a message from our chief executive, bill fullen

Spring looks like it might just be on the horizon and I for one am ready for it.

But we know that along with the lighter nights and better weather, this spring is also going to bring with it some challenges.

Everywhere we turn people are talking about the cost of living.

Most people are feeling the impact of rising food and energy costs and many will be affected by changes to benefits.

There are a variety of ways we can help you with financial difficulties, so there really is no need to struggle in silence.

If you have money worries, it is worth getting in touch with our dedicated and knowledgeable teams who will do their best to support you or find you the help you need.

There are also some steps you can take to save money on your energy bills, which could help make your home warmer and reduce your carbon emissions.

We’ve outlined some tips in this issue of believe housing news.

Last month, I was looking forward with optimism to a return to ‘normality’ and, just this week, the Government did lift coronavirus restrictions.

We know Covid-19 hasn’t gone away which is why we’ll keep working in a responsible way.

Some of our staff might choose to continue wearing PPE and if we have someone visiting your home and you’d feel more comfortable if they wear a facemask, you only need to ask.

Should we need to bring back Covid safety measures in future, we have all the equipment and procedures in place to do so quickly.

Having lost many working days due to members of our workforce isolating at various times during the pandemic, we are still catching up on the backlog of repairs.

Fortunately, we were prepared for Storms Dudley and Eunice and they did not bring the widespread destruction of earlier storms. But they did leave us with extra damage to fix.

I’d like to ask for your continued patience as we work extremely hard, to get around to everyone.