Residents News 66 | WINTER 2025
e v i l w o N
Read our Annual Report PAGES 6-7
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Dates for your diary It’s time to mark your calendars with the key dates for the rest of 2025 and the New Year as we prepare to welcome 2026. WEDNESDAY
24
DEC 2025
2pm Christmas Contact Centre Closure
FRIDAY
02
JAN 2026
8:45am Contact Centre re-opens
Our Contact Centre will be closed over the Christmas period. If you have a repair during this time, please call 0800 542 8904. This ‘call-out’ number is available 24 hours a day.
WEDN
ESDAY
11
MAR 2
026
Team Training Our Contact Centre is closed from 8:45am to 1pm for team training. If you have an emergency or routine repair during this time, please call 0800 542 8904. This ‘call-out’ number is available 24 hours a day.
£
Are you worried about heating costs this winter? Please contact our Welfare Team for advice and support at: welfare@fairhive.co.uk.
£
Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service Community Safety Team are offering FREE home fire safety visits. During their visit they can:
Free home fire safety visit
• Test and fit smoke detecting devices • Offer safety advice on how to reduce the risk of fire in your home
• Talk through an escape plan in the event of a fire • Answer any fire safety questions you might have
To find out more email: Referrals@bucksfire.gov.uk, call 01296 744 477 or visit: www.bucksfire.gov.uk/home-fire-safety-visits
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Dear Resident As 2025 draws to a close, we’re reflecting on the highlights of the year and the progress we’ve made together in delivering Fairhive’s plans. This festive edition of your Residents News brings a mix of celebration, reflection and insight into the work we’re doing as we implement our new Five Year Corporate Strategy.
We’re also delighted to share that we have recently been awarded Level One Accreditation as part of the Social Housing Anti-Racism Pledge (SHARP). This initiative forms a core part of who we are and our commitment to support residents and employees. We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and this achievement reflects our ongoing dedication. On page 5, we detail how signing-up to SHARP is influencing our culture, policies and partnerships.
We’re starting with a breakdown of the key takeaways from our Annual Report to Residents 2025. Take a look at the figures from 2024-25 on pages 6-7 to see how we performed during the last financial year. To view our full Annual Report visit our website www.fairhive.co.uk/annual-reports.
To wrap up the year with a bit of fun, we’ve included a special Puzzle Time with a chance to win a £100 voucher— perfect for a New Year pick-me-up. Turn to page 8 to take part and enter. Best of luck!
On the next page you’ll find a message from your Resident Forum. Members continue to play a vital role in shaping our services and holding us accountable. Their dedication ensures that your voice is not only heard, but acted on, and they make sure that we stay focused on what matters most to you. You can read their update on page 4, including how you can get involved.
Thank you for being part of our community. I look forward to writing to you again in 2026, but until then I wish you and your loved ones a joyful, safe, festive season and a very Happy New Year.
Matthew Applegate, Chief Executive
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“
your A message from
Resident Forum
As another year draws to a close, your Resident Forum reflect on 2025 and look forward to 2026. Resident Forum members help appoint the new Chair of the Board As Resident Forum members, we were delighted to take part in the final interview stage of appointing Fairhive’s new Chair of the Board, alongside the Executive Leadership Team. Having the opportunity to ask questions that mattered to us and provide feedback on the candidates gave us meaningful involvement that ensured resident voices were heard in a key leadership decision, and we’re proud to have played a part.
“
Meena’s Journey: From Resident to Rising Star
Meena first joined Fairhive’s Boost Your Potential programme as a resident, where she developed valuable employable skills and built her confidence. After completing the course, Meena continued her involvement by volunteering with our Resident Scrutiny Review group, showing her commitment to resident voice. Now, Meena has started her apprenticeship with the Community Engagement Team, following in the footsteps of Barbara, who also began her journey with Boost Your Potential and went on to achieve great success achieving a Distinction in Level 3 Business Administration. We are excited to welcome Meena as she grows and contributes to our work.
Two new ways of becoming involved:
The HiveView Group, a flexible, online resident panel designed for those with busy schedules or caring responsibilities but wanting to contribute. They provide valuable input through surveys, polls and document reviews, from the comfort of their homes, helping Fairhive shape services. The Fairhive Influencers Group come together to provide feedback on what matters most to our communities. They explore new ideas and help to shape positive changes. This is done in an informal and relaxed environment. We look forward to working with these new groups to enable us to create a better future for everyone.
A final word from one of our fellow residents “Hello, my name is Beauty, I am a Patterdale Terrier. I now live in a lovely Fairhive home with my new mum, since she adopted me from the RSPCA. Thank you We w for your Pets Policy ou t o wish ld like Fairhive, and for S Gree eason’s giving my mum the t i n gs to you a permission”.
l you a l, and wis h ha healt ppy and hy 20 26.
Could you help to save lives? Medical research can lead to life-changing treatments, better investigation tools, improved prevention strategies, and enhanced quality of life for people worldwide. Taking part in research is crucial, as it provides information to advance medicine and improve the health and care provided by the NHS.
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We’ve partnered with the Buckinghamshire Health Research and Innovation Centre in Stoke Mandeville, who have a number of research programmes available for you to get involved in.
elow Find out more b
IBHO (Improving Black Health Outcomes) Minority ethnic groups living in the UK face ongoing health inequalities for several reasons. Prioritising and improving research that serves these communities could be transformational for underserved groups in terms of improving health and wellbeing, social outcomes and quality of life. They are inviting those who self-report as black with and without health conditions as well as
patients of any ethnicity and age with sickle cell disease to join the programme. Their contribution will help improve understanding, treatment and ultimately outcomes for all individuals affected. You can find out more about their research by visiting the website at: www.bhtresearchandinnovation.org/
Social Housing Anti-Racism Pledge diversity, and inclusion in everything we do. The Social Housing Anti-Racism Pledge (SHARP) was created As some of you may remember, by BME (Black and Minority towards the end of 2024, we Ethnic) London Landlords to signed up to the Social Housing support housing providers Anti-Racism Pledge (SHARP). across the country in taking We are now proud to announce real, practical action against that we have achieved Level 1 racism. To achieve this award, status, a significant milestone we completed the SHARP selfthat demonstrates our ongoing assessment, ensured our policy commitment to tackling racism included anti-racism measures, and promoting equality, published an anti-racism statement on our website, and developed an action plan led by a group of employees “I am proud to see that Fairhive and residents working have taken steps to gain Level 1 SHARP together. This approach accreditation, identifying itself as Antiis not only written on Racist. It sends a clear message of Fairhive’s commitment to making our workplace and paper, but lived out the communities we support a welcome space in practice. John for everyone. I hope that this will inspire Wallbank, Assistant our employees, our tenants and the wider Director of community to speak up against racism where People, added: appropriate and see that we all have more in
ieved
ch Level 1 Status A
common than that which separates us.” - Alex Ridley, Anti-Social Behaviour Case Manager.
“It’s so important that equality, diversity and inclusion is at the heart of everything we do – both as your service provider and as an employer. I am proud of our SHARP commitment, which complements our Disability Confident Leader accreditation in 2023. Thank you to all colleagues and residents who have supported us in reaching this milestone.” This award is just the beginning. We’ll continue working with residents, colleagues and partners to make sure Fairhive is a place where everyone feels welcome, respected and supported. By standing together, we can build stronger, more inclusive communities where people can thrive. If you are interested in joining the SHARP group get in touch at hello@fairhive.co.uk
Read our anti-racism statement on our website at: www.fairhive.co.uk/socialhousing-anti-racism-pledge
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Annual Report to Residents
2024/25
Each year we publish a standards report for our residents along with our financial statements so that you can see how we’ve performed.
Overall customer satisfaction
83%
You can view the full report at fairhivereport2025.co.uk
2024: 81%
Business
6812
1035
Social rent
Affordable rent
2024: 6804
2024: 955
479
689
2024: 396
2024: 687
Shared ownership homes
Leasehold homes
10
Subsidised rent
2024: SAME
29
645
Independent living homes
2024: 643
1860
Shops
Garages
2024: SAME
2024: 1858
Repairs
29,349
Repairs were made in 2024/25
2024: 30.0K
8,115
Were emergency repairs
2024: 7,772
!
£31M
Total spent on repairs
2024: £25M
18.6M £ Total spent on investment works
2024: £7.4M
89%
Percentage of repairs completed first time 2024: SAME
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Your Home
584
Number of new lettings
£178
*
To make an empty property ready for a new resident
2024: 575
20 Days
**
Time taken to re-let an empty property was
2024: £184
2024: 26
*Average cost spent per empty property (based on total cost divided by the total number of properties owned). **We’ve seen improvement year on year in this area. Our business reviews on empty properties, coupled with improvements in the lettings process, continues to positively impact on our turnaround times. The Voids Team (they look after our empty properties) work closely with our Lettings Team and as expected this streamlined approach continues to deliver further improvements.
Money
£8.8M
£82,141,000
Generating surplus to support our charitable objectives
Total revenue
2024: £16.9M
How we spent your rent:
190
New builds delivered
2024: 245
39 Social rent 72 Affordable rent 79 Shared ownership
1282
Number of households accessing Welfare service
2024: 1080
Routine Maintenance
Pension Gain
Major repairs and planned maintenance Services e.g. cleaning, gardening etc. Depreciation Management Interest & financing costs
Transfer to reserve – pension gain (-£329,000)
£4.1M
Total benefits secured through Welfare
2024: £4.0M
£57.4M Annual spend on affordable housing
2024: £49.1M
Transfer to reserve – general
Communities
£233,621 Total amount of grants made
2024: £255K
384
Number of Aids and Adaptations
3624 Resident and Community Engagement Hours
2024: 3233
136
Number of child places on Summer Fun
2024: 150
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Return this page with your name R A S F D G P J K L L M A and address to Puzzle Time, G N I K C O T S V B B M C c/o The Communications Team, Fairfax House, 69 Buckingham SNOWFLAKE HOLLY RUDOLPH Street, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP20 BAUBLE ELF WREATHS 2NJ. The closing date for the PRESENT STAR JOLLY entry draw is 9th January 2026 We are pleased to announce the winner of our Residents News Summer Issue 64 GROTTO CANDLE STOCKING and the winner will receive a Puzzle is Maureen Congratulations and we hope you enjoy the shopping voucher. £100 voucher and French. have their name published in the next edition of Residents News! We are pleased to announce the winner of our
Residents’ News Autumn Issue Puzzle was Ursula Rent a garage with us as a r! e n in Kuper. Congratulations on the shopping voucher! Autumn W low cost storage solution!
Housing Disrepair Claims – don’t get caught out Have you been contacted to make a disrepair claim or been asked whether you have outstanding repairs by someone other than your landlord? Wouldn’t that money be better invested in your home and community, rather than going to legal firms?
Report your repair via the My HomeHub app, call us on 01296 732600 or emailing us at contact@fairhive.co.uk
Thinking about downsizing, we’re here to help.
Reduce utility costs Less cleaning
By working with us you’ll be helping to make sure your rent money goes into investing in repairs and improvements for your home rather than into the pockets of unscrupulous legal firms.
For more information please contact 01296 732600 or email contact@fairhive.co.uk
Fairhive is able to produce this document in other languages and formats. If you need these services, or those of an interpreter, please contact us.
Fairhive Homes Ltd Fairfax House, 69 Buckingham St, Aylesbury HP20 2NJ | Tel 01296 732600
fairhive.co.uk
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