Time spent well with colleagues in Yorkshire

I always enjoy spending time with colleagues across the business and visiting our schemes and new developments. Their commitment to our customers and positive impact they have across our communities never fails to impress me. It’s also a great opportunity to get beneath the surface to understand the challenges they face – warts and all!

Earlier this week, I headed over the Pennines. As a native of Yorkshire, it’s always good to visit and see first-hand, the great work being done by our colleagues.

A busy day lay ahead. My first stop was a visit to Thrybergh in Rotherham where I met with Head of Neighbourhoods, Raymond Kinsella and Area Service Manager, Gill Walker to visit a brownfield site where, along with our partners, we are looking to deliver 84 new homes.

We then set off to another site across town where (subject to planning permission), we are looking to build a further 28 new homes, in an area of very high demand.

Next up was a visit to two of our existing town centre schemes at Cinema House and Moorgate Road. Getting the community balance right in the town centre can be a challenge but thanks to the hard work of colleagues both projects have stability and strong demand. The afternoon saw me heading over to Sheffield, where I was then lucky enough to join in a ‘virtual’ colleague team meeting, which gave me a great opportunity to catch up with everyone and hear about the fantastic projects and initiatives taking place across our communities.

My first afternoon project stop was at Fir View Gardens where I met Sam Keenan, Customer Relationship Manager. The scheme, which includes five houses and 36 flats, is undergoing major works including a new roof, doors, flooring, redecoration and re-surfacing of the road. We are also planning to build 19 new affordable homes on the site, replacing redundant stock (a former Cat2 site, demolished in 2016).

Then it was a quick jaunt into the city centre to Portobello House, which has undergone extensive improvements over recent months, with more to come over the next year. Kate Beard, Customer Relationship Manager, showed me around and I even had a chat with a customer about all things ‘Sheffield Wednesday’!

To end a great day, I headed back over the tops to ‘leafy’ Buxton, where I dropped in to Chatsworth Lodge, which provides 77 homes, comprising of both homes for general needs and older people.