Can your property be secure and have social impact?

Earlier this year Dot Dot Dot conducted a survey with our property owners to shed some light on what their top priorities are, and what impact they seek from property guardianship as means of a solution.

Our survey revealed that one of the top priorities for property owners is the security of their buildings. They turn to property guardianship to house guardians in what would be otherwise empty buildings, meaning they are provided with that much needed security for their property, detering squatters as well as anti-social behaviour.

But in addition to securing properties, the social benefits were also an important topic for them. Many property owners seek to create better and safer neighbourhoods; they share an opinion on empty properties being a waste of housing, and believe volunteering significantly benefits the community – owners and residents alike.

Property Owner:
“Social benefits are really important to ensure the area does not deteriorate at the start of a project, and to start off on the right foot in your relations with your neighbours.”

 

Property Owner:
“Once it was explained how Dot Dot Dot does Property Guardianship differently, it made sense from both a social impact and quality perspective.”

Creating social impact is a crucial part of property guardianship with Dot Dot Dot. All our guardians complete 16 hours volunteering per month as part of their licence agreement. In 2017, the total number of volunteering hours for all Dot Dot Dot guardians amounted to 49,408. That’s equivalent to more than 267 full time weeks of work.

There are a diverse range of charities and community schemes that have benefited from our guardians volunteering across the country, including:

• Deptford Cinema
• Dalston Curve Garden
• Chiltern Rangers
• Stop the Traffik
• Samaritan’s Purse
• Forest School Camps
• Windsor Horse Rangers
• Brighton Permaculture Trust
• Celia Hammond Animal Trust

Each month we receive reports on the voluntary work undertaken by each person, here are some highlights from our guardians:

Volunteer at Wycombe Homeless Connection:
“This is the last month for the shelter and it will be missed. The work we have done seems extra important this year with the extreme weather we have seen over recent weeks. Of all the volunteering I have done this was the most social and most varied of them all, you just never know who is going to be staying this week. 900 beds and 1800 meals, the total amount of spaces and meals offered out by Wycombe Homeless Connection this season.”

 

Volunteer at People’ Kitchen, Brixton:
“I run a project called People’s Kitchen that takes leftover food from grocery stores and creates a big community meal using it. We need lots of volunteers and it’s great being able to ask other guardians to help out.”

 

When it comes to neighbours and local issues, Dot Dot Dot guardians introduce themselves to their neighbours and develop great relationships with the local community. Our guardians contribute to creating an inviting community for both themselves and their neighbours, whilst helping property owners keep their buildings secure.

You can find out more about how we can take care of your empty property and request a call back from our team here