accordgroup.org.uk
Introduction
Akshay Parikh
Accord Group Chair
Dr Chris Handy OBE
Accord Group Chief Executive
We are pleased to present our Annual Report which highlights
once again another successful year for the Accord Group.
We have seen growth across the business including securing
new contracts in care and retaining existing ones, we have
once again met our targets in building new homes and we
have enhanced our financial strength in partnership with
the Yorkshire Bank. We have further increased our overall
surplus to £7million which will be reinvested in new homes,
core services and existing properties. We have continued to
develop our colleagues providing training to suit needs as well
as management development for the leaders of tomorrow. We
have delivered pre-employment support to customers and their
families and have supported local markets through on-going
procurement and investment in local suppliers.
And we have continued to win awards for our work; the Queen’s
Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development – a housing
first; Best New Social Housing Development (Built in Quality
Awards 2016) Outstanding Development of the Year 2015
(UKHA Inside Housing Awards) and the Heantun Direct Services
Organisation achieving top prize for the second year running at
the UK Housing Awards – just a few of the accolades for which
our homes and services and staff have received recognition.
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Accord Group
This has all been achieved in an operating context which
continues to see reductions in public spending so it is ever more
important that we continue to have excellent relationships with
stakeholders including local authority partners, commissioning
bodies, funders and regulators. We work in partnership
across a wide range of projects and we continue to seek new
partnerships and opportunities where these meet our objectives
and values.
We also ensure that throughout all we do, we continue to focus
our energy and attention on our core values and purpose –
to provide housing and support for those most in need, as
important today as it has ever been. It is 50 years this year
since the poignant Cathy Come Home film was released. The
impact of this story led to the establishment of many housing
associations including those in the Accord Group. Now, in 2016,
we must continue to build homes and follow our values in all
that we do, we remain a social business creating profit for core
purposes – to support those most in need.
Looking ahead, the Group continues to be ambitious to
build more homes, designed by our in house architects,
manufactured by our innovative LoCaL Homes timber frame
factory and erected by our own construction team – leading to
demonstrable value for money against traditional build. We will
also further develop services that support the needs of people in
the communities where we work and to deliver those services to
excellent standards.
And throughout this we recognise that we need the best
people to achieve our aims and we thank our Board members,
colleagues and Executive team for all their commitment and
contribution in helping to deliver.
Akshay Parikh
Dr Chris Handy OBE
Chair
Chief Executive