Impact Housing Association is an innovative, go-ahead organisation operating in Cumbria since 1975. Our name still reflects our objectives - Improvement through Action.
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Take Over Day
“I thought the day was really good, nothing like I expected it to be!” Anna
We are a group of students from Southfield Technology College, and we came to Impact to spend the day and see what its like to be at work for the day click here to read all about it
Graham Wilson (Finance Director at Impact) with some of the students who spent the day with us.
Annual Report
Hot of the press here is our annual report to tenants. All tenants will receive a summary of this report. If you would like a full copy we would be happy to send you one, please email your request to
Also just published is the Youth and Community Annual Report
And the winner is...
“Congratulations to Mrs Denise Crawford from Pica for being selected from our prize draw to win £30 in B&Q vouchers!
Hazel Bowmaker, one of our Board Members, is currently also a mature student studying towards a degree in Environmental Sustainability. Her final project focuses on the question
“How can Impact Housing Association reduce fuel bills for tenants and reduce carbon emissions in a fair and affordable manner?”
We all live in our homes in different ways and we all have different behaviour that influences our bills and our impact on the environment. In order to understand the fuel bills that our tenants currently pay, and to get an idea of how much carbon dioxide our properties emit, Hazel recently sent a questionnaire to 10% of our tenants.
Thank you very much to the 44 tenants who completed the questionnaire. The information will help to ensure that this is a study based on real-life experiences, not just theory.
Impact Housing Association is committed to contributing to environmental sustainability and to doing all we can to use our resources fairly to make our properties more energy efficient and help save tenants money.
The results of the questionnaire will be very useful. Thank you to everybody who took part!”
The Offer
This is a new way of co-regulation set up by the Tenant Services Authority (TSA). We need to submit an Offer to tenants that sets out in detail the service we guarantee to deliver to our tenants. Once a year we will have to do a self-assessment about how we are performing against the offer which will be presented to both our Tenants and the TSA. We are currently consulting with our Tenants about the content of our Offer. Here is a slideshow that has been presented at our Customer forums and here is a newsletter (version 4 August 2010) issued to update our customers as to our progress.
Money Matters
Would you like help with any of the following ?
- Accessing a bank account
- Debt & money advice
- Benefit entitlement
- Housing & council tax benefit
- Home contents insurance
- Saving with a credit union
If the answer is YES then Money Matters could be for you.
Money Matters is a new, totally confidential service available to all tenants and their families. By making an appointment with the Money Matters adviser you can get support and advice on a range of issues but especially around debt and benefit entitlement. The service can also help tenants to open basic bank accounts, access cheap home insurance and join their local credit union.
Tenants can meet the Money Matters adviser at their local Impact office or in the comfort of their own home.
If you would like to take advantage of the Money Matters service you can contact Impact by:
Phoning 01228 633632 and asking for a Money Matters appointment
Texting Money Help to 07843470673
Asking your rent officer to refer you for an appointment.
GreenWays to Work 
The project (August 2009- May 2012) is part-financed by the European Social Fund and was created to research and demonstrate the need for technical and practical skills in the environmental sector and deliver skills development in three key areas: energy efficiency, renewable energy and recycling.
Energy Efficiency- The project is providing training in Energy Awareness for frontline staff employed in Housing Associations and other Social Care Agencies throughout Cumbria. The participants gain a ‘Green’ addition to their CV and knowledge and skills relating to energy efficiency which they then use to benefit low-income households. It is hoped that this element of the project will have a major impact on fuel poverty in Cumbria.
Recycling- The project is using its existing recycling sites as training grounds for skills relating to recycling and re-use. A new qualification has been created during which the participants will learn how to repair appliances, refurbish furniture, recycle plastics etc, all of which should prevent many tonnes of landfill.
Renewable energy- Cumbria Woodlands, the local specialists on woodfuel, are providing training and skills in Woodland Management, Chainsaw use and Tree Felling techniques to raise the profile of woodlands and wood for heat.
Through the Transnational element of the project we hope that people, working locally, in these three sectors will benefit from the experience of our European partners, the County Board of Ostergotland in Sweden. The project will fund fact-finding visits to Sweden and seminars in Cumbria to share knowledge and experience.
We are hoping to extend the breadth of training during the life of the project in response to identified local need. By May 2012 a minimum of 310 adults will have received training, the majority of whom will also have achieved a qualification.
CUMBRIA CHOICE
HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS AND COUNCILS ARE CHANGING THE WAY THEY LET PROPERTY.
The way social housing is allocated across Cumbria is set to change at the end of 2010. The 6 District Authorities and 8 Housing Organisations are working together to develop a new way of letting their properties which will give more choice to local people needing social rented housing. The 8 housing organisations are; Accent Housing; Derwent & Solway; Eden Housing; Home; Impact Housing; Riverside; Two Castles, South Lakes Arms Length Management Organisation.
The consultation period for the new Cumbria Choice Scheme ended on 30th April 2010.
The results from the consultation will be available and placed on Partner’s websites at the beginning of June. It will include feedback on the questions asked as well as a selection of the comments received.
Workington Local Standards Pilot
In October 2009, the four main registered social housing landlords with properties in the Workington and Seaton area – Derwent & Solway HA, Impact HA, Westfield HA and Home Group - joined forces to work with their residents on a pilot project, after being successfully chosen to take part in a pilot commissioned by the Tenants Services Authority (TSA - the national social housing regulator). Information about this pilot can be found here
Contacting us
We have recently made some changes to our telephone system. You can now contact us on a local cost number on 03448 73629
New Evening and Weekend Repairs Appointments – Better Service for Tenants
Wednesday evenings between 4.30pm & 6.30pm (last appointment 6.30pm)
Saturday mornings between 8.30am & 12.30pm (last appointment 11.30am)
Check how we are performing
Ever wondered if you are getting a fair deal from us or how we compare to other landlords in the area? Help is now at hand from the national social housing regulator, the Tenant Services Authority. Its new free web tool lets you compare the performance of housing associations in the area - all you have to do is enter your postcode.
You will find us compared on six things that tenants have told the TSA they would find useful. They include comparing your rent with the local average and seeing how we rate in terms of our overall service and our repairs and maintenance in particular.
You can compare our performance with other landlords' via the TSA's website:
www.tenantservicesauthority.org
Just click on the Find and Compare Landlords link in the top right-hand corner of the website. No logins, passwords or subscriptions are needed.
TSA Chief Executive Peter Marsh said " We have received lots of feedback from tenants who find it difficult to compare landlord performance. This online tool gives you an easy way of challenging your landlord if their performance is worse than others' in the area."
The TSA is the regulator for social housing in England. Its role is to raise the standard of services for tenants. It is currently sounding out views on its plan for a set of standards that housing associations and councils will have to meet from 1 April 2010.
Fanplastic
As part of our ongoing efforts to demonstrate the beneficial possibilities of reusing waste products and unwanted items, we plan to establish a small-scale plastic recycling facility at Centre 47, called Fanplastic.
The proposed Fanplastic project will operate within our existing Carlisle operation at Centre 47, and will demonstrate the practical application of a relatively low-tech solution to a major waste management issue. We will take everyday items of plastic such as yoghurt pots or milk containers and quickly, safely and cleanly transform them into a reusable material. For more info about this exciting new venture please click here