I hope you have started the new year well. I am pleased to share an update following our January Board meeting and planning session.
These planning sessions are an important opportunity to reflect on our performance and look ahead. We were joined by external speakers who shared valuable insights on the latest developments across the housing sector. In particular, we explored how organisations like Community Gateway can remain financially strong during challenging times and how our performance compares with other housing associations, both regionally and nationally. It was reassuring to see that we perform well compared to our peers and continue to make positive progress towards our priorities.
At this time of year, the Executive Team also begins developing proposals based on the Board’s strategic direction and planning discussions. These will be brought to the Board in March, helping to shape our priorities, budgets and resource planning for the 2026/27 financial year.
We also received an update on our People Strategy, including the excellent results from the most recent colleague engagement survey. These results reflect Community Gateway’s ongoing commitment to being a great place to work. Having a skilled, talented and engaged workforce, supported by a positive working environment, is essential to ensuring colleagues can deliver excellent customer service to our tenants. It is encouraging to see this reflected in the survey results, which demonstrate the strength of our culture and the continued focus on supporting and developing our workforce
In the formal board meeting that followed, we were delighted to welcome Stephanie Murphy as our newest co-optee to the Board. Stephanie brings with her a wealth of experience, including two decades as Chief Executive at Castles & Coasts Housing Association and its predecessors. Please join me in welcoming her.
The Board reviewed and approved rent and service charge levels for 2026/27. You will receive individual information about this over the next few weeks. We understand that changes to household costs can be difficult to manage and support is available if you need it. Our Tenancy Support Team is here to help and can be contacted on 0800 953 0213 (option 4).
We also received updates on our ongoing development programme, which continues to deliver much-needed, high-quality homes. It was also encouraging to hear about the Shape Your Space events, where you have been sharing ideas for community projects you would like to see where you live. These events are a fantastic opportunity to help shape the future of your neighbourhood and I would encourage you to get involved if you have not already. Find out more here.
My next blog will follow our March Board meeting. In the meantime, as the days begin to get brighter and Spring approaches, I hope you find time to enjoy your community and everything it has to offer.
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