Card payments make it easy for Lumo teams to manage their finances
The active Lumo team at Capellan puistotie said goodbye to dealing with physical receipts when they were given an S-Business card for spending the team’s Lumo funds. Invoices for tenant events and parties no longer have to pass through the team members’ personal accounts.
The tenants of the Lumo building at Capellan puistotie 4 in Helsinki’s Kalasatama district enjoy a great location by the sea and a range of shared services. The downstairs fitness centre is available to all tenants, while a heated and glazed roof terrace on the seventh floor offers a nice view over Helsinki.
Another factor that makes life more comfortable and fun for the building’s residents is the Lumo team made up of active tenants. Their work benefits everyone: The Lumo team has helped bring in a number of useful additions to the property, ranging from flowers on the terrace and a barbecue area in the yard to fitness equipment in the gym.
“We currently have five active organisers on our team,” says Lumo Team Leader Johanna Rännäli.
Rännäli has been part of the Lumo team since it was established. She used the Facebook group for the building’s tenants to put out a call for potential team members. While the core of the team has been unchanged for several years, new members are always welcome.
“Having a highly committed group of people means that we can plan our activities with a long-term view,” Rännäli points out.
Shadow festivals and get-togethers on the seventh floor
The tenants at Capellan puistotie have access to a shared roof terrace that includes a 10-square-metre heated section along with a large glazed terrace. This is also where the Lumo team regularly meets for its “get-togethers on the seventh floor” and invites new tenants to get to know the building and its activities.
The attractive and comfortable space has also served as the venue for parties, such as a wine tasting evening led by a tenant who is knowledgeable in the subject matter. The plans for the coming autumn include an atmospheric Halloween party.
The terrace also looks over the nearby Suvilahti area, which is used for various kinds of festivals. The Lumo team has already booked the terrace and made arrangements to serve snacks to the building’s tenants during festivals such as Tuska, Flow and We Love the 90s.
“We just open the windows and enjoy watching the events together,” Rännäli says.
The members of the Lumo team also organise group runs in Mustikkamaa as well as occasional group workouts at the building’s fitness centre. Information on the sports activities is always posted on the building’s Facebook group and all tenants are welcome to join them.
“Nowadays we also have a Lumo Trainer coming over for weekly outdoor and cross-training workouts with the tenants of the nearby Leonkatu 21 property,” Rännäli points out.
S Business card – "a very smooth solution"
Back in 2015, in the early days of the Lumo team at Capellan puistotie 4, the shared expenses had to be covered by first buying the necessary products and then applying to have the expenses reimbursed. In the team’s second year of operation, they were given an S-Business card for Lumo teams, which meant the tenants no longer needed to deal with receipts and invoices.
The card can be used for payment at S Group retail locations. So far, the shops have had everything that the Lumo team has needed to buy.
“The card has been a very smooth solution,” Rännäli explains.
The card can be used for payment at S Group retail locations. According to Johanna Rännäli, S Group is a good choice of payment card partner because the range of available products includes everything they have ever needed, from summer and winter flowers for the terrace to skipping ropes and weights bought for the fitness centre. The card is equally useful for quick visits to the local supermarket.
The property manager supports the team
“All we need to do to get access to our Lumo funding is submit an annual action plan to the property manager. That’s all there is to it,” Rännäli explains.
What’s more, the team doesn’t need to submit any reports about the purchases they make. The property manager monitors the use of the card and requests additional information when necessary. The property manager also serves as an important cooperation partner for the Lumo team and someone they can bounce ideas off.
Most recently, the team suggested that the tenants could go on a dinner cruise in eastern Helsinki. The property manager liked the idea so much that the cruise will take place in August on a larger scale, together with tenants from the Lumo building on Leonkatu. Some 40 tenants have signed up to enjoy Helsinki’s maritime offerings.
“We’re really looking forward to the cruise. It will be another fun way for us to spend time together. Interesting events like the cruise help bring together the busy residents of our neighbourhood,” Rännäli concludes.
Lumo teams spread good cheer
- Lumo teams are groups of active tenants who organise fun events for the people who live in their building.
- The teams are open to everyone. If you don’t have a Lumo team at your building yet, it’s easy to start one.
- The team can finance its activities with Lumo funding. The budget is based on the size of the property.