Independent East is a group of five housing associations – us, Broadland Housing Association, Freebridge Community Housing, Orwell Housing Association, and Saffron Housing Trust – who work together to share ideas and support each other.

Being part of Independent East means we learn from each other and work on projects that benefit our residents and communities. Some of the things we’ve been doing together include:

• Securing funding to make homes more energy-efficient through the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.
• Setting up the Independent East Residents Voice Panel with TPAS, giving residents more say and helping us be more accountable.
• Building new affordable homes across the region.

Louise’s new role comes at an important time for our region. With changes happening in local government, including devolution and the introduction of a new Combined Authority mayor, it’s more important than ever that housing associations have a strong voice. Louise will help make sure Independent East members work closely together, share best practice, and build strong links with local councils to benefit our communities.

Louise brings lots of experience from working in the housing sector at organisations including Eastlight Community Homes, Flagship Group, BuildEast, and Victory Housing Trust. Her knowledge and passion for improving housing and communities make her a great choice to lead this work and help Independent East have a real impact across Norfolk and Suffolk.

The post Independent East welcomes new head of partnership appeared first on Havebury Housing.

We have a new date for our charity sports day, Friday 19 September. The sports day will raise money for two charities we work closely with, which benefit many of our residents: Gatehouse and Reach.

Event Details

Where: British Sugar Social Club, Bury St Edmunds
When: Friday 19 September, between 12-5 pm

• 12 to 1 pm – Arrival and registration
• 1 to 4 pm – Sports events
• 4 to 5 pm – BBQ for participants and prize giving

We’re inviting local organisations to join in the fun! For just £500, a team of up to 10 can enter, covering:

• Entry to all events
• Team T-shirts
• Food & refreshments
  (All money raised will be split between our two charities.)

The Main Event: Classic Sports Day Races

Get ready to relive your school days with our sports day style races – teams will go head-to-head in:

• Sack race
• Bean bag race
• Space hopper challenge
• Egg and spoon
• Three-legged race
• Skipping
• Wheelbarrow race
• Sprint

10 people per team – but don’t worry, if there are fewer than 10, people can do multiple races.

Individual Challenges

Each team also competes in these solo events – one person per activity:

• Penalty shootout
• Climbing wall
• Archery
• Axe throwing
• Golf
• Rowing
• Cycling
• Netball
• Pool
• Darts

Team challenges

A chance to see how well you work as a team, with a game of rounders. Go head-to-head with other teams, with all points counting towards your final score.

To sign up, contact communications@havebury.com.

The post Join our Corporate Sports Day on Friday 19 September appeared first on Havebury Housing.

Planning permission was granted in 2024 for the development, which will provide:

• Eight one-bedroom flats
• Ten two-bedroom flats
• Nine three-bedroom houses

The scheme, constructed by Palace Green Homes, is supported by funding from Homes England and the new homes are expected to start handing over early in 2026.

All of the new homes will be available for social rent, helping to meet the growing demand for affordable housing across Ely and the wider district.

Scott Bailey, our Director of Development, said:

“We’re delighted to be working in partnership with Palace Green Homes and East Cambridgeshire District Council to deliver these much-needed affordable homes. This development will give more families access to good-quality, secure housing at social rent.”

 Councillor Anna Bailey, Leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council, said:

“We feel very strongly that people should not be forced to live away from the communities they have been brought up in and love simply because they cannot afford to live here. 

 “These 27 new affordable homes, available for social rent, will be a significant addition to the work already undertaken by the council to help people who are struggling to find quality affordable homes and we are proud that our development company is working in partnership with Havebury to deliver this much needed housing.”

 Scott Morgan – REAL Consulting LLP, Councillor Anna Bailey – Leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council and Schuyler Newstead – Head of development at Havebury.

The post New affordable homes for Ely appeared first on Havebury Housing.

Here are some of our 2024/25 highlights:

• Sustainability – 754 residents helped shape our first Sustainability strategy, which launched this year.
• Damp and mould – Our Healthy Homes team tackled over 800+ reports of damp and mould in our homes.
• Energy efficiency – We’ve made improvements to the energy efficiency of over 80 homes with new insulation, ventilation and heating systems.
• Satisfaction – 81.8% of residents are satisfied with our overall services, and feedback has helped shape continuous improvements to our customer experience.
• Biodiversity – We’ve planted wildflower areas across estates, plus launched a school competition to design signage to help tackle fly-tipping.
• Community investment – We’ve awarded £39,000 to local groups and projects that support our communities.
• Our people – We’ve launched new leadership training, trained up more Mental Health First Aiders, and sponsored Bury St Edmunds’ first Pride event. We’ve also made a variety of Great Place to Work Best Workplaces lists.

What’s to come:

While we’re proud of what we’ve achieved, we know there’s more to do. Our commitment to reaching EPC C across all homes by 2030 is fully underway, and we’ll continue to focus on sustainability, safety, and affordability. We’ll also keep listening to residents through our Resident Voice strategy to ensure their views shape our services.

Click here to read the full report.

The post Our 2024-25 Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) report appeared first on Havebury Housing.

This is just the start. We’re committed to improving our support and services to survivors beyond our accreditations and ensuring our teams feel confident and have the tools to respond to any disclosures made to us.

Here are some examples of what we are doing:

• We will be training our teams on intersectionality. This is the acknowledgement that everyone has unique experiences of discrimination and oppression, and how our teams will be supported to better understand this.
• ‘Target hardening’ refers to strengthening the security of a building or home to reduce the risk of crime and make it more difficult for offenders to gain entry. In the past six months, our teams have requested window restrictors, lock changes, garden gate locks and sensor lights, all to keep survivors safe in their homes. There was a specific case that required a different type of lock than normal. Our Repairs team was able to apply some additional temporary security measures
  to ensure the resident’s safety while we waited for the lock change.
• Our Attitude Rights and Respect strategy, which you can read about in the summer edition of Havebury News, ensures that we are aware of any survivors and can make our services more accessible, especially regarding repair appointments or services in homes.
• We will continue to complete case audits and reviews regularly to ensure no gaps in contact with victims.
• Internally, we will have regular reflective sessions with our domestic abuse champions, ensuring we share best practices and work together to achieve the best outcomes.
• We’ve made it easier for you to report this, with a ‘callback’ request on our website. The person reporting will then receive a general callback to check if they are okay and if they need any help.

If you, or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse remember you are not alone. We are here to help. You can find further information on our website. If you are in immediate danger please call 999, If you don’t speak or answer questions, press 55 or tap when prompted and your call will be transferred to the police. The police will usually be able to find your location.

The post Our commitment to tackling domestic abuse appeared first on Havebury Housing.

We have rounded up our top things to do in Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire and if you have any more you think we should add just send an email to communications@havebury.com

To kick start let’s have a look at our favourite places to eat over the six-week break.

Bella Italia

• Offer: Three courses and a drink
• Valid: Free all day Thursday and for £1 until 6pm on Sunday to Wednesday
• Ages: Suitable for 2 to 11 year olds
• Note: One child per adult main meal purchased

Dobbies Garden Centres

• Offer: Free kids’ meal with adult breakfast/main
• Valid: Year-round
• Note: £1 supplement for Sunday roast
• Excludes: Some locations

Pizza Express

• Offer: Free Piccolo meal (includes dough balls, main, dessert and bambinoccino) with every adult main (min £10 spend)
• Dates: 28th July to 10th August 2025
• Ages: 12 and under
• Valid: Monday to Friday and Sunday, dine-in only

Tesco Café

• Offer: Free kids’ meal with ANY adult purchase (even 65p fruit!)
• Dates: 21st July to 29th August 2025 (England/Wales)
• Note: Need Clubcard to claim

You can click here to see a full list of participating places.

Things to do in Suffolk

Abbeycroft Leisure

What: Abbeycroft Leisure, have another great selection of free activities for children and families entitled to Free School Meals. Activities include; family park cooking, adventure days, swim and lunch, National Pool Lifeguard Award and more
Where: Various locations across Suffolk
When: Throughout the summer holidays
Cost: Free to those entitled to free school meals
Link: www.abbeycroft.org.uk/HAF/

Prehistoric Beasts – Moyses Hall

What: West Suffolk Heritage Service is excited to have worked in partnership with the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences and Paleoartist Alex Pritchard of ‘Dinosaur Skeletons’, to present real and cast specimens of dinosaurs, sea reptiles and more.

Join in for trails, workshops and evening events such as our Dino Lino Workshops which will run every Tuesday and Thursday from 22 July to 26 August. These hands-on lino printing sessions come at no additional cost with your admission to the exhibition.

Where: Moyses Hall, Bury St Edmunds
When: Throughout the summer holidays
Cost: Adults £5, Child/Student £3 (6-16), Senior Citizen £4.50, Under 5s FREE (no ticket required)
Link: Prehistoric Beasts: Land, Sea, Sky

National Horse Racing Museum 

What: Head to the National Horseracing Museum during the summer holidays for creative workshops every Wednesday, all inspired by our horseracing board game exhibition, HORSEPLAY!

Workshops include clay modelling, printmaking, t-shirt printing, and much more! These sessions run from 11am – 3pm on the dates below on a drop-in basis apart from street art sessions which must be pre-booked.

Where: National Horseracing Museum, Newmarket
When: Throughout the summer holidays, 11am – 3pm
Cost: Free with museum entrance fee and booking is essential
Link: HORSEPLAY: Creative Summer Family-Friendly Workshop – National Horseracing Museum

Wild about nature – St Edmundsbury Cathedral

What: Join St Edmundsbury Cathedral for a fun-filled session celebrating the wonders of the natural world!

Discover the tiny creatures that keep our planet buzzing, from brilliant butterflies and busy bees to wiggly worms and clever spiders. With hands-on activities and crafts, come and explore the magic of the wild right on your doorstep!

Free to attend. For children aged 4-11 and their families. All children must be accompanied.

Where: St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds
When: Throughout the summer holidays, 10am – 2pm
Cost: Free and booking is essential.
Link: Wild About Nature: Wings Webs and Wiggles family activities Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite

Brandon Country Park – summer trail

What: Come along to Brandon Country Park and pick up a trail sheet from the cafe! Follow the trail, solving the clues along the way to help find the special word, and then return to the cafe to collect a small prize!
Where: Brandon Country Park, Brandon
When: 23 July – 2 September from 10am
Cost: £1.50

Priors Fun Day

What: Join a family fun afternoon filled with games, food and a raffle.
Where: Ashwell Road Play Park, Ashwell Road, Bury St Edmunds
When: 13 August 1 – 3pm

Things to do in Norfolk

GoGo Safari Sculpture trail

What: This summer, Norwich and Norfolk is going wild! For ten weeks starting from 23 June, GoGoSafari will fill the streets with a spectacular herd of gorillas, rhinos, giraffes, lions, and elephants – all waiting to be discovered by you!

These 51 sculptures are joined by over 60 Mini Gs – adorable little giraffes brought to life by the creativity of local schools and community groups. You’ll find them hiding inside venues across the city!

And it’s all for a great cause – raising awareness and vital funds for young people in, around and leaving care.

Where: All across Norfolk
When: until 30 August
Link: GoGoSafari

Norwich Castle

What: Be the King (or Queen!) of the Castle. Norwich Castle’s medieval Keep is reopening in August 2025 after a major multi-million-pound redevelopment – public opening date – Thursday 7 August 2025. General Admission applies.

Where: Norwich Castle, Norwich
When: 7 August 2025
Link: Our Royal Palace is about to be reborn – Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery – Norfolk Museums Service

Cromer Carnival

What: Head to the beach for Cromer carnival with lots of free activities and for the whole family to enjoy.
Where: Cromer beach
When: 16 – 22 August

VJ family event – Ancient House Museum

What: Commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in the Far East. Meet costumed characters, handle real artefacts from the era, and fold a crane to make a hope for peace.
Suitable for all ages.
Where: Ancient House Museum, Thetford
When: 15 August 10 – 12, advanced bookings encouraged
Link: V J Day Family Event – Norfolk Museums Service

Things to do in Cambridgeshire

Music in the parks

If you’re looking for more music activities in Cambridge, the FREE Music in the Parks series is returning once again for summer 2025. On selected Sunday afternoons from 3–5pm, Cambridge’s green spaces will come alive with a variety of music performances. From the upbeat rhythms of funk to the smooth sounds of swing jazz, there are plenty of performances to enjoy. This event also gives you the chance to relax with live music while sampling delicious treats from local favourites like NapolEat Pizza and Jack’s Gelato.

Summer at the museums

What: With 25 museums across the region to explore, there’s all sorts of fun to be had over the school holidays.

Led by the University of Cambridge Museums, Summer at the Museums is a packed schedule of events and activities for the whole family. Join us to spark your imagination, explore big topics and create special memories together.

Follow a nature trail, get creative in arts and crafts workshops, experience hands-on science and technology, and much more – all free or low cost!
When: 24 July – 31 August 2025
Link: Summer at the Museums | University of Cambridge Museums

Play Pavilion

What: Free family fun in August, whatever the weather, on the front lawn of The Fitzwilliam Museum.

Step into the Play Pavilion, an imagination playground for families inspired by nature in art and bursting with creative possibilities. Explore, invent, and play together – let your imagination run wild all summer long, rain or shine!
When: Drop in anytime between 12pm and 3pm, Tuesday – Sunday (and Bank Holiday Monday, 25th August), no booking needed
Cost: Free

The post Summer Holidays 2025 appeared first on Havebury Housing.

We want to ensure you have a variety of ways to share their voices with us, so you can make a real impact on our customer experience and help shape any service improvements.

You can read our Resident Voice Strategy here.

Our Engagement team will be now be known as the Resident Voice team.

The team includes:

• Georgie Squires – Customer Experience and Insight Manager
• Karen Farrar‍ – Resident Voice Lead
• Jordan Noble‍ – Resident Voice Officer
• Demi Flowers‍ – Customer Experience and Resident Voice Officer

Watch the video below to learn more about our new roles.

The post Our new Resident Voice team appeared first on Havebury Housing.

Both have been with Havebury for around 18 months, working very hard behind the scenes to ensure that homes and gardens remain secure and well-maintained.

Residents often comment on their willingness to go the extra mile, whether that means staying late to finish a job, offering helpful advice, or simply just having a chat.

Here are some of the recent compliments:

• “I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. The team you sent out to replace my broken fence and posts have done an amazing job. They were polite, professional, and tidy and followed the personal protective equipment and safety rules. I feel safe and, for the first time in years, will be able to sit in my garden in the summer after a day shift of 12 hours at the hospital. Thank you again to the Fencing team.”
• “I had a new fence put in today. It looks amazing. Throughout everything, they have been nice, professional and approachable. They are an asset to your team and work incredibly hard! So, I’d like them to have a massive shout-out and a thank you for all they have done for us. My fence is now safe and secure, and I trust every ounce of their work for us as I watched them make sure it was perfect!”

Talking about the most rewarding part of their jobs, they say:

“Most definitely seeing the difference from start to finish in the work that we have done. It’s also rewarding knowing that we have added safety and security to each resident’s home.”

They have continued to reduce the wait list for fencing across our homes. Last year, they managed to clear 58 jobs in 20 working days. They are committed to working in all weather, continuing to show up, and ready to work with the same level of energy and commitment.

When asked about the most challenging part of their job, they said:

“Probably the unpredictability of a job. When we arrive at a resident’s home, and we see how badly the fence is damaged, or how old it is, or if there is other factors
involved like tree roots it can be a real challenge, especially if we weren’t expecting those conditions. We need to work out how to get the best outcome for the resident.”

Here are Paul and Nathan’s top tips for keeping your fences in good condition:

• Avoid overloading any fence with too many things, especially hanging or leaning items. This extra weight can cause damage to the posts.
• A good treatment or stainer can help prolong the life of both fences and posts.
• Regularly remove leaves, twigs, and other debris that can accumulate on and around the fence.

The post Our Fencing team appeared first on Havebury Housing.

We’re proud to show our support to Resolve’s ASB Awareness Week for another year alongside our partners and communities.

This year’s campaign focuses on four vital calls to action:

1. Guaranteed support for victims of ASB
2. Resolve delays in the Justice System
3. One single, national Information Sharing Agreement

4. Make it easier to report ASB

How we’re getting involved

Throughout the week, we’ll be sharing helpful videos that highlight:

• How we can support you with ASB-related issues, including how you can report these to us.

• Guidance on when to contact us and when the matter should be directed to the police.

We’ll also be out and about in your communities, joined by our partner agencies. This is a great opportunity to stop by, say hello, and chat with us about any concerns you may have regarding ASB in your neighbourhood.

Let’s work together

ASB can have a serious impact on people’s lives, but by working together, we can make a real difference. Whether you’re experiencing ASB, want to understand your rights, or are simply looking for advice, we’re here to help.

If you’re affected by anti-social behaviour, don’t wait – reach out to us. Let’s keep working together to make our communities safer, stronger, and more connected. Click here to find out how.

The post Antisocial Behaviour (ASB) Awareness Week 2025 appeared first on Havebury Housing.

Just click the image below to start reading, or you can download a PDF version here.

What you can look forward to in this issue:

• Financial inclusion
• Our new website
• Our Healthy Homes team
• Our Fencing team
• 2024/25 snapshot
• Our approach to anti-social behaviour
• The Men’s Shed
• Why seeking permission is important
• Maintaining your community
• Sustainability

And much more.

Your feedback

We would love to hear your thoughts on this issue. Please consider taking our short survey if you have a spare two minutes. The feedback you give will help us with future issues. If you provide us with your feedback by the end of July 2025, you will be in with a chance to win a £30 Amazon voucher.

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