Building great partnerships
We’re committed to improving our customers’ lives. There are many brilliant organisations working in the community doing vital work who we partner with to enhance the support we can give our customers.
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Chris Heaton-Harris MP visits the home of Harry Charlesworth and family as part of the Harry’s Pledge campaign, which Longhurst Group is a founding member of
Building and maintaining strong partnerships is crucial in helping us to improve the lives of our customers and the communities in which they live.
We know that working alongside voluntary groups and community organisations can help us achieve our vision, while official partnerships with developers and local authorities is crucial to supporting us to realise our strategic development goals.
In the last year, we’ve joined forces with Allison Homes to strengthen our property stock in Lincolnshire by delivering more than 120 affordable homes, while partnerships with the National Digital Inclusion Network have meant we’ve been able to support customers unable to afford simple things such as broadband and mobile phone data.
We’re committed to doing things in the Longhurst Group way – but we’re always open to partnership opportunities when they benefit our customers and communities.
Keeping our customers connected
Our partnership with the National Databank via our membership of the National Digital Inclusion Network has meant we’ve been able to give free mobile data to customers who can’t afford an internet connection.
These customers have found themselves locked out of essential services and support, exiled from the digital world and unable to do simple tasks like searching for jobs, banking and staying connected with loved ones.
Thanks to this partnership, we’ve been able to support dozens of customers via our access to pre-loaded SIM cards, as well as being able to gift refurbished laptops and tablets. Last year, we gifted 71 laptops and 76 SIM cards.
We also joined Fareshare Go as a community associate, helping to redistribute food that would otherwise go to waste from our Paine’s Mill centre in St Neots. We’ve collected 645kg of food, supporting 163 people who’ve been struggling with increasing food costs.
Key results
SIM cards gifted to tackle digital exclusion
Refurbished laptops provided to customers
Food collected as part of Fareshare Go
Customers supported through Fareshare Go
Delivering more homes with our partners
In February, work started on more than 120 affordable homes as part of one of our largest ever partnership projects.
We’re working alongside Allison Homes on a site in Bourne, Lincolnshire and after buying the land from them, work has now started on 121 homes which will be made available for Shared Ownership, Rent to Buy and Affordable Rent.
We know that this sort of affordable housing enables many more local families to take their first step onto the property ladder, and further demonstrates our commitment to providing good quality affordable housing.
Our relationship with MAN Group also continues to go from strength to strength as we’ve taken over the lettings and management of their Alconbury Weald and Vista developments. At Vista, we also worked closely with Ilke Homes as they utilised Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) to bring their plans to reality.
On site at Bourne, Lincolnshire, where our partnership with Allison Homes will provide 120 homes on affordable tenures for local people.
Hosting practical educational opportunities
Providing educational opportunities is a key part of our Improving Lives vision. We’ve teamed up with Groundwork East to host its Green Skills project at several of our schemes in Peterborough.
This project enables people who’ve found themselves out of work to learn practical skills as they improved the outside areas at Carl Hall Court and Eastfield Road, as well as taking part in classroom-based sessions as they worked towards their City and Guilds Level 1 Practical Horticulture qualification.
The course saw participants cut back and clear outdoor spaces, paint fences, turn over soil and remove weeds and prepare beds ready for planting.
We provided a budget for new plants and flowers and dozens of people took part in the programmes as they prepare themselves for the world of paid employment.
Partnership working with Groundwork East on the Green Skills project has enabled people who are looking for jobs to learn practical skills and work towards a City and Guilds qualification.
Key results
Affordable homes with Allison Homes
New homes started
CASE STUDY
Partnership approach leads to installation of accessible wet rooms
Collaborative working with a local council has created safer, more accessible washing facilities at one of our Nottinghamshire schemes.
We teamed up with Gedling Borough Council to replace bathrooms with accessible wet rooms at our Rochester Avenue scheme in Netherfield. The work saw standard baths removed and replaced with walk-in shower spaces.