Social

We have always been committed to being more than just a landlord by focusing on community cohesion and helping to improve the environmental, social and economic outlook for the communities in which we work.

For the last three years we have maintained the highest expenditure in neighbourhood services again when compared to our peer group by the Housing Data Lab. This support includes our Be Kind Fund and communities work but also extends to our subsidy of our LifeLine and Care services which are delivered not for commercial benefit but to provide meaningful employment for around 130 people in our neighbourhoods and a service that is invaluable to residents wanting to maintain their independence and tenancies.

Below are just some examples of the work done under our Community Investment programme and you can find more examples of the activities that are currently running in our communities to support:

You can also find out more about the support we provided to people in 2023-4 in our Residents Report.

This year we have undertaken an exercise to determine the Social Return on Investment that has been gained from Communities activities delivered in the financial year 2023-24, using the calculations provided by the Housing Associations Charitable Trust (HACT). Overall it has been determined that our community investment activities had the potential to achieve in the region of £14,193,458 in social value. We have calculated at least £735,112.80 has been spent by CKH to achieve these incomes, meaning a total social value return of £13,458,345.20. This means, for every pound we invested we delivered a social return of £20.43.

Read our full Social Return on Investment report

Economic

We are passionate abThree people sat working at computers in our Westwood Hubout supporting people into work. In addition to providing work in Care and LifeLine, our Careers Clubs run at various locations around the city and offer targeted support with CV writing, confidence building and interview skills.

In 2023/24 231 people attended our Careers Club. Of those 129 were confirmed as going into work, with 66 getting full time jobs.

The team at our Westwood Hub are always on hand to support people with applications or getting online and our computers are available for anyone to use. They are also happy to help with benefit applications, housing questions or (almost) anything else you need a hand with.

Our South Bretton Family and Community hosts a range of CKH activities and is also home to several other community groups, such as Brownies, NCT groups and sessions run by Healthy You.

We work hard to tackle digital exclusion and our Learn My Way programme supported 33 people to get online in 2023-24. We also supported 94 people with our general IT courses.

Spotlight on... the Nene Park Rangers

Illustration of a spotlight and beam of light and the words spotlight on...Our eight week programme with the Nene Park Trust and Froglife give young people the opportunity to get work experience as a Park Ranger. Teaching woodwork, arboriculture and conservation skills, the programme is perfect for those who have struggled to learn in a classroom environment but thrive in the great outdoors. Participants also grow in confidence and develop interpersonal skills and also get support with applying for jobs or further training.

Here's previous participant Lucas talking about his experience of the programme:

 

Providing a social lifeline

One in four people will at some point experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England. We work with Everyturn Mental Health to help people access talking therapies free of charge and without the need to go through your GP.

We also offer a range of activities that can alleviate social isolation and offer people a safe and welcoming environment to meet others.

The WestRaven Community Café is at the heart of the Westwood community. Providing affordable, nourishing food, it is also home to the Community Fridge and our weekly Friendship and Games Club. It also hosts many theme days and events throughout the year, and often runs cookery courses.Four women sat around a table with a fifth woman dress in a black waiting staff uniform serving them cups of tea from a tray

Spotlight on... Men Together

Illustration of a spotlight and beam of light and the words spotlight on...Loneliness and isolation can especially affect men, and so we launched our Men Together group to offer a safe space for men to get together. The group refurbish old furniture and upcycle old things into new things, whilst also enjoying a chat over a cuppa.

 

Spotlight on... Tall Ships

Illustration of a spotlight and beam of light and the words spotlight on...

 

A young person climbing a mast on a tall ship with a man holding ropes stands on the deck below

For the twelfth year we have funded pupils from local schools to take part in a once in a lifetime opportunity with the Tall Ships Youth Trust.

Ten pupils from eight Peterborough schools spent five days crewing the tall ships and sailing off the south coast this summer. As well as learning to sail, the 80 young people are fully integrated into the crew and are responsible for running the vessels 24/7, which includes learning to navigate and read charts, as well as assisting in the galley and helping to maintain the ships themselves.

The experience helps the young people to gain in confidence and learn new life skills as well as experience activities and offers a huge boost to their self-esteem. It also teaches them teamwork, co-operation, and leadership, leaving them with the confidence and willingness to take on new responsibilities and overcome challenges.