ALL CHANGE IN GAINSBOROUGH

I’ve been with P3 for 20 years now (started in 2003 – oh my!) Since there were just two services, both in Wolverhampton: a 54-bed direct access service and Dickens Lodge, which we still have. I never thought I’d need to go off the A38 …

You can imagine I’ve seen a lot of change and challenges in 20 years, but I still knew we had our work cut out for us when we started regenerating the town of Gainsborough in West Lindsey, Lincolnshire.

Some living conditions were awful. One family had a plant growing in the conservatory. Another had no bathroom door because the gap wasn’t big enough.

Housing is at a premium; if you have a poor credit history or have been evicted in the past, you had to take what was available.

So yes, as the 24th most deprived area of England, investment was needed.

Gainsborough has issues with quality of housing, empty homes, absent and uncaring landlords, antisocial behaviour and social inequality.

And so we’re on it!

A Full Regeneration

We’re working with West Lindsey District Council (WLDC) which has pledged £1 million of investment for a full regeneration project to give the people of Gainsborough the homes, resources, opportunities and community that they deserve.

There’s a full story on page 5.

And I mention it here because it’s so important to me. Nobody should live the way people were and are living in Gainsborough.

There were so many things we could do to change people’s lives there. We had to!

IT’S ABOUT A TOTAL REGENERATION

So I was glad to spearhead the project. And now, of course, we have the fantastic Rachel Hampton and Rhiannon Watson on the ground there. Rhiannon deals with acquiring properties and Rachel is the human face and point of contact for people

IT’S WHAT WE WORK FOR

Gainsborough represents everything I’ve worked for in my career: long-term commitment, positive changes, tenancies for life, partnership and empowering people.

It’s not just a sticking plaster. It’s about total regeneration so that people have safe, secure and comfortable homes as well as a strong community with good facilities and real opportunities around them.

We now have 43 properties that families can call home and more will follow.

Jo Summers will retire this spring after 20 years’ loyal service. Her legacy as Chief Operating Officer and P3 Housing Chief Executiv e will continue in the social impact delivered across all P3 services as people are housed, reconnected to their community and able to access meaningful employment opportunities.

Thank you Jo!

Everybody Gonna Shine

The party for our first P3 Conference in three years was themed ‘Be Your Unique You’. How everybody dazzled!

Go Gemma!

P3 Director of Strategy & Innovation

Gemma Bukel, was named a finalist for the prestigious Women In Social Enterprise (WISE) 2023 Social Business Leader of the Year Award!

Ladders of Life

The Ladders of Life album by young musicians at Rugby Portobello Trust is now avail able at https://tinyurl.com/ l addersoflife

Love Letters is your next ear worm… www.p3charity.org

Cheshire Means Business

Massive congratul ations to P3 Cheshire for being a finalist for Charity of the Year in the North East Cheshire Business Awards!

Safety First

The P3 Gloucestershire and NHS joint project One Gloucestershire won the Safeguarding title at the HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2022. It works to ensure people are discharged from hospital with dignity