COMMUNITIES

Our Springboard grant programme has provided much-needed cash injections to local projects.

In 2020-21 we have

of tenants satisfied with their neighbourhood as a place to live

tenants involved in the governance and shaping of our services

invested in community groups and projects through our Springboard fund

spent on adaptions to homes

Focus on... Springboard

From gardening groups to grassroots football teams; our Springboard grant programme has provided much-needed cash injections to local projects that boost community spirit, promote health and wellbeing, reduce isolation and improve the environment.

During the past year, we’ve donated £33,927 to dozens of groups and projects across Salford that are making a real difference in our communities.

One such group is Bridgewater Residents Association, which has bounced back from adversity to provide a lifeline for many people struggling during the pandemic.

The group manages a community garden in Trinity, but volunteers were left devastated when thieves stole two of their prized planters and ripped out their plants.

We supported them with funding to replace the planters with raised beds, enabling them to host more gardening activities for the community.

The area has been a safe haven for local residents, particularly those without gardens who’ve been struggling with lockdown restrictions, so we’re incredibly pleased to see it back in bloom and being enjoyed by the local community.

Focus on... Customer Committee

We really value our strong customer voice ethos and are committed to putting customers firmly at the heart of our organisation, and this year we’ve seen 125 residents get involved with helping to shape our services.

Meaningful customer engagement has always been a priority, but in 2020 we launched our new Customer Committee - trailblazing an innovative and modern approach to customer engagement.

From artists to social workers, the Customer Committee is made up of a diverse group of residents. They’re a Committee of our Board, responsible for ensuring we’re delivering on the consumer standards, achieving value for money, and holding us to account.

The past year has seen them supporting the recruitment of our new chief executive, looking at our pandemic response and shaping our new Customer Charter. They’re genuinely empowered to help shape services, influence strategy and drive forward issues that matter to them. After all, who better to shape the future of social housing than the people living in it?

It’s a bold and new approach, but we also believe it’s exactly the sort of initiative the Government had in mind when it urged for landlords to ‘continually improve the way they engage with social housing tenants’ in the Social Housing White Paper – and it’s that sentiment that continues to influence our approach.

Employment