Great Places is a profit for purpose business, which exists to improve the lives of the people living in our 25,000 homes across the North-West, South Yorkshire and Derbyshire.
On 1 April 2020, Equity Housing Group became part of Great Places and our combined portfolio includes social and affordable rented homes, market rent and sale, shared ownership and keyworker accommodation and supported housing that promotes independence and wellbeing for some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
We are much more than just a landlord, providing a wide range of services and promoting partnership work to create vibrant, sustainable communities.
The Group is supported by over 800 colleagues across five regional offices (our Manchester head office, Stockport, Oldham, Sheffield and Blackpool) and is made up of:
Our history traces back to 1963, however it was the merger of Manchester Methodist Housing Association and Ashiana Housing Association in 2006 that created Great Places Housing Group. In April 2020 Great Places merged with Equity Housing Group to create a bigger and stronger business. Find out more about our history.
Great Places is part of a unique sector. We do not pay dividends to shareholders so through being commercially astute, financially strong and efficient, with a focus on value for money, we are able to use our surplus to be values-driven, to provide support to vulnerable customers and to use the balance to build new homes. Our philosophy of Profit For Purpose is straightforward:
Business Brain The “˜profit’ bit: we will be financially strong, with Value For Money running through all our decision-making. We aim to be efficient and remain a top performer in our sector, operating as a commercial, innovative business. We’re forward-thinking and influential with a can-do approach, constantly adapting to an uncertain external environment to provide great services to customers and to tackle the housing crisis. We do all this while maintaining a robust approach to value for money and a focus on doing things in the right way.
Social Heart The “˜purpose’ bit: we will provide a range of ways to support the vulnerable, and help to minimise the impact of Covid-19 for our customers and neighbourhoods. We will use a large proportion of our surplus to go far beyond our landlord obligations and realise our vision of Great Homes, Great Communities, Great People. In the past 12 months we have created both a Hardship and a Resilience Fund, have provided debt advice and other support and guidance to assist with the financial resilience of customers, and have established ourselves as community leaders in our anchor neighbourhoods.
The simple principle is that the more efficient we are as an organisation and the greater our surplus, the more of the added value work we can carry out to transform our communities and improve the lives of our customers.
Matthew Harrison, Chief Executive
Peter Bojar, Executive Director of Growth & Assets
Guy Cresswell, Executive Director of Customer Services
Alison Dean, Executive Director of People & Culture
Phil Elvy, Executive Director of Finance
Gemma Bradley-Rigbye – Business Transformation
Craig Daniel – Business Intelligence
Mark Foster – Repairs
Sharon Hayes – Technology Services
Carl Holloway – Communications
Sarah Costigan – HR Director (until February 2021)
Kal Kay – Finance
Rachel Mills – Customer Experience
Tony Muir – Sustainable Assets
Simon Robinson – Neighbourhoods
Helen Spencer – Development
Sally Watts – Independence & Wellbeing
Chris Heath – Managing Director (Cube Homes)
Tony Davison – Chair
Jenny Rayner – Deputy Chair
Jerry Green – Chair of Audit & Assurance Committee
Christine Amyes
Celia Cashman
Jan Fitzgerald (until September 2020)
Mike Hanson
Matthew Harrison – Executive Director
Mervyn Jones
Brendan Nevin (until September 2020)
Grenville Page
David Robinson
David Robinson – Chair
Babar Ahmad
Matthew Harrison – Executive Director
Emma Prichard-Selby
