A charity that was created 43 years ago to rehabilitate ex-offenders has grown into a successful social landlord currently providing 465 bed spaces across South Yorkshire and East Midlands. Funding from Unity Trust Bank has allowed them to further develop properties for safe, independent living.

Today, Action Housing & Support caters for people with complex needs such as mental health challenges, homelessness and substance misuse. It works with partner agencies to address underlying issues to help tenants get back on their feet.

Atholl Stott is the CEO at Action Housing & Support. Atholl said: “We offer safe accommodation and holistic support to help people to be self-sustained and live independently.

“Our aim is to enable and work with individuals in their tenancies to get them the level of access and support they need from specialist services.

“We want someone to walk into one of our properties and believe that this is their first step on the next part of their journey to living safely, healthily and independently.

“The next stage is where we say ‘right, how can we help you to make the changes to achieve these goals and make the changes necessary?’

“The support, surroundings and location are critical in achieving our aims. So, we are investing considerably with the help of stakeholders and Unity Trust Bank.

“The success stories are incredibly powerful. We continue to believe we can help more people to overcome their issues and go on to live independent lives.”

Impact

As a Homes England partner, part of Action’s strategy has been to buy and renovate derelict and rundown properties and bring them back to life.

A new focus of the charity has also been to acquire buildings that can accommodate multi-unit hubs. They aim to include office and resource space for client development.

Climate change is also at the forefront of Action Housing’s plans.

Atholl said: “With each new property we’re committed to making them as energy efficient as possible. We’re using whatever means necessary to combat fuel poverty. Whether it be by insulation or the introduction of technology such as solar or ground source heat pumps.”

Action Housing are a long-standing customer at Unity. As well taking a £1.2m loan in 2023 to help expand its housing portfolio, the company has also deposited with one of Unity’s new deposit accounts. They are taking advantage of the bank’s competitive interest rates while simultaneously helping it deliver on values. This funding from Unity has been invaluable for investments in independent living.