Teamtalk

www.ahintranet.org.uk/teamtalkEdition 69 - November 2015

So the news is out and we’re on track to build on what
we’ve achieved so far as AmicusHorizon.
We’re now in formal talks with Viridian Housing
to form a new 44,000 home organisation. This
will make us one of the biggest associations
in the country! But size isn’t everything….
Viridian is committed to people – be it staff or
customers. They really like our resident governance
and they really like our culture. As with all
partnerships, it’s always nice to find you have some
fundamental things in common! By joining together,
we can speed up some of the things we want to do.
Remember the SET roadshows? We talked about
how we want to grow and build more homes. And
then came the budget. The environment is now so
tough that actually, size is going to matter. We’re
starting to see a few housing associations topple
over as they try to readjust to the impact of the rent
cuts. We definitely don’t want to be there. We want
to carry on building more homes; delighting more
customers and creating more opportunities for staff.

With change, comes a mixture of excitement
and anxiety. Oh, and add impatience – this will
take months and months to work through!
We don’t know exactly where everyone will
be sitting and we don’t know exactly what job
everyone will be doing in the new organisation.
But what I do know is this represents the best
chance of navigating through challenging
times. I also know that when we get there,
your experience and your drive will help to
make it the best organisation in the sector.
We’ll have more clout with government and
stakeholders; do more to empower our
residents; attack the housing crisis and be
known as a great place to work. Sound good?
We’ll make sure we take every opportunity
to communicate with you. And please,
let’s make sure it’s two way.
Paul Hackett, Chief Executive