At Sanctuary we strive to create neighbourhoods with a sense of community, one you are happy to call ‘home’. We work with residents and partner organisations across the country to bring added value and a better sense of belonging.
Each year our Sustainable Communities Programme invests in initiatives which build resilience and connection for our customers and their communities. We do this through grants, volunteering and support via local community groups that enhance the lives of our customers. Last year Sanctuary invested more than £100,000 in a range of projects across Scotland.
We use an Asset Based Community Development approach. This means that we believe that everyone is an asset, with skills, aspirations, and abilities and that by building relationships in communities, these become stronger and better connected.
We work flexibly to respond to changing needs in communities, our business, Government and our regulators. When we are approached for charitable funding we seek out customer and community views to make sure that community initiatives are wanted and welcome. We work with trusted community partners (charitable groups) to draw on their knowledge and experience, building long-term connections to existing local services and support.
Some of the things we did last year
We’ve expanded our Sustainable Communities team to include a dedicated North East resource in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, on top of our now bigger teams in Glasgow (Priesthill and Toryglen) and Cumbernauld.
Each of the four areas has at least two Community Connectors who work with local residents and support services. This can involve one-to-one support, signposting to mental health services or other support, and working with social workers to make sure a resident can access any support they’re entitled to.
Our Community Connector Manager Anthony Morrow helped us win a £245,000 Scottish Government grant award for work in and around Priesthill in Glasgow. Our Community Connector Elaine Mclean, a local Priesthill resident, had her post extended thanks to this funding. The grant covers administrative support and makes £50,000 available for local projects both this year and next.
“This funding is spectacular and enables us to continue the journey we’ve been on for seven years. We will continue to support the creation of strong community relationships and tackle mental health and isolation, with a real emphasis on understanding the impact of trauma and why it’s vital for housing associations to play an active role in addressing it.”
Our Sustainable Communities team works closely with the Resilience Learning Partnership and the local Health and Social Care Partnership to deliver community-based trauma training in Cumbernauld, Priesthill and Toryglen, as well as trauma awareness and understanding for staff.
The team also secured £200,000 for tenants through the Fuel Insecurity Fund, which covered more than 1,350 fuel vouchers and cash payments to customers struggling to pay their energy bill.
In Cumbernauld, Community Connector Tim Daly co-ordinates the Sharing Time network, where local volunteers and charities discuss their work each month and plan how they can improve the town. Tim also set up and helps to organise the weekly volunteer-led Community Breakfast at St Mungo’s Church which fed more than 1,200 people in just eight months.
In Toryglen, our popular Blether café provides a free breakfast to more than 80 local residents every Thursday. Our Community Connector Kieran Renshaw worked with our Toryglen Housing team to transform the upstairs space in the Cornerstone Hall to create a ‘Community Living Room’ for residents to relax in. The space also includes a food larder, where residents can purchase essential items at discounted prices.
We’re also helping to support local communities in the North East. Most recently this included providing grant funding for a sit-down lawnmower for the youth football club.
Explore the report
Your Home
We recognise that this has been a challenging year for our services. Despite this, you will see there were a number of significant achievements and there are more improvements for the year ahead.
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Your Services
Our teams have been hard at work supporting and engaging with residents across the country. We have made a difference in dozens of communities, adding value beyond what people might expect from their landlord.
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Your Voice
We want you, our residents, to know that Sanctuary cares, because there can be no doubt – we do absolutely care about you. This is reflected in the great work our teams do every day. Engagement is at the heart of what we do.
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2021/22 Performance figures
Each year we provide information to the Scottish Housing Regulator on a range of performance information. Our performance on some of the key indicators is summarised in this section.
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