Incommunities celebrates 15 years in business
Incommunities is this week celebrating 15 years in business.
Since forming in 2003 the organisation, which manages 22,000 local homes, has grown to achieve many milestones and set the bar for its high standards.
It manages a range of accommodation from family-sized houses and flats to sheltered schemes for older residents, providing homes for a tenth of the Bradford district population as well as properties in other parts of West and South Yorkshire.
To mark the anniversary, Keighley and Ilkley MP, John Grogan and Baroness Margaret Eaton joined Incommunities’ Group Chief Executive Geraldine Howley and Chair, Jan Ormondroyd to cut a big birthday cake at the group’s headquarters in Shipley. John Grogan was representing all district MPs at the event.
Incommunities Board members, involved customers and partner organisations also joined in the celebrations.
The group’s achievements include:
- investing over £450 million in modernising local homes
- delivering 745 new affordable homes
- helping 37,500 people find a rented home
- working with over 100 tenant and resident groups and help develop our services and improve where people live
- helping 2,651 people into work, 3,857 into skills training, 322 into self-employment and giving 515 job seekers valuable work experience
- training 135 trade apprentices with nearly 98% progressing into qualified full time roles in the organisation.
Key milestones include:
- – Council tenants voting in favour of stock transfer.
- - starting the first modernisation schemes at Bierley and Odsal
2006 – completing our first development with the £1.2 million Holroyd Court apartments
2006 – launching our 24-7 Trustcare mobile response service to help our older residents
2008 – rebranding from Bradford Community Housing Trust Group to become ‘Incommunities’
2009 – completing our first major shared ownership development at The Lawn, Burley-in-Wharfedale
2010 – scooping the T&A Bradford Means Business ‘Employer of the Year’ award
2012 – starting our first ‘in-house’ contracting development at Dale Croft, Ilkley
2013 – moving to our new base at The Quays in Shipley
2013 – winning a national WISE award for promoting diversity and encouraging more women into construction.
2015 - Huddersfield-based BME housing association, Sadeh Lok joining the group
2015 – completing the ‘flagship’ Chain Street development – delivering the first family-sized home in the city since the 1960s
2016 – Sadeh Lok completing its first affordable homes development in Huddersfield for many years
2017 – Incommunities winning a national CITB construction award for its apprenticeship programme.
2017 – our GEM learning programme going international with two Canadian graduates joining its UK recruits.
Geraldine Howley, Incommunities’ Group Chief Executive, said: "The organisation has come a long way from its formation following the stock transfer from the Council in 2003. "This unlocked a multimillion pound investment in our homes and neighbourhoods, from which the group has grown to become much more than just a housing provider, helping improve the lives of our customers. "I would like to pay tribute to our hardworking employees, board members and customers who make a positive difference day in day out. "The organisation increasingly has to work in a fast changing housing sector, but I am confident that, we as a group, have the skills, experience and vision to meet the challenges ahead and grow."
Jan Ormondroyd, Group Chair of Incommunities, said: “This 15th anniversary provides a fantastic opportunity to look back at many achievements and look ahead to the opportunities the next 15 years will bring. "It is wonderful to reflect on the progress we have made in improving local homes and delivering new homes but it is important we also continue to focus on our vision and values. "Our performance as an organisation remains strong and our partnership with Sadeh Lok reflects our ambitions to grow and diversify. We must all work to build on our strengths and continue to strive to meet our customers’ needs."
John Grogan, MP said: "This is a wonderful achievement as whatever your political stripes housing is a vitally important issue. "I look forward to seeing Incommunities grow and continue to invest in local communities and improving lives."