We share with you a Community Spotlight from Gloria Dei, Head of Governance & Strategy at CETRA (Colville Estate Tenants and Residents Association), an organisation that has been involved in several elements of the Evolve project.

CETRA (Colville Estate Tenants and Residents Association) is a resident-led organisation based on Colville Estate in the Hoxton East & Shoreditch Ward of Hackney. CETRA has been involved in several elements of the Evolve project.

Tell me briefly about CETRA
Operating for over 25 years, CETRA works to improve housing conditions, support regeneration, and create opportunities that improve residents’ wellbeing, skills and economic prospects.

In recent years, CETRA has expanded significantly delivering large-scale community events, food programmes, skills initiatives and strengthened governance while also developing innovative approaches to resident engagement and regeneration accountability.

Leaders in Partnership (LiP): How did it advance your leadership skills?
Leaders in Partnership strengthened my strategic leadership and management approach, particularly around delegation, partnership working and long-term planning.

Working with my mentor gave me practical tools to manage teams more effectively, create clearer structures, and step into a more strategic leadership role rather than operating solely at delivery level.

What did you gain from the programme?

• Increased confidence in senior leadership and partnership spaces
• Stronger people management and delegation skills
• Strategic thinking around growth, governance and sustainability
• The ability to operate across community, corporate and public sector environments

As a direct result of this development, I have since been selected as a Hackney Council grant assessor and have stepped into higher-level leadership and policy engagement roles.

Digital Compass: How is your project?
Digital Compass – an ELBA initiative where community partners work with a group of expert volunteers over a three-month period accessing high-impact support on an organisational digital, IT or data challenge – has been a great experience. Our project is focused on developing MyEstate Assistant, a digital platform to improve communication, defect reporting, and accountability across regeneration estates.

The aim is to create a system that helps residents log issues, track repairs, and improve collaboration between residents, councils and construction companies.

How did the volunteers support you?

The volunteer team AKA the “Dream Team”, consisted of a four-person team of volunteers including Nicole Kwami (SMBC Group), Man Wah Yeung (Societe Generale) and Raelynne Song (Linklaters) who helped me to: 

• Define the logic behind the MyEstate Assistant platform 
• Scope the product structure 
• Think through scalability, functionality and long-term development 

They spent significant time both onsite at Colville Estate and virtually, understanding the community context, working directly with me, and continuing to support the project as it evolves.

What did this enable you to do?
Digital Compass enabled me to move from an idea to a structured MVP concept with clear operational logic. It has positioned MyEstate Assistant for: 

• MVP development 
• Funding conversations for further build 
• Stronger engagement with key stakeholders 

It has already improved dialogue with the construction company Kier, leading to high-level meetings and planned collaboration. Hackney Council has also shown strong enthusiasm for the platform once delivered. This level of progress would not have been possible without the programme. 

Is there any longer term impact?
While the project is still in development, the longer-term impact is already emerging: 

• A scalable digital solution for regeneration estates 
• Improved working relationships with developers and the Council 
• A clearer pathway to funding and product development 
• Strong foundations for future policy and system change

Digital Compass has created the structure and momentum needed to turn a community challenge into a sustainable digital solution.