Sovereign joins the Centre for Excellence in Community Investment

Oct 10, 2018

HACT is delighted to announce that Sovereign Housing Association has signed up to be one of the five core funders of the Centre for Excellence in Community Investment.

“It’s fantastic that Sovereign are investing in the development of the Centre for Excellence in Community Investment,” said Andrew van Doorn, Chief Executive of HACT. “As one of the largest housing associations in the south and south west, their commitment to investing in their communities and involvement in the Centre’s future development, will ensure its success.”

Jon Fisher, Head of Communities for Sovereign, said: “I’ve seen first-hand the difference that working with our communities can make in developing connected, skilled and resourceful communities. We have groups getting together, joining with their neighbours to tackle complex issues like social isolation and other groups who are supporting local children with arts, crafts and holiday care. We support residents taking action to improve their lives and their communities and now we want to share our knowledge with others, as well as learning from other members’ successes. We’re really pleased that we’re joining Clarion, L & Q, Orbit and Peabody to build on the best practice in the sector and to really spread the word about what we can achieve when we work together.”

“Since we launched the Centre last month, we have been inundated with requests from community investment professionals from across the UK to get involved in shaping and designing its work,” Andrew added. “We will be hosting a series of roadshows across the UK where we will share our thoughts and ideas with community investment professionals, and encourage them to share their needs, hopes and requirements with us.”

“We want the Centre to be owned by community investment professionals, so it helps them deliver a better service to their tenants and their communities. We want the Centre to play a critical role in helping housing associations deliver their social purpose and create thriving communities.”

The Centre for Excellence in Community Investment will provide mechanisms for the sharing of innovation and good practice, enhancing collaboration across the sector, encouraging providers to continue investing in this critical area. It will also provide an interface between social housing and other sectors, unlocking collaboration, innovation and resources to deliver greater impact for tenants and communities across the UK.

Sovereign joins Clarion Futures, L&Q, Orbit and Peabody as the Centre’s funders. During its formative years, it will be developed, maintained and managed by HACT.

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