Social impact
Throughout 2024/25, we have continued to actively seek out, listen to, and act on resident feedback across all our neighbourhoods with the aim of building stronger communities. Our focus remains on improving our services based on what our Customers tell us. This year we provided 56 resident engagement opportunities, involving 1,382 Customers; ensuring Customers voices truly are at the heart of what we do. We also worked with PfP to create a new Vulnerable Customer Policy, so the needs of those who need extra support are never overlooked.
Neighbourhood Explorers
Our Neighbourhood Explorer events continued to be a key part of our engagement with communities. The events take place in different areas and give our colleagues from across the organisation the opportunity to get out and speak with Customers about their community and any concerns they might have. Across three Neighbourhood Explorer events, 87 Customers shared their views on issues such as maintenance, anti-social behaviour (ASB), and the condition of communal areas, helping us create targeted Neighbourhood Action Plans.
Support for our Customers
Being part of Places for People has allowed us to increase our support for Customers beyond their homes. We put an extra £7,500 into our essential items grant, which helped 12 families with bedding, white goods and other essentials. PfP funding also refurbished the kitchen at Basil Jellicoe Hall, and we were able to provide more day trips and activities for retirement Customers.
At Christmas, we supported 43 households in need by distributing vouchers raised through generous donations from our partners. This helped families and individuals during the festive season, a time when extra support can make a real difference.
We held two volunteer days in our communities, the first had 20 staff volunteers working with Customers to clear and replant the communal garden on a large estate. This provides Customers with a peaceful space to relax and support their wellbeing, with the opportunity to continue to maintain the garden alongside their community.
The second was 16 staff volunteers, working with specialised Gilmartin’s operatives to paint Basil Jellicoe community hall, giving it a fresh new look for the community to benefit from.
