The Guinness Partnership

We were in Stevenage on Friday celebrating the completion of Phase 1 of our development on the site of the former Matalan store. Our CEO Catriona Simons and Group Director of Development & Commercial Services Kevin Williams FCIOB joined local MP Kevin Bonavia MP, Baroness Sharon Taylor of Stevenage OBE, Lords Minister for Housing & Local Government, Councillors, Lovell Partnerships Ltd colleagues including MD Lorraine Casey Bsc (Hons) MCIOB, and other partner organisations to mark the occasion. This stage of the project brings 143 new homes all for social rent and is a key part of Stevenage Borough Council’s £1bn regeneration programme to revitalise England’s first New Town. We’re grateful for the support from Stevenage Borough Council and Homes England to us deliver new affordable homes in the heart of Stevenage. Beautiful new homes, and a testament to partnership working.

This month, we’re celebrating 135 years since Guinness was founded. In 1890, Sir Edward Guinness, the great-grandson of the founder of the Guinness Brewery, set up The Guinness Trust – his vision was to provide decent and safe homes. Today, our aim remains the same: to improve people’s lives and create possibilities for them by providing good quality and affordable homes for those who need them. Our earliest estates were built with “health, morality and social stability” in mind. Red-brick blocks with four to six floors, were associated tenements with communal sculleries and toilets. Brandon Street in Walworth (pictured) was our first estate. The initial rents ranged from two shillings and sixpence for one room to five shillings for three rooms. Brandon Street isn’t one of our estates anymore, but today, we provide nearly 70,000 homes across the country. Hundreds of thousands of households have benefited from Edward Guinness’s original donation – and we continue his vision of providing good quality, affordable homes where people are proud to live. You can find out more about our rich heritage on our dedicated archive site: https://lnkd.in/ew2Ri2hy

Thank you to Ian Childs and Pat Coleman from Sureserve Compliance (previously Sure and K&T Heating) for joining our Customer Committee today and responding to questions from Guinness residents about how they ensure that all our residents receive good and respectful services from them. Great to see a shared commitment to safety and service - and our contractors holding themselves to account with residents – as colleagues do. Thank you also to SureServe for the support from your charitable foundation, The Sureserve Foundation, for Guinness and other social housing residents.

Last Wednesday, we joined the launch of the National Housing Federation’s latest publication as part of its #PlanForHousing campaign. #PlanForHousing wants to see a long-term housing strategy, joined up and focused on outcomes, so we can end the housing crisis for good. Everyone deserves a safe, comfortable and secure place to call home. As an organisation that serves over 160,000 residents across the country, we back the NHF’s calls. It was great to hear so much consensus amongst social housing providers and MPs at Wednesday’s event, with commitments to drive the outcomes we need. #ukhousing #PlanForHousing #socialhousing https://ow.ly/ooPT50UJiIC

We were really pleased to be part of the launch event at Houses of Parliament this week for the The G15 case study in the Room To Grow campaign, revealing the shocking scale of stigma faced by social housing residents in London. The ‘Taking the Stigma out of Social Housing: The Residents View’ report polled 3000 social housing residents in London, finding that nearly half (45%) have experienced prejudice or discrimination because of their housing status. Despite these challenges, the report, sponsored by the G15 Residents’ Group, finds that safe, secure social housing provides a vital foundation for families, offering stability and improving health outcomes. Urgent action is now needed to address harmful narratives and perceptions of social housing residents. We’re proud to celebrate the value that social housing brings to both individual residents and the economy & society as a whole. https://lnkd.in/eAzw2rtJ #RoomToGrow #StigmaOut

Yesterday I had the privilege of speaking to young people across the country discussing all things housing, what The Guinness Partnership does, how I ended up in housing, and why I think it makes a great career choice. Thank you to Speakers for Schools for inviting me.

Season’s greetings from us all at The Guinness Partnership and Shepherds Bush Housing Association.

We are so pleased to have been shortlisted as a finalist for the prestigious Client Award category at the 2025 The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) Awards. Thank you to Caddick Construction Limited for nominating us for our work together on Cherry Tree Court in Salford and Edward Street in Stockport. The CIOB Client Award recognises organisations that commission exemplary construction projects designed to have a lasting positive impact on their users and society. The judges consider factors such as risk management, innovation, digital technologies, and commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion. Caroline Gumble, CEO at CIOB, said: “We have received lots of high-quality entries for this year’s CIOB Awards, which showcase the very best leadership and talent in the built environment sector”. We’re honoured to be part of this celebration of excellence in construction and look forward to joining industry leaders at the CIOB Awards ceremony in London next year. Congratulations to all the finalists! #CIOB #CIOBAwards

Yesterday we welcomed six new colleagues to our Customer Liaison Service. Anu, Brenda, Debbie, Firat, Gemma, and Ina joined us in our London office for day 1 of their induction programme, where they heard from our CEO, Catriona Simons, and our Executive Director for Customer Services, Trafford Wilson about Guinness’s vision and purpose, the critical role we play in providing good quality housing, and how everything we do is about ensuring our residents receive good, reliable and respectful service. Our Customer Liaison Officers (CLOs) play an important role in making sure our neighbourhoods stay safe, clean and welcoming places where people are proud to live. For many of our residents, our CLOs are the face of Guinness. Increasing the number of CLOs at Guinness means our colleagues will be able to spend even more time in our communities where our residents want us to be. Welcome to Guinness Firatcan K, Ina, Gemma Corcoran, Brenda, Debbie, and Anuoluwapo Shaw! Trafford Wilson

Today, The G15 launched its latest report in the Room to Grow campaign, which highlights the social and economic benefits that housing associations bring to their communities. We’re delighted that our recent partnership with the Rio Ferdinand Foundation is featured in the ‘Room to Grow: Supporting London’s Communities’ report. The initiative empowered young people aged under 25 through access to training and skills with organisations including Warner Music UK. Housing associations across London and the UK now need action from the government to ensure the work we do in supporting our community continues as we build homes for the future. This includes:  ✅ A 10-year rent settlement ✅ A return to rent fairness ✅ Access to the Building Safety Fund Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eBamxaFi