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
Every year, the Friends of Origin charity helps our residents who are experiencing financial hardship by funding essential household items. Originally set up in 1974 as Friends of St Pancras, the charity later became Friends of Origin Housing. Today, its support continues to make a real difference with £30,000 available to residents in 2024/24. This helped us support 65 households with - a 35% increase compared to the previous year.
Thanks to an extra £7,500 from Places for People, we were able to meet most of the additional need. As a result of the cost of living crisis the service has seen increased demand and Friends of Origin has confirmed an increased budget of £40,000 for 2025–26. We’ve also expanded the types of items we provide. Following an increase in reports of damp and mould, air purifiers are now available to help improve air quality in residents' homes. We’ve also added air fryers, offering residents a more energy-efficient, cost-effective, and healthier way to cook.
Of the 65 households supported last year: 13 were new tenants moving in, eight were older residents in Retirement Housing, Eight were people moving on from shared to independent homes and the remainder were existing tenants facing hardship.
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. PfP funding also helped with the refurbishment of the kitchen at Basil Jellicoe Hall, and we were able to provide more day trips and activities for retirement Customers.
