Community investment update
One of the most exciting aspects of our partnership with Abri includes the large additional investment in the region of £1.5 million per annum which is doubled in the first year to £3 million. This money is already being put to use to improve our services and standards, as well as up our level of community investment. This has put us in a good position for the upcoming year, where there will be many initiatives to benefit our customers and communities.
Here are some of the things our community investment team has been working on recently:
Our mobile pantry van has arrived
With the cost of living and food prices increasing, being thrifty when shopping for food and supplies is becoming more and more difficult.
The goal of our mobile pantry van is to assist our communities with easy access to affordable food options, hopefully taking away a bit of financial pressure. The van will drive to regular locations and provide the people who live there with an option to purchase cheap, healthy food.
A membership to the service will cost £1 for the year. Members will then have the opportunity to purchase a 10-item food shop for £3.50, or a 15-item food shop for £5.
We are using data that shows where food bank demand is highest to prioritise where the van will visit, as well as locations that are in our community investment zones.
The van will be up and running in early 2024, so keep an eye out for our announcement and when you can sign up.
The Good Grub Club kicks off this month
Whilst time off school may be exciting for the kids, we know it can be a stressful time for the parents, who have to spend more to keep everyone well-fed.
The Good Grub Club is designed to help families who might struggle to cook healthy meals on a budget during the school holidays.
At the club, families will be joined by a teacher who will help them to cook a delicious, healthy meal together. They will then get to eat it with the other families attending, before taking home the recipe card, and a bag of ingredients so they can make it again at home.
We hosted a very successful pilot session during the October half-term and we’re excited to say that our next session will be during the Christmas break on 20 December. We want to say a big thank you to Easthampsted Baptist Church for working with us to provide this club.
Places for the Good Grub Club are limited and will be offered to families. There are some minor checks we have to carry out before customers can take part, so please get in touch with us if you are interested at community.investment@silvahomes.co.uk.
We held our first community action day
We recently held our first community action day in the courtyard at Muirfield House, Gleneagles House & Moor Park House in Great Hollands.
Community action days are part of a new initiative that provides a great opportunity to meet face-to-face with our customers to discuss and address any issues to do with properties, or in the community.
At our first one, we spoke to 11 customers, supporting them with repairs, and answering their housing-related queries.
The successful kick-off of our community action days is a fantastic example of how joining the Abri group will make a positive difference for our customers. We plan to run plenty more of these to better support our customers and communities.
Keep an eye out for when we announce our next community action day – it might be in your neighbourhood!
