30 FACTS FOR 30 YEARS Celebrating 30 years of sustaining village communities

Since its inception in 1989, Warwickshire Rural Housing Association has developed into a thriving specialist housing provider, renowned for bringing affordable local homes to local people where they are most needed in Warwickshire’s rural communities. Today it manages almost 600 homes in 43 rural communities across the county, transforming the lives of hundreds of people and helping to keep Warwickshire’s villages alive. 1 2

The very first meeting of WRHA In 1990, WRHA began to took place on 10th January build its first scheme of 10 1989 at The Abbotsford in affordable homes at Harolds Warwick and Lady Valerie Owen Orchard in Stretton on Fosse. was appointed Chair of the Weekly rent was £42.50 for a Committee. WRHA was registered two bedroom house. with the Housing Corporation on 4th December 1989.

First Chairman, Lady Valerie Owen, at Stretton on Fosse

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WRHA’s 50th home was In 1993, WRHA signed a completed at Whatcote management agreement with in 1993. Mercian Housing Association to manage 81 properties in Alcester.

WRHA’s first development, Harolds Orchard

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WRHA brought much Midlands Rural Housing took needed affordable homes, over from the Rural Housing Trust specifically for local people, as WRHA’s service provider. to villages including Loxley, Bishops Tachbrook and Snitterfield in 1995.

New affordable homes in Loxley 7 8

Lady Valerie Owen retired after Craig Felts was appointed WRHA’s 12 years as Chair of WRHA and Company Secretary in 2005. He said: Matthew Dick was appointed. “Our role is about so much more than just building homes. We often talk about building communities and building lives and this has never been more true. Although we may be considered a small housing association compared to some, it doesn’t stop us achieving great things.” Celebrating new homes in Snitterfield

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WRHA’s affordable development Derrick Dyas became in Long Compton was completed Chairman of WRHA in 2008, in 2005 and was named having been a founding member ‘Development of the Week’ in of the association due to his Inside Housing. dissatisfaction with the lack of affordable rural housing provided.

Craig Felts and Derrick Dyas

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Angela’s Meadow, WRHA’s 500th home was our community scheme of completed in 2011 at Hereburgh 26 affordable homes, was Way in Harbury. Anna Scholder- completed in Shipston on Stour Harper was presented with flowers in 2010 and included a when she moved into her new specially equipped play area for home and residents helped to younger residents. plant a commemorative tree.

New play area at Angela’s Meadow 13 14

In 2013 WRHA’s development Residents in Snitterfield joined us at Curlieu Lane in Norton Lindsey for a community Easter egg hunt won a Building Excellent Award when we officially opened our 10 from Stratford District Council. new homes in 2013.

May celebration at Ilmington

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To mark its 25th anniversary The whole community in 2014, WRHA helped five celebrated our 10 new homes in residents to further their personal Ilmington in 2014 with traditional development, education, maypole dancing. employment or community involvement, by providing £500 bursaries.

Bursary recipient, Jenny Yates

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WRHA launched plans to develop a We welcomed Jeremy Wright potential 37 affordable homes in the MP to our new Jubilee Fields region between 2015 – 18, helping development in Stockton in 2015 individuals and families to stay in the to show how rural affordable villages in which they have been housing can make a big brought up. difference to villages.

MP Jeremy Wright at Jubilee Fields 19 20

Parish, district and borough Local residents, councillors, councillors came together for Board members and staff joined a tour of our developments in in our Participate & Paint event Ilmington, Harbury and Stockton in 2016 when we painted all the in 2015, to see at first hand the communal fencing throughout real difference which affordable our housing scheme in Alcester as rural housing is making to part of the national Clean for local villages. the Queen campaign. Participate and Paint event

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We funded new play equipment To celebrate Rural Housing Week at Wootton Wawen CofE Primary 2017, our Board Tour took in School in 2017 as part of our new Wootton Wawen, Great Alne and development in the village. Broom where much needed new homes were getting underway.

New play equipment in Wootton Wawen

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Local school children joined Our Skip Day saw residents from councillors and partners in planting our 80 properties in Alcester the first trees at our scheme in clear out unwanted items from Wootton Wawen in 2018 to create their homes, gardens and local a natural woodland scheme alleyways in 2017, helping to at the environmentally-friendly improve their neighbourhood. development.

Tree planting at Keyte Gardens 25 26

In 2018, HRH The Princess Royal WRHA’s flagship development, officially opened WRHA’s ground- Keyte Gardens, was declared breaking development, Keyte ‘Best Green Scheme’ in the Gardens in Wootton Wawen, 24housing Awards 2018 and was Warwickshire’s first Passivhaus named as one of four finalists in the development of affordable homes. ‘Housing Crisis Solution’ category of The ultra-low energy homes help to The Sunday Times’ British reduce their carbon footprint and Homes Awards. HRH The Princess Royal opening Keyte Gardens tackle fuel poverty.

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WRHA moved into North Weston Court, a truly community Warwickshire for the first time in led project from start to finish, was 2019, taking ownership of two opened in Long Compton in 2019 affordable bungalows on the new and included a new play area for Corley Gardens development. the village.

Weston Court, Long Compton

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WRHA came full circle in 2019 Following 30 years’ involvement when it celebrated its 30th with WRHA, and a lifetime’s anniversary with the completion work in social housing, Chairman, of phase 3 at Stretton on Fosse, Derrick Dyas retired in the site of its very first scheme of September 2019. affordable homes.

Developing new homes at Great Alne Whitwick Business Centre 0300 1234 009 Stenson Road warwickshirerha.org.uk Coalville @warksrural Leicestershire LE67 4JP