If you work in social housing, chances are you’ve come across the incredible work of Big Picture Training, but have you met the woman helping to drive it forward? Say hello to Vicky Green, a dynamic force in the industry who’s passionate about empowering housing professionals with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive.

Vicky isn’t just about training, she’s about transforming the way people approach their roles, tackling challenges head-on, and making sure frontline teams feel confident, capable, and supported.

But what really makes Vicky tick? We sat down with Vicky for a fun, quickfire interview to find out what goes on behind the scenes, her journey into the sector, and a few surprises along the way!

From dream dinner guests to industry game-changers, let’s dive into the world of Vicky Green!

(Think fast, Vicky! No overthinking!)

Let’s Start with the Fun Stuff…

🌟 Describe yourself in three words: Caffeinated, Clumsy, Passionate

🎶 What song would be the soundtrack to your life? Of my life? That’s hard as I have a song for every single moment in my life! My world runs on song lyrics. Probably Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell

💬 If you had a slogan, what would it be? The magic starts to happen where your comfort zone ends.

🚀 Dream dinner party guests (dead or alive, famous or not)? Alan Rickman, My Great Uncle Tom, Tallulah Bankhead, Joni Mitchell, Sophie K Rosa and Mary Seacole

📖 Guilty pleasure TV show or book? I’m completely obsessed with Ursula K Le Guin books at the moment. Not exactly a guilty pleasure, but a guilty secret to the number of Audible credits I’ve spent on them!

💄 What was your most embarrassing teenage fashion phase? Circa 17, the short-lived Goth phase. I was WAY too smiley to be a goth for long!

☕ Coffee or tea? (And how do you take it?) Coffee, strong with a splash of milk.

🐶 Dog person or cat person? Cat person, definitely.

🏝 Beach holiday or city break? City break. Every time!

Now, Let’s Get Down to Business…

🏡 What inspired you to work in social housing training? Like many people in the sector, I fell into housing. I moved into training via teaching tenants tenancy sustainability skills about 15 years ago, and realised that I loved it, I was good at it, and I would help people make a difference for our customers.

🎯 What’s one misconception people have about the social housing sector? I think we’ve all heard the stereotypes and misconceptions about our customers and the idea that social housing is an option of last resort. Our customers are varied, as are our housing options. Our communities out there are often wonderful hubs of creativity, kindness and resilience.

💡 If you could give one piece of advice to someone new in the industry, what would it be? It’s not an easy job, but it’s rewarding. The sector is full of dedicated professionals who work tirelessly, often in challenging circumstances, to ensure people have safe, stable homes. It’s a tough but rewarding career that requires resilience, adaptability, and a strong sense of purpose.

📢 What’s your proudest achievement at Big Picture Training so far? It has to be the feedback. About my facilitation, but also those moments where people take time to hang back, or come back and see you and tell you what a difference the training made to them.

🚀 How does Big Picture Training make a difference in the industry? Big Picture, but Jo Leckie in particular makes a huge difference. Yes we train, and we do darned good training that just GETS what it’s like in the housing sector, we’re experts in what we do and the context we do it in, but we do so much more than that. The consultancy, the relationships we build, the CX labs, the joint ventures etc, it’s that deep knowledge, information sharing and professional community that also sets us apart, in the Uk and in Australia.

🛠 What’s one skill or mindset shift that really helps people succeed in social housing? I’m going to say resilience. And I don’t mean being able to pull your socks up and deal with the hard days, I mean the concept that we have to care for our own wellbeing, mind and body, as well as create the right environments around us to enable us to succeed, because with that, we have the personal tools to provide the ongoing, consistent, empathic and seamless service our customers deserve, day in, day out.

👀 If you could change one thing about the industry overnight, what would it be? How much jargon we use. So many TLAs (Three letter acronyms). And don’t get me started on “voids”, a void is a vacuum where nothing exists, not a home someone’s waiting to move into. Language matters.

Quickfire Round! (No Thinking, Just Answer!)

• Emails or phone calls? Emails. (Sorry!)
• Early bird or night owl? Both? I’d rather have a nap mid-afternoon!
• Best way to unwind after a busy day? Time on the sofa with loved ones.
• One thing you can’t live without at work? My calendars. I check them 50 times a day!
• Surprise talent no one knows about? I have possibly the loudest whistle you’ve ever heard, and I challenge anyone to try and beat it!

Thank you for taking the time to share this with us Vicky! Keep being totally AWESOME.