Nicole Thompson picked up the Rising Star award at this year's Northern Star Business Awards, and were presented the title by sponsors University of Aberdeen.
Grampian Housing Neighbourhood Officer Nicole Thompson has only been in her job since 2022, but she has already made a huge and positive impact on her colleagues and tenants she supports.
On appointment, Nicole took over responsibility for one of GHA’s more challenging city centre developments at Market Stance.
On her own initiative, Nicole was the first Neighbourhood Officer to organise “tenant tea time” surgeries, out of office hours on a weekly basis.
She created an office area with a folding chair and working on her laptop in the stairwells. This ensured tenants got to know her well and she worked hard to gain their trust. Tenants who did not actively come to see Nicole at the surgeries were not excluded as she knocked on every door before leaving the scheme, proactively drawing out their concerns, discussing options available to them and developing an action plan to help.
During one of Nicole’s surgeries, she visited a single father who had lost his wife. He had his own health issues and was in a very challenging situation. He was living with no food, electric, heating and was struggling to organise his benefits and manage debts.
Nicole supported him to sort his benefits, set up payment arrangements for his debts, clean up his property, access support with electric and food costs and sourced clothing for him and his son.
In another first, Nicole contacted all staff and co-ordinated help for the tenant. The Leasing Team contacted the contractor who supplies white goods and they willingly donated a fridge and also offered a television. Free of charge, another contractor collected and laid the carpets which had been donated.
Recently, Nicole was voted by staff as Great Colleague of the Year 2023, which is presented annually to GHA’s most inspiring colleague.
The Finalists
- AFC Community Trust
- Aberdeen Performing Arts
- Infinity Partnership Ltd
- The Archie Foundation
Click here to view the finalists videos.
About the sponsor
The University of Aberdeen, Scotland, is a UK Top 20 and World Top 200 University with outstanding levels of student satisfaction. Established to serve the North-east of Scotland, today the university is a global presence in higher education. A dual focus on the region and the wider world is as important to the University today as it was five centuries ago.