survey you are agreeing to our privacy terms and conditions. More information on how we handle personal information and your rights under the Data Protection legislation can be found in our privacy notice Citizen | Privacy (citizenhousing.org.uk)(External link) Please click on "How we use your information and the Housing Customers Privacy Notice' to find out more. 


    Take Survey

  • Winter Campaign Focus Group Feedback Survey- To be completed after focus group

    This survey is being carried out by Citizen, in line with the UK GDPR Data Protection Act 2018. The data controller is Citizen. The information collected in this survey will be used to understand your experience of our focus group.. All information produced will be anonymised. An external data processor stores your personal data on servers on servers in the United Kingdom and they give an undertaking never to disclose the survey questions or your responses to others without permission. By completing this survey you are agreeing to our privacy terms and conditions. More information on how we handle personal information and your rights under the Data Protection legislation can be found in our privacy notice Citizen | Privacy (citizenhousing.org.uk)(External link) Please click on "How we use your information and the Housing Customers Privacy Notice' to find out more.  

    Take Survey