Making sustainability part of everything we do

We invest in residents' homes to make sure they're safe, well-maintained and as energy efficient as possible. We strive to continuously improve our services, and we do what we can to reduce our carbon emissions and increase biodiversity.

By doing these things, we're making sure that sustainability is part of our everyday business. We're placing a value, and accountability, on the environmental and social impact we make and the governing structure in which we operate. We're also working closely with residents to find ways that they can help shape what we're doing and hold us to account. 

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Highlights

  • 78.6% of homes rated EPC C or above 

  • 98.4% of new homes rated EPC B or above  

  • £371m spent maintaining and improving residents’ homes 

  • £721m social rent subsidy 

  • £10m invested in community activities 

  • 2,400 people helped by our Financial Inclusion team 

  • All 3,800 colleagues paid at least the Real Living Wage or London Living Wage   

  • 459 colleagues took training courses 

  • £12m of social value generated by contractors and suppliers 

Environmental

Taking action today for a better tomorrow

We want residents to live in energy-efficient homes that are safe and affordable, as well as being comfortable and enjoyable places to live. A more energy-efficient home reduces the need for heating, helping lower residents' energy bills and helping us reduce our carbon footprint. It also gets us closer to our target of becoming net zero by 2050.

During the year:

  • We improved 854 homes to bring them up to EPC C standard by replacing insulation, upgrading windows and doors and improving ventilation.
  • Our carbon footprint increased by 3.6% due to the large amount of maintenance, improvement and construction work we're doing. We're working hard to reduce this.
  • We took a whole-place approach to regeneration, continuing with work in Thamesmead where we're improving, growing and looking after the town for the long term and other places like Friary park, where green spaces and biodiversity are a crucial part of the 1,228-home regeneration.
  • We reduced the environmental impact of our estate services and implemented an energy management system to record energy use and waste.  
Case Study Page 6

Greening grey areas brings benefits to people and nature

Two previously grey 1960s housing estates, home to 1,700 people in South Thamesmead, are now bright, beautiful, biodiverse spaces thanks to an award-winning first stage of a £10m transformation of public space.

The work is part of our long-term regeneration of Thamesmead, where improving open spaces for both people and nature is a key priority. Better access to open space can help address major health issues such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease, as well as supporting mental wellbeing and relieving stress. And by improving biodiversity by 20 percent, we’ve made the area more welcoming to new species of plants and animals.

(Find out more about how we’re looking after places for the long term by enhancing green space and promoting biodiversity near residents’ homes on our case studies page. (Criteria C7 of the SRS for social housing.) 

Social

Our impact matters

The cost of living remains high, and many people are still feeling the impact. At an average of £137 a week our rents are significantly lower than market rates - a £721m annual subsidy when compared to private rents. And by listening to residents and working with partners, we also seek to provide the right support and advice in local communities.  

During the year, we:

  • Invested £10m in local communities through our community investment arm, the Peabody Community Foundation.
  • Worked with partners to set up the London Food Insecurity Network to help tackle food inequality. 
  • Added more food pantries, bringing the total to 29 across London to help relieve food poverty.
  • Provided 847 energy vouchers to help residents with their heating bills. And we referred 376 people for advice on how to save money.
  • Boosted residents' income by a combined £2.2m following almost 2,400 referrals to our Financial inclusion team.
  • Encouraged residents to have their say and influence how we work, through our Resident-Led Panel, regional forums, and Tenant and Resident Associations. 

 

Page 7 Pembury Coach Trip

Community support comes in many shapes and sizes   

There’s much more to the Pembury Community Centre in Hackney than meets the eye. For some people it’s a base to meet up and chat, attend a fitness class or pick up information. For others it’s a place where they can find activities to keep their children entertained or meet like-minded parents. And for one young person we spoke to, it’s like their second home – a place of solace where they feel they can be their true self.

Find out more about how successful our support services are at improving things for residents and how we’re contributing to positive outcomes for communities on our case studies page. (Criteria C23 and C24 of the SRS for social housing.) 

Governance

Providing the right framework 

As a not-for-profit housing association, we’re required to meet certain regulatory standards. These ensure that we’re well governed, financially viable and meet high standards of customer service. But there’s more to it than just meeting requirements. Without the right governance structure and input from leadership, colleagues and residents, we wouldn’t be able to provide the high levels of service and support needed for everyone to thrive.

Highlights from the year:

  • We focused on listening to residents, engaging with our Resident Experience Committee, and Resident-Led Panel on how to improve services, and ensured resident representation on the Board with two resident members
  • Our newly appointed Chair, Caroline Corby, regularly attends meets with residents and has taken on the role of lead Board member for complaints, pledging to improve the way we handle issues.
  • Our mean gender pay gap is 5.6%. We're committed to reducing this and achieving greater diversity across the organisation.
  • We support colleagues' physical and mental health in a variety of ways and offer a range of learning and development opportunities.
A Governance Case Study

Working with like-minded organisations to create value for residents

Everything we do as an organisation aims to benefit residents. Whether it’s providing affordable, safe and secure homes that people want to live in, or the support and advice that can help them thrive. So it makes sense that we want to do business with like-minded organisations.

Over the past year, our suppliers, contractors and partners generated more than £12m in social value – that’s money that benefits residents and the those living in the communities in which we operate.

(Find out more about how we’re creating social value and sustainability in procurement on our case studies page. (Criteria C45 and 46 of the SRS for social housing.) 

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