Impact Housing Association joins The Riverside Group

Impact Housing Association officially became a subsidiary of The Riverside Group on Monday 20 August 2018, following an overwhelmingly positive vote by the association’s shareholders on 4th June and subsequent completion of the legal processes required by the Regulator of Social Housing.

The news was welcomed positively by the 120 employees at Impact, whose jobs have been made more secure until at least 2020 through the partnership with Riverside.

It ends a period of uncertainty over the future viability of the 2,770 home Workington-based housing association, whilst triggering a much-needed £25m investment programme with support from Riverside to repair, modernise and improve Impact’s homes across Cumbria.

Riverside’s Partnership Pledge, which received a resounding vote of confidence by tenants who expressed an opinion, during a six week consultation in May, will also secure the future of its popular community projects including the Furniture Resource Centre in Carlisle, Workington and Barrow along with the Oval Centre in Salterbeck.

Carol Matthews Riverside Group CEO with Impact team Mark Costello Chair and Bryonie Shaw Interim Managing Director.
Carol Matthews Riverside Group CEO with Impact team Mark Costello Chair and Bryonie Shaw Interim Managing Director.

 

Bryonie Shaw, Impact HA’s Interim Managing Director, said: “Today’s announcement is the result of almost a year of very intensive work to seek a strong partner that will secure Impact’s future and win the support of our tenants, shareholders and local partners in our joint plans. Riverside impressed our Board from the outset with its strong commitment to partnership working and values that place customers at the heart of service delivery.

“The association already has a strong local presence, particularly in Carlisle, and the whole partnership has felt like a very natural fit. I’m really thrilled that we are now in a position to make a real difference to our customers’ homes and lives whilst revitalising our development programme of new affordable homes within the region.”

Carol Matthews, Riverside’s Group Chief Executive, added: “Welcoming Impact into the Riverside family is a really fitting way to celebrate our 90th year as a provider of social housing. It’s a landmark event that we have all worked hard to bring to fruition and the start of an exciting new chapter for both our organisations. Our priority now is to begin delivering the promises in our Partnership Pledge with a clear focus on strengthening Impact’s financial position and governance arrangements.

“We will maintain local service delivery to customers through the offices and colleagues they know and trust whilst we begin scoping out with them the ambitious housing improvement programme. Over the next two to three years we will be looking to re-ignite Impact’s development programme and begin exploring the potential to bring our two organisations’ operations closer together across the region.”