We recently welcomed Maggie Galliers CBE, Chair of the National Housing Federation, to Great Places for a day of engagement and connection. The visit allowed us to showcase our work, share our ambitions and meet with customers.
Maggie started her day at Head Office, meeting with Insight (our customer scrutiny group), where they discussed customer scrutiny, its benefits, and its role in continuous improvement at Great Places. Tracy Gregory (Scrutiny Coordinator), commented:
“Insight welcomed Maggie’s visit and the time she spent listening to customers. Her friendly manner and thoughtful questions made members feel comfortable sharing their experiences and feedback.”
Next up, Maggie toured our anchor neighbourhood at Northmoor with Nick Gornall (Director of Development); Simon Robinson (Director of Neighbourhoods) and Andy Bonnington (Director of Property), where she discussed the challenges of managing inner-city neighbourhoods with Victorian housing and asked questions about the design of homes, stakeholder relationships and how the needs of communities have changed.
It was then on to our recently completed affordable new homes at Belle Vue, where Maggie met customer, Masha Brocks, who took up an offer to right-size from a terraced house to a new flat in Belle Vue after living in Northmoor for over 30 Years.
Commenting on her new home, Masha said:
“I’m so happy with my new flat. I love the peaceful neighbourhood and feel safe in my new home. The view from my window is beautiful, with trees and greenery. My cat and I are loving our new space, and I’ve already met some welcoming neighbours.”
Maggie concluded her visit with a meeting with our Executive team and Board, where she shared insights on the NHF’s activities and sector priorities.
