Dates for your diary
It’s time to mark your calendars with the key dates for the rest of 2025 and the New Year as we prepare to welcome 2026.
24 DEC 2025
WEDNESDAY 2pm Christmas Contact Centre Closure
02
JAN 2026
FRIDAY 8:45am Contact Centre re-opens
Our Contact Centre will be closed over the Christmas period. If you have a repair during this time, please call 0800 542 8904. This ‘call-out’ number is available 24 hours a day.
WEDNESDAY
11 MAR 2026
Team Training
Our Contact Centre is closed from 8:45am to 1pm for team training. If you have an emergency or routine repair during this time, please call 0800 542 8904. This ‘call-out’ number is available 24 hours a day.
Free home fire safety visit
Are you worried about heating costs this winter?
Please contact our Welfare Team for advice
Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service Community Safety Team are offering FREE home fire safety visits. During their visit they can:
• Test and fit smoke detecting devices
• Offer safety advice on how to reduce the risk of fire in your home
• Talk through an escape plan in the event of a fire
• Answer any fire safety questions you might have
To find out more email: Referrals@bucksfire.gov.uk, call 01296 744 477 or visit: www.bucksfire.gov.uk/home-fire-safety-visits
Dear Resident
As 2025 draws to a close, we’re reflecting on the highlights of the year and the progress we’ve made together in delivering Fairhive’s plans. This festive edition of your Residents News brings a mix of celebration, reflection and insight into the work we’re doing as we implement our new Five Year Corporate Strategy.
We’re starting with a breakdown of the key takeaways from our Annual Report to Residents 2025. Take a look at the figures from 2024-25 on pages 6-7 to see how we performed during the last financial year. To view our full Annual Report visit our website www.fairhive.co.uk/annual-reports.
On the next page you’ll find a message from your Resident Forum. Members continue to play a vital role in shaping our services and holding us accountable. Their dedication ensures that your voice is not only heard, but acted on, and they make sure that we stay focused on what matters most to you. You can read their update on page 4, including how you can get involved.
We’re also delighted to share that we have recently been awarded Level One Accreditation as part of the Social Housing Anti-Racism Pledge (SHARP). This initiative forms a core part of who we are and our commitment to support residents and employees. We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and this achievement reflects our ongoing dedication. On page 5, we detail how signing-up to SHARP is influencing our culture, policies and partnerships. To wrap up the year with a bit of fun, we’ve included a special Puzzle Time with a chance to win a £100 voucher— perfect for a New Year pick-me-up. Turn to page 8 to take part and enter. Best of luck!
Thank you for being part of our community. I look forward to writing to you again in 2026, but until then I wish you and your loved ones a joyful, safe, festive season and a very Happy New Year.
Matthew Applegate, Chief Executive
A
message from your
Resident Forum
As another year draws to a close, your Resident Forum reflect on 2025 and look forward to 2026.
Resident Forum members help appoint the new Chair of the Board
As Resident Forum members, we were delighted to take part in the final interview stage of appointing Fairhive’s new Chair of the Board, alongside the Executive Leadership Team. Having the opportunity to ask questions that mattered to us and provide feedback on the candidates gave us meaningful involvement that ensured resident voices were heard in a key leadership decision, and we’re proud to have played a part.
“Meena’s Journey: From Resident to Rising Star
Meena first joined Fairhive’s Boost Your Potential programme as a resident, where she developed valuable employable skills and built her confidence. After completing the course, Meena continued her involvement by volunteering with our Resident Scrutiny Review group, showing her commitment to resident voice.
Two new ways of becoming involved:
The HiveView Group, a flexible, online resident panel designed for those with busy schedules or caring responsibilities but wanting to contribute. They provide valuable input through surveys, polls and document reviews, from the comfort of their homes, helping Fairhive shape services.
The Fairhive Influencers Group come together to provide feedback on what matters most to our communities. They explore new ideas and help to shape positive changes. This is done in an informal and relaxed environment.
We look forward to working with these new groups to enable us to create a better future for everyone.
A final word from one of our fellow residents
Now, Meena has started her apprenticeship with the Community Engagement Team, following in the footsteps of Barbara, who also began her journey with Boost Your Potential and went on to achieve great success achieving a Distinction in Level 3 Business Administration. We are excited to welcome Meena as she grows and contributes to our work.
“Hello, my name is Beauty, I am a Patterdale Terrier. now live in a lovely Fairhive home with my new mum, since she adopted me from the RSPCA. Thank you for your Pets Policy Fairhive, and for giving my mum the permission”.
“ We would like to wish Season’sGreetings to you all, and wish you a happy and healthy 2026.
Could you help to save lives?
Medical research can lead to life-changing treatments, better investigation tools, improved prevention strategies, and enhanced quality of life for people worldwide. Taking part in research is crucial, as it provides information to advance medicine and improve the health and care provided by the NHS.
We’ve partnered with the Buckinghamshire Health Research and Innovation Centre in Stoke Mandeville, who have a number of research programmes available for you to get involved in.
IBHO (Improving Black Health Outcomes)
Minority ethnic groups living in the UK face ongoing health inequalities for several reasons. Prioritising and improving research that serves these communities could be transformational for underserved groups in terms of improving health and wellbeing, social outcomes and quality of life. They are inviting those who self-report as black with and without health conditions as well as
patients of any ethnicity and age with sickle cell disease to join the programme. Their contribution will help improve understanding, treatment and ultimately outcomes for all individuals affected. You can find out more about their research by visiting the website at: www.bhtresearchandinnovation.org/
Social Housing Anti-Racism Pledge
Level 1 Status Achieved
As some of you may remember, towards the end of 2024, we signed up to the Social Housing Anti-Racism Pledge (SHARP). We are now proud to announce that we have achieved Level 1 status, a significant milestone that demonstrates our ongoing commitment to tackling racism and promoting equality,
diversity, and inclusion in everything we do.
The Social Housing Anti-Racism Pledge (SHARP) was created by BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) London Landlords to support housing providers across the country in taking real, practical action against racism. To achieve this award, we completed the SHARP selfassessment, ensured our policy included anti-racism measures, published an anti-racism statement on our website, and developed an action plan led by a group of employees and residents working together. This approach is not only written on paper, but lived out in practice. John Wallbank, Assistant Director of People, added:
“I am proud to see that Fairhive have taken steps to gain Level 1 SHARP accreditation, identifying itself as AntiRacist. It sends a clear message of Fairhive’s commitment to making our workplace and the communities we support a welcome space for everyone. I hope that this will inspire our employees, our tenants and the wider community to speak up against racism where appropriate and see that we all have more in common than that which separates us.” - Alex Ridley, Anti-Social Behaviour Case Manager.
“It’s so important that equality, diversity and inclusion is at the heart of everything we do – both as your service provider and as an employer. I am proud of our SHARP commitment, which complements our Disability Confident Leader accreditation in 2023. Thank you to all colleagues and residents who have supported us in reaching this milestone.”
This award is just the beginning. We’ll continue working with residents, colleagues and partners to make sure Fairhive is a place where everyone feels welcome, respected and supported. By standing together, we can build stronger, more inclusive communities where people can thrive. If you are interested in joining the SHARP group get in touch at hello@fairhive.co.uk
Read our anti-racism statement on our website at: www.fairhive.co.uk/socialhousing-anti-racism-pledge
*Average cost spent per empty property (based on total cost divided by the total number of properties owned).
**We’ve seen improvement year on year in this area. Our business reviews on empty properties, coupled with improvements in the lettings process, continues to positively impact on our turnaround times. The Voids Team (they look after our empty properties) work closely with our Lettings Team and as expected this streamlined approach continues to deliver further improvements.
£82,141,000
Total revenue
Routine Maintenance
Major repairs and planned maintenance Services e.g. cleaning, gardening etc. Depreciation
to reserve –
£233,621
IT’S PUZZLE TIME! £100
VOUCHER
Return this page with your name and address to Puzzle Time, c/o The Communications Team, Fairfax House, 69 Buckingham Street, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP20 2NJ. The closing date for the entry draw is 9th January 2026 and the winner will receive a £100 voucher and have their name published in the next edition of Residents News!
We are pleased to announce the winner of our Residents News Summer Issue 64 . Congratulations and we
We are pleased to announce the winner of our Residents’ News Autumn Issue Puzzle was Ursula Kuper. Congratulations on the shopping voucher! AutumnWinner!
Housing Disrepair Claims –don’t get caught out
Have you been contacted to make a disrepair claim or been asked whether you have outstanding repairs by someone other than your landlord?
Wouldn’t that money be better invested in your home and community, rather than going to legal firms? By working with us you’ll be helping to make sure your rent money goes into investing in repairs and improvements for your home rather than into the pockets of unscrupulous legal firms.
Report your repair via the My HomeHub app, call us on 01296 732600 or emailing us at contact@fairhive.co.uk
