People are at the heart of what we do. This year we worked with our partners, our communities and our Gateway Membership Team to put initiatives in place to support even more of our customers and people living in local areas. 

Supporting residents who have money worries

Our Financial Inclusion team has helped residents to improve their finances by a combined value of £1,475,206, continuing to surpass £1 million in a 12-month period.

This represents extra income received by our customers as a direct result of our support – including assistance claiming benefits, reporting changes in circumstances, challenging benefit decisions and seeking other forms of financial assistance such as charitable funds, providing food vouchers and applying for reductions in utility bills.

The team also attended various events during the year to provide financial support to residents. This included Healthy Hubs, run by Watford Borough Council, a community event at Robin House in the Meriden, a rightsizing event at our Gateway House office and several visits to the Meriden and Trussell Trust foodbanks. We also hosted a dedicated event to provide friendly and informative support to residents over a hot drink and biscuits.

Here are some of the things our Community team did to support residents:

• held a free pop-up uniform shop to support families with children at local schools
• made over 50 food parcels for families of Laurence Haines School
• distributed 60 ‘Warm in Winter’ bags from Small Acts of Kindness to residents over winter 
• gave out £2,000-worth of Asda vouchers, provided by Watford Lions, to make sure residents would be able to afford food over the winter period 
• partnered with Housing Perks, encouraging Watford Community Housing members to sign up and get hundreds of discounts 

• relaunched the Donation Station, providing essentials to those who need them 

Working with our partners

As part of our 2025-2030 Business Plan, we set ambitious targets for the next five years, including a commitment to invest £1.25 million into community initiatives. 

In 2025/26, we continued to support our Nifty (over) Fifty group, Solo Stars, our tenant and residents’ associations – including a newly created group for Yeatman Court residents – and many more groups and projects that made a positive impact on our communities.

We have attended and supported a variety of community events, including:

• a learning and safety session with Garston Fire and Rescue Service for families of the Meriden
• slow-cooker courses through our partnership with Communities First
• Abbotts Autumn Fest
• Herts Pride
• a community safety event with local police officers 

Involving our residents in our work

As a Community Gateway housing association, listening to our residents and ensuring they are involved in decision-making is important to us. We offer a variety of engagement opportunities where residents can share their views and help to shape our services, including our Tenant Question Time (TQT) events and Scrutiny Sprints.

TQTs allow residents to raise any concerns and questions directly with our staff. Topics discussed during 2025/26 included parking and lift management, as well as an additional TQT, requested by our Gateway Membership Team (GMT), on how rent and service charges are set.

To take a closer look into the concerns raised, we ran two scrutiny sessions. These involve a smaller group of residents spending a day with our staff and digging deeper into the themes discussed during TQTs. The outcomes of these sessions let us know where we should be focusing on service improvements and what we can do better. You can read more about these in the Performance section of this report.

Understanding that our customers' needs are different, we held dedicated sessions for our leaseholders and shared owners, allowing them to raise any questions or concerns about their services. These sessions ensure all our residents' voices are heard and queries are addressed. 

Investing in our community hubs

In 2025, we introduced a new keypad entry system at two of our community hubs to strengthen building security, helping to protect both our customers – including nurseries and over-50s groups – and our staff. 

We also improved the energy efficiency of our Harebreaks Community Hub by installing double‑glazed windows, new insulation, an upgraded heating system and a new dance floor. These upgrades, delivered in partnership with Watford Borough Council, are estimated to cut emissions by around 90% and save close to 800 tonnes of CO₂ over the next 20 years, meaning groups such as Zumba Gold, Watford Deaf Club, The Dan Tien performing arts school and others can continue to use the hub in a space that is more affordable, comfortable and sustainable.

We also worked with the British Heart Foundation, who installed a defibrillator at our Leavesden Green Community Hub to support our commitment to providing safe and welcoming spaces for our communities. 

Supporting our communities 

Jimmy’s Jackets, the free lunch club we launched in 2023, has continued to grow in both size and impact. The club was a finalist for the Best Company Health and Wellbeing Initiative at the Housing Heroes awards, recognising the dedication of everyone involved. Our Hubs team also achieved a five‑star hygiene rating, a testament to their consistent hard work and high standards.

Funding from Watford Borough Council, alongside our own Community Chest fund, has enabled us to welcome even more attendees each week. Many residents now return regularly for a hot meal, a friendly atmosphere, and the opportunity to socialise – something that has become a highlight for many in our community.

We also began hosting free strength and balance classes for all residents, offering another meaningful way for residents to connect with one another. These sessions, made possible through our continued partnership with Watford Borough Council, are designed to promote physical wellbeing in an encouraging and supportive environment.

This year we also offered fully funded Level 2 Certificates in Housing Practice to our residents. Four residents took up the offer, receiving a basic understanding of housing and an introduction to some of the skills and knowledge necessary to work or participate in the housing sector.