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ANCHO going from strength to strength

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ANCHO staff groupThis year is proving to be one of Irvine-based ANCHO’s most successful in its 15 years as a community-based housing association.

Among its achievements so far in 2015 are:

  • Two blocks of rundown maisonette properties in Irvine were fully refurbished, totally changing the look of the properties which front on to Kilwinning Road, Irvine. An adjacent block was also demolished;

  • 101 people were housed by ANCHO over the course of the year – the highest ever for the Association;

  • Over 300 people attended ANCHO’s Community BBQ in held on a beautiful sunny day in August 2014.

  • 1156 local people were helped with CVs and employment searches through ANCHO’s Community Link Project Financial Inclusion Service. 42 people were helped directly into employment!

  • ANCHO achieved Investors in People Gold standard and Investors in Young People status.

  • ANCHO were awarded almost £154,000 of grant funding during 2014/15 from the Big Lottery and the Scottish Government People In Communities Fund.

  • ANCHO’s Community Link Project continues to provide a wide range of advice and free internet access to local residents – enabling them to develop IT communication skills and access cheap on-line purchases;

  • ANCHO submitted a proposal towards the community asset transfer of Redburn Community Centre – offering a new scope to the benefits which can be delivered within the community it serves;

  • ANCHO continued to expand the range of local initiatives it is involved in by being a distribution centre for food parcels, issuing starter packs to needy new tenants, providing sponsorship for the Kilwinning Fireworks Night and Marymass, issuing annual Christmas Hampers to older tenants, providing a Service Plus scheme for the benefit of tenants who pay their rent on time and becoming involved with the ‘Irvine Vision’.

    • Director Elaine Gibson said: “It’s a pleasure everyday to be director of ANCHO - I can’t believe what a good year this has been for us! And our customers seem to like what we’re doing too! 88 per cent of our customers say they’re happy with the service we provide, 96 per cent say we keep them well informed, 89 per cent of them are happy with the quality of their ANCHO home and 93 per cent are happy with the neighbourhood they live in.

    “Our performance levels remain high across the board and our finances are more secure than they have ever been. We are looking forward to seeing more successes going forward into 2015/16, with the development of our new Youth Arts initiative, completion of the community asset transfer of Redburn Community Centre and our Small Steps project.”

    Chair Jackie Browne added: “ANCHO’s Management Board is extremely pleased at the continued success of the organisation. We have always seen ourselves as positive contributors to the communities we work in – and a year like this one shows us we are on the right lines.”

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