Throughout the first year of the Trust, we focused on delivering these promises, by improving our services and starting to make long-overdue improvements to our customers homes.

 We are in the process of implementing a major improvement programme which will see £43 million invested in local homes over the next 4 years. Based on survey results, homes may receive a new bathroom, kitchen, central heating or electrical upgrade. Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are also being fitted to every home.

These were some of our key achievements in our first year:

• We fitted new front and back doors to all properties
• We completed pilot schemes for our improvement programme and launched the full programme, fitting new kitchens and bathrooms to our homes
• We established a quarterly tenant magazine, PlainSpeaking
• We won Macclesfield Business of the Year Award 2007 for Community Contribution, based on the work of our Community Support, New Initiatives Neighbourhood and Enforcement Teams 
• We have introduced Allpay cards, which are accepted at a wide range of retail outlets across the borough, to provide customers with a simple and convenient way to pay their rent
• Our Community Support team have launched a new ‘Home Alone’ service to provide short-term support for people who have recently been released from hospital
• We have been awarded 2 evictions and 13 injunctions in cases of anti social and nuisance behaviour and have successfully resolved a total of 41 cases
• We have signed up to the government’s Respect Agenda on ASB and have developed an action plan to ensure we meet this standard
• We have developed strong links with other partner organisations, such as Cheshire Police and Social Services
• We held staff recognition and achievement awards at Christmas
• We have established a quarterly staff newsletter, Speaks & Explains
• We have carried out training for all our staff on Customer Services and Equality & Diversity (which our Board Members, contractors and tenants also attended)