A message from our Chair
“We are proud champions of the Community Gateway model, which gives tenants and leaseholders the right to become members and have more of a say in what we do. The Group Board takes a keen interest in the views of our residents and we are passionate about giving them a voice."
Welcome to our annual report, which sets out our achievements during the year. It highlights how we are performing and what we’ve done for our residents and communities.
It goes without saying that 2020/21 was a year unlike any other in living memory, as we all had to face the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. While national restrictions impacted on some of our services, I believe we adapted well to new ways of working and were able to maintain vital services and continue to deliver for you.
We are proud champions of the Community Gateway Model, which gives tenants and leaseholders the right to become members and have more of a say in what we do. The Group Board takes a keen interest in the views of our residents and we are passionate about giving them a voice. Throughout the year, we continued to work closely with the Gateway Membership Team to ensure that these views are heard.
2020/21 was also my last year with Watford Community Housing, as I have come to the end of my time as Chair of the Group Board. It’s been an honour to play my part in all that we’ve achieved over the last nine years, as we’ve worked to improve your services, upgrade homes and make a real difference in our communities.
During this time, we’ve strengthened our partnerships with local organisations, helping to create friendlier and safer communities. We’ve also formed joint ventures with two of our key local authority partners to build much-needed affordable homes. And through good governance, we’ve ensured that Watford Community Housing is well run and remains on a sound financial footing.
With the launch of our comprehensive new Let’s Go! 2020-2025 Business Plan, I believe that Watford Community Housing has a bright future ahead, with our Customer Promise showing that residents remain at the heart of all we do.
John Swinney, Chair
A message from our Chief Executive
“We’ve worked throughout the crisis to make sure that residents still have the services from us that they rely on in order to live safely and comfortably.
“While coronavirus has been a challenge for us, it has also allowed us to do what we do best, as we have focused our efforts on supporting communities and individuals."
The safety and wellbeing of our customers is always our top priority and the pandemic brought this into sharp focus in 2020/21. As well as putting in place a comprehensive set of working practices to protect people from coronavirus, we’ve worked throughout the crisis to make sure that residents still have the services from us that they rely on in order to live safely and comfortably.
While coronavirus has been a challenge for us, it has also allowed us to do what we do best, as we have focused our efforts on supporting communities and individuals.
We’ve worked closely with a wide range of partners – including charities, community groups and local authorities – to reach those affected by the pandemic, provide practical support, combat isolation and ensure that everyone has the help they need.
We know that this has been a difficult time for many of our customers and I would like to thank you for your patience and understanding throughout the pandemic. There have been times when the restrictions put in place by the government have prevented us from delivering some of our usual services, but by adapting to the changing circumstances we have managed to ensure that our most important services have remained available.
We are now looking ahead with optimism and we are committed to ensuring that we are a more prominent and positive presence in your community than ever before.
Tina Barnard, Chief Executive