Making a difference at Colleague’s Joint Conference

COLLEAGUES attended Cosmopolitan Housing Group’s first colleagues’ conference where an ambitious social agenda for the new Group was explored following a recent £1.3 billion merger. 

Four hundred and forty colleagues attended the first joint conference at the Floral Pavilion, New Brighton, where colleagues from across Merseyside and Cheshire explored the Group’s vision to raise the aspirations of residents and ultimately to improve their lives.

At the conference, former 5,000m World record holder David Moorcroft OBE presented awards for teams from across the Group who took part in a three month long Stay Active Challenge. Also motivational speaker Paul McGee had colleagues in stitches with advice and tips to make improvements in their professional and personal lives.

Colleagues were also given a flavour of the different organisations within the Group from Andy Williams, Managing Director of Chester & District Housing Trust, Alec Gaston, Managing Director of Cosmopolitan Housing Association, Sam McMillan, Managing Director of Cosmopolitan Student Homes and Dave Griffiths, Development Director for Cosmopolitan Housing Group, who highlighted a range of cutting-edge developments the Group has in the pipeline. 

Cosmopolitan Housing Group Chief Executive John Denny also developed his vision for the group, emphasising the successful skill exchange programme to Uganda, which has had a positive effect on thousands of Ugandan children, apprentices and colleagues. Denny also explained his vision for providing a bursary from the Group for children from the Group’s communities to study at sixth form at Eton, which will be one of only 26 places at Eton’s sixth form.

Speaking at the conference, Cosmopolitan Housing Group Chief Executive John Denny, said:

“Nothing should be beyond the grasp of anyone in our communities. Why shouldn’t genuinely bright kids from our communities have a place at Eton? Housing is not just about building homes, it’s about making a difference. No matter how bad the welfare reforms are we are going to respond to them. Our vision involves everyone and dictates the depth, breadth and height of our aspiration. We are going to change and improve peoples’ lives.”

Chair of the Cosmopolitan Housing Group Board Bill Snell added:

“Welcome to the bigger, better, stronger, smarter Cosmopolitan Housing Group. To get here today has been an incredible journey over the last 12 months. Today is a cause for real celebration. We don’t come together out of weakness. We come together as two very well run organisations which have combined together. We want to see you grow and become a team of excellence. We have realistic goals and will deliver them – let the journey begin.”

The Trust is a dynamic and enterprising organisation at the forefront of delivering positive impacts in the communities with which it works. The Trust's homes span six communities - Blacon North; Blacon South; Chester City Area; The Rurals; Lache and Handbridge; Upton, Hoole, Newton and Plas Newton.

Committed to the best principles of social enterprise with over 14,000 local customers in 6,200 properties and 53% of its 275 colleagues living within its communities, the Trust adheres to key commitments and principles relating to people, places, partnerships and performance which underpin the Vision to ‘create opportunity’, through its mission, ‘by doing the right thing’.

The Trust is about being transparent and accountable in everything that is done and to this end is one of the first organisations nationally to have established a Residents’ Board, with full delegated powers from the Trust Board, to direct services which impact upon their lives.

The Trust has a comprehensive development programme and in partnership with Cosmopolitan Housing, Wulvern and Cheshire West & Chester Council, received 10 per cent of the total allocation of funding for the North from the Homes and Communities Agency, which will deliver a portfolio of 1,058 homes across the region over the next three years.

CDHT also provides services on a partnership basis, to a number of other customers e.g. Telecare services, TrustWorks Maintenance Services, Housing Options advice, waiting list management and choice based lettings to neighbouring local authorities and registered social landlords.

The Trust is rated as two Star excellent by the Audit Commission, has the highest possible rating from Telecare Services Association and  is also credited  Investors in People and is the overall Employer of the Year For Cheshire West. It has been in the ‘Top 100 Sunday Times best companies to work for’ for the last 4 years, reaching its highest position of 27^th this year.

For more details please visit www.cdht.org or request a copy of CDHT’s Corporate Plan 2009-2014.

Cosmopolitan Housing Group

Cosmopolitan Housing Group Limited was established as part of the formation of the Cosmopolitan Group structure in 2003. It is the Parent organisation within the Group, whose origins date back to 1969 and the establishment of Liverpool and District Student Housing Association. The Cosmopolitan Housing Group consists of Cosmopolitan Housing Association, Cosmopolitan Student Homes and Cosmopolitan Enterprises Limited.

Cosmopolitan Housing Association owns and manages more than 2,500 homes for a broad range of client groups in Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, Wirral, Halton, West Lancashire, Warrington, West Cheshire and St Helens. Cosmopolitan also acts in the landlord role for specialist Supported Housing providers across the country.

 Cosmopolitan Student Homes was created in 2004 as a subsidiary of the Cosmopolitan Housing Group. Student Homes currently has more than 4,400 units of student and young professional accommodation, with stock across the North of England and properties in Liverpool, Manchester, Salford, Preston, Bradford, Ormskirk and Stratford-upon-Avon.

Cosmopolitan Enterprises Limited began trading in April 2005 as a company within the Cosmopolitan Housing Group and is a company limited by shares, trading for profit which is covenanted towards the charitable activities of the Group.

For more details visit: www.cosmopolitangroup.co.uk

Press Contact: 

Phil Brotherhood E: p.brotherhood@cdht.org  01244 305540/07740 985588