SNG (Sovereign Network Group)

'Tis the season to be jolly, and we're delighted to announce that we've helped bring festive cheer to our #communities by awarding almost £60,000 through our Winter Wishes Fund. This funding has been granted to 66 organisations that are each supporting communities and customers across the South of England over the festive period. One of the organisations we've funded is #Christchurch Community Partnership pictured here! They'll be delivering a community lunch on Christmas Day for those who would otherwise spend the festive period alone. The event includes a traditional turkey dinner, some carol singing, plus a few games of bingo and a festive quiz. Read more about the organisations that have received #funding: https://orlo.uk/3Vch2

SNG and Octopus Energy are delighted to be delivering the first ‘Zero Bills’ homes for social housing residents. At Nexa Fields in Exeter, six SNG customers will pay absolutely nothing for their energy, thanks to state-of-the-art green technology that makes their homes eligible for Octopus Energy's pioneering ‘Zero Bills’ initiative. Developed by Verto Homes, a multi-award winning housebuilder, the homes at are the most energy-efficient in the UK. Each property has an A-rated Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with a score of 129 – currently the highest in the country. It comes as SNG presses ahead with our ambition to deliver 25,000 new, highly sustainable, homes over the next 10 years. Read the full story at https://lnkd.in/ez95SXXb #ukhousing #affordablehousing #sustainability #netzero

Giving our shared ownership customers a better and more consistent experience is important to us, and to the future of a type of housing that can really work for people. This is where today's launch of the Shared Ownership Code comes in as a significant step to improve the experience for shared ownership customers. We've supported the development of the Code, and our Chief Communities and Sustainability Officer Jamie Ratcliff, has chaired the Shared Ownership Council's advisory group as it has developed. He welcomed the announcement today, saying: “Shared ownership has provided a valuable route to securing a home for hundreds of thousands of households over the last 40 years and has an important future underpinning increased housing supply towards the Government’s milestone to build 1.5 million homes in England over the course of this parliament. Nonetheless, both the consultation and published levels of shared owner satisfaction across the sector make it clear that there are elements of the shared owner experience which are not yet consistently good enough. These must be addressed. I’m confident that this Code is a positive first step to improve the experience of current and future shared owners and will also help the market to evolve and grow."

With a little help from us, our customer Matt secured his dream job in support work. When he approached SNG, he was still working on his own situation too. He was unemployed and struggling financially. We provided a one-to-one #employment and #skills coach, helping Matt to sign up for a course to work in the security industry, together with funding for the #training course and travel costs. We also helped Matt to improve his CV and his interview technique - which paid off! He said: “Now I can finally build the life I want. Happy is an understatement.” Read his story here: https://orlo.uk/CuSkS

We provide #grants and #funding to likeminded organisations to help us improve the wellbeing and quality of life for our customers and to develop thriving and resilient communities. A key priority for us is to address social isolation and support older people to live well. It’s why we supported the Christchurch Community Partnership to secure funding to run Coffee Connections and Lunch Clubs for isolated older people in Burton, #Christchurch, and recruit a dedicated volunteer co-ordinator. With £5,000 in match funding from SNG, the Talbot Village Trust has enough funding to deliver these sessions and run more services until August next year. If you’re based in one of our communities and have a #partnership opportunity, we’d love to hear from you. Email us at: community.investment@sovereign.org.uk

Are you a key worker in need of an easy commute to an affordable home? We provide quality, affordable and convenient accommodation exclusively for key workers in Reading, Leicester, Cheltenham, Gloucester and the Isle of Wight. Why stay with us? • Short and long term stays with no cancellation fees • One easy and cost-effective payment covering rent, bills and wi-fi • No deposit or fees • Convenient, onsite locations close to your workplace • Fully furnished and includes all kitchenware • Trusted and reputable not-for-profit landlord For a place to stay after a hard day, secure your new home with us: https://orlo.uk/VvtYh #Reading #Leicester #Cheltenham #Gloucester #IsleofWight #keyworker #keyworkeraccommodation #keyworkerhousing #affordablehousing #housingassociation

Our Chief Executive Mark Washer comments on today’s announcement by the Government on overhauling the planning system. On updates to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), he says: "We have a clear ambition to deliver tens of thousands of new homes, and today's changes alongside the vocal commitment to housing from the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister are hugely welcome. They will know that there are more tough decisions ahead and that all of government must support the builders to meet the milestone of 1.5 million homes. We share the Government's drive to succeed, so ministers must continue to listen to concerns about blockers, commit to stability alongside the additional resources we need to build, and enable continued focus on long term investment in our existing customers' homes." #ukhousing

With just two weeks to go before the big day, SNG customer Olivia can’t wait to put up the Christmas tree and decorations in her brand-new home in Northolt. In April 2024 she moved into one of the 16 new affordable rent homes at SNG’s 149 Dabbs Hill development. Before moving into her new home, Olivia and her children had been living in temporary accommodation for eight years. They’d been moving from home to home all over the London Borough of Ealing and beyond. At one point they were placed in Crystal Palace in South London, far from family and friends. They battled cold, damp and mouldy properties wondering when they’d ever have a permanent place to put down roots. Now their lives have been transformed with a lovely new apartment that Olivia can call a proper home. This is a real-life example of SNG delivering on our purpose of providing good affordable homes, the foundation of a better life. Check out Olivia's story by clicking on the video below. #ukhousing #affordablehomes #christmas

We know that times are hard for many people, and these feelings can often peak around the festive period. Yesterday our colleagues from Locality two – which covers Newbury and Reading, delivered food bank donations to the Greenham Business Park Food Bank to help more people who are in need this #Christmas. A big thank you to our colleagues who organised this and continue to support the people living in our #communities.

Residents of Stockwell Park now have access to a lifesaving defibrillator installed with the support of SNG, our contractor partners and The Community Trust. The new device was officially unveiled at a small event last Thursday (5 December) and was kindly donated by our contractor partners Higgins Partnerships, following their remedial fire safety works to seven blocks. It was installed for free by Kingsbury Group, who are carrying out major environmental improvements to Stockwell Park. Read more at https://lnkd.in/ecwu7esN