Unity reflects on year of progress and challenges at AGM

Addressing partners, stakeholders and customers at The Sheepscar close to the association’s head office in Chapeltown, Unity Chair Abdul Hamid described the past year as “one of considerable progress and challenges.”

He said: “The challenges included a cost-of-living crisis, in which we faced rising costs for materials for repairs, components for planned maintenance and labour employed by contractors and agents.

“The greatest impact, however, fell on our tenants, with several of them grappling with the increased cost of feeding their families, sustaining their homes and maintaining their wellbeing.”

Despite this, he said, significant progress had been made in meeting the goals set out in Unity’s corporate plan with highlights including the introduction of a new system for recording, monitoring, and reporting building compliance; the launch of new outreach services in the community to make the association’s business advice and support services more accessible to local people; and the rolling out of a skilled matrix framework “to give us a solid framework to train and develop for the future, because our staff are still our most important resource.”

Looking to the future, Mr Hamid said that Unity had “ambitious plans to further enhance our services and expand our reach” with priorities including a revamp of its website to enable customers to access real time information and self-service options; a new strategy to boost tenant satisfaction on the association’s high priority estates; and enhanced goals to raise improve the home repairs service.

“We will continue to listen to our residents, understand their needs and involve them in decision-making processes,” he said. “Together, we have built a solid foundation, and I am confident that we will continue to thrive and make a difference in our communities.”

In his remarks, Unity Chief Executive Cedric Boston described the organisation as “more than a housing association.” He said: “One of the key things for people, after getting a decent home, is getting a job. There are people in this community who aspire to set up their own business.”

He revealed that, as a result of Unity’s efforts in the last financial year, 178 people had been supported into employment, 274 received training and a further 22 were helped into volunteering positions.

Mr Boston said: “Our enterprise subsidiary continues to enable local businesses to access rental space and, at the end of March, we had 153 business tenants providing employment for over 800 people in and around the Chapeltown area. We continue to develop our offering of business courses to help others set up new businesses and grow existing ones.”

He added: “We will go to where the need is because our ambition is to help people to improve their life chances and, in particular, to enable people with talent in this community to have an outlet to showcase that talent to the world.” The meeting also featured contributions from Matthew Williamson of West Yorkshire Police and former Leeds Lord Mayor Alison Garthwaite who, earlier this year, officially opened the new business hub at Leeds Media Centre, one of three business centres operated by Unity.

In a wide ranging and deeply personal speech, Ms Garthwaite talked about her role in fighting prejudice and inequalities over many decades in Leeds, particularly in confronting the economic and social challenges faced by women, BME people and the LGBT community.

She added: “I must thank everybody who has been involved in helping the community of Chapeltown over the years and particularly in delivering the new, wonderful Leeds Media Centre that is so great.

“What Unity has done for housing in Chapeltown and elsewhere in Leeds is absolutely brilliant. Without our housing associations providing social housing, I just do not know what so many people would be able to do.”

After the speeches, guests were treated to an inspirational musical performance by Reggie’s Reggae Choir, also from Chapeltown, followed by a buffet dinner.