THE YEAR
IN REVIEW
2024/25
Grove Community
HOUSING ASSOCIATION
Building
a Better
Community,
Together
2
THE TENANT VOICE GROUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
OUR MISSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
A REVIEW OF THE YEAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
PERFORMANCE REVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS & EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
OUR TENANTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
HELPING HAND SERVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
STRATEGIC COLLABORATION AND TENANT ADVOCACY . 13
OUR PEOPLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
ENVIRONMENTAL
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
GREAT HOMES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
GOVERNANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
VALUE FOR MONEY STATEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
FINANCE & ECONOMIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
BOARD OF MANAGEMENT & ADVISORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
CONTACT DETAILS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
CONTENTS OUR MISSION
“To provide quality homes and services
for our tenants and wider community”
Grove Community
HOUSING ASSOCIATION
THE TENANT
VOICE GROUP
The Tenant Voice Group is a cornerstone of our community,
giving tenants a direct say in key initiatives and services.
Over the past year, their 13 dedicated members met three
times, providing invaluable input. Their direct involvement
has helped us plan and deliver successful community
events, proving that their contributions are a vital asset in
building a stronger, more connected community.
32
4 5
A Joint Welcome
Forward Statement
on our Year 2024/25
by our Chair and
Chief Executive
HELLO,
Welcome to our Annual Report which covers the period from April 2024 to March 2025. On
reecting on the Association’s excellent performance it has been a testament to our collective
sheer hard work and resilience and highlights the importance of a fully dedicated Board and team
committed to our values of delivering great services and homes for our tenants.
It has been a challenging period for not only for our Association but the wider social housing and
construction sector. However, we are incredibly proud of what we have achieved together with the
resources available to us. We hope you too, in reading more about work recognise that we remain
determined to not just strive to do all that we can but also to simply do it better through close
engagement. We personally, have enjoyed listening to our tenants and stakeholders needs and
shaping our services to be as responsive as possible and also participating in the many community
events, ably led by Paul Stuart and the team.
Despite the busy year we ensured we committed signicant time and resources into reviewing our
future strategy. We consulted with our tenants, staff and our Board to shape and develop our new
Strategic Plan for 2025-2030. We will continue through the remainder of 2025 to communicate our
goals to all and spearhead its implementation as we work look towards our 50th year of providing
for the Grove community.
Our sector has faced unprecedented challenges, primarily driven by a drastic reduction in capital
development funding for new homes. This has made it incredibly difcult to deliver on our promise
of providing quality, new homes. The initial projection of just 400 new social home starts for the
entire year across Northern Ireland was a stark reminder of the budget crisis, and while there
was some late subsequent funding, the lack of a long-term, multi-year budget creates immense
uncertainty and is not an efcient way to do business and build condence with our construction
sector partners. This has only compounded the existing housing crisis.
Through the lens of over 8,000* people in North Belfast we join in highlighting the critical funding
required to underpin the Governments new Housing Supply Strategy. (*housing need is driven by
an ageing population and increasing disability within households. Rising relationship breakdowns
remain the still largest single cause of homelessness. Need is exacerbated by a shortage of homes
with the lowest number of homes being built across NI since 1954). Beyond inadequate funding
for new homes, our sector is also grappling with signicant barriers to delivery which you can read
more about on Page 13. Despite these external pressures, we have met these challenges head-
on, guided by our core values, highlighting the diversity of housing need with policy and decision
makers and across media channels.
Halfway through the reporting year, after signicant staff shortages, we greatly welcomed further
investment in our staff team to help deliver our operational services with the appointment of two
key team members, our new Director of Operations, Keelan McGaghran and Pat Magorrian, our
new Compliance and Maintenance Ofcer. Their expertise and efforts have been invaluable, and
we look forward to their continued input to the varied work of an agile and responsive community-
based Housing Association.
A standout success has been the launch of our new “Helping Hand” service, co-designed with
our tenants. Few housing providers are in the proud position to witness their tenants give their
repairs and housing services staff a round of applause in a recent tenant meeting. We are delighted
to be receiving many more compliments than complaints. Happy tenants, happy staff! We also
made signicant investment in our existing homes which was overseen by Paul Pollock, investing
signicantly mid-year to cleaning roofs and gutters, and providing a new door scheme improving
security and home comfort. We also were very happy for Terry Boyd to return to our team and
support the delivery of the carpark lighting upgrade at Loughview Terrace which improves safety
and security for our residents. We were delighted to receive great feedback on our new external
ofce signage overseen by Steven Law along with EV charging upgrades adding very welcome
light and energy to our York Road location. It ensures our ofces are easily located for the many
visitors receiving valuable free benets advice. This has adding over £1 million of essential income
to households in North Belfast and beyond. So don’t be a stranger, do call in and engage with our
work, Shariq ensures everyone receives a warm welcome a great coffee!.
Warm Regards
Mr Brian Dunn Ms Agnes Crawford
Chair Chief Executive
B. Dunn
A. CrawfordA. Crawford
Grove Community
HOUSING ASSOCIATION
6 76 7
PERFORMANCE REVIEW
2024/25 2023/24
Type of Repair
No. of Jobs
Completed
% Rate
Achieved
No. of Jobs
Completed
% Rate
Achieved
DfC Target
Emergency
(24 hours to complete)
174 out of 190
on time
91.58%
170 out 178
on time
95.51% 85%
Urgent
(4 working day response time)
331 out of 414
on time
79.95%
218 out 270
on time
80.74% 80%
Routine
(4 week response time)
125 out of 149
on time
83.89%
178 out of 233
on time
76.39% 80%
PERFORMANCE
REVIEW
Compliance
with Statutory
Obligations
Gas Safety
(CP-12)
up-to-date
100%
Required Fire
Risk
assessments
carriedo ut
100%
Required Carbon Monoxide
100%
%o f HA stock
that meet the
decent standard
100%
Grove Community
HOUSING ASSOCIATION
RENT COLLECTED 2024/25 2023/24
Rent, rates & service charges due
£1,309,048.00 £1,221,822.00
Amount Collected
£1,303,027.31 £1,214,024.67
Grove rent collection of rent due in 2022/24
99.54 99.36
RENT ARREARS AS AT
31 MARCH 2025
2024/25 2023/24
Arrears of all current tenants
£53,937.23 £55,744.29
Current arrears as % of total amount due
4.12 4.56
DFC Target Rate for Arrears
<5% <5%
VOIDS LOST 2024/25 2023/24
Voids
£5,342.00 £11,786.00
Voids (%)
0.41 0.96
DFC Target Rate for Voids
<4% <4%
Abandonments
0 0
Allocations
5 12
ANTISOCIAL
BEHAVIOUR
2024/25 2023/24
Complaints (First Stage)
5 1
Anti-Social Behaviour
cases recorded
2 1
Court Action
0 0
Units Recovered
0 0
Over the past year, we have continued our significant investment in our housing stock to
ensure our tenants’ comfort and safety. As part of our cyclical maintenance, we undertook
a major roof and gutter cleaning program. We also completed a comprehensive door
replacement scheme for 24 units at York Road and upgraded the street lighting at
Loughview. Furthermore, we invested in crucial fire safety works for several properties
and allocated over £6,000 to improve the thermal comfort of some of our homes. These
projects reflect our ongoing commitment to providing quality homes for our tenants and
the wider community.
Average
Weekly
Rent £
One bed
8 units
£74.77
Four bed
6 units
£95.25
Two bed
90 units
£103.14
Three bed
111 units
£110.85
OUR TENANTS
COMMUNITY
CONNECTIONS
& EVENTS
TENANT VOICE GROUP
We believe that a strong community is built
on a strong voice, and our Tenant Voice Group
is at the heart of this principle. Comprising
over 13 active and dedicated members, the
group met three times over the past year to
collaborate with sta on key initiatives.
Their invaluable partnership was instrumental in
the co-design and successful launch of our new
Helping Hand Service in November 2024. The
group’s input was vital in approving the design
of the new van graphics and the associated
informational leaflet, ensuring the service was
presented clearly and eectively to all tenants.
Beyond this, their excellent input and scrutiny
have been crucial in shaping other new
initiatives, including our updated Lettable
Standard and our new SMS Service. The group’s
direct involvement has also been key in helping
us plan and deliver successful community
events. Their contributions continue to be a vital
asset, helping us to better serve our tenants and
build a stronger community together.
Over the past 12 months, we successfully delivered
a total of ten tenant engagement events, which
collectively attracted hundreds of tenants, community
members, and stakeholders. These events, which
included three tenant voice group meetings, a joint
health and well-being event, our popular Christmas
event, and seasonal gatherings like Halloween and
Christmas wreath-making, demonstrate our strong
commitment to the community.
9
Christmas Wreath Making
with Alternatives - Dec 24
Santa Sleigh
- Dec 24
Pensioners Christmas
Lunch - Dec 24
Halloween
Event - Oct 24
“Greenings Social Housing”
Conference - Mar 25
Health &
Wellbeing Event
- August 24
Translink Tour
- Mar 25
8
10 11
HELPING
HAND SERVICE
WORKING IN
PARTNERSHIP
1010
Continued Partnership
with North Belfast Advice
Partnership (NBAP)
We have continued our vital partnership
with the North Belfast Advice Partnership
(NBAP), providing a dedicated advice
service at our oces three days a week.
This service, run by The Vine Centre, oers
essential face-to-face and telephone support
on a range of issues, including benefits,
housing, and employment.
Key Outcomes for 2024/25
The service has delivered significant financial
and social benefits to our tenants and the wider
community. Our on-site advisor handled 1,421
enquiries for 432 clients, with 95% of these
inquiries related to benefits. This focus reflects
the increased complexity of the welfare system
and the critical need for support among those on
low or fixed incomes.
Most importantly, the partnership has had a
tangible financial impact, helping clients secure
£1,083,269 in additional benefit entitlement.
This additional income directly benefited an
estimated 723 local people, helping them cope
with rising costs, improve their well-being, and
reduce financial stress. This collaborative model
demonstrates our commitment to providing
comprehensive support beyond just housing.
1111
In response to challenges faced by our
residents, including the rising cost of living,
we co-produced with our Tenant Voice
Group the new “Helping Hand” service. This
initiative was a direct result of listening to
our tenants need for a more responsive,
caring repairs service and added need for
assistance with minor home repairs.
The Tenant Voice Group was integral to the
entire process, helping us shape the service
eligibility; which is older persons, those with a
disability, or a new family moving in.
This influenced the recruitment of a new
Compliance and Maintenance Ocer with
a skilled trade background. We all enjoyed
working creatively to shape the services image
and promotion.
Since its launch in November 2024, the “Helping
Hand” service has made a significant impact this
collaborative model has not only delivered a vital
service but has also led to much happier tenants
with our repair services and strengthened our
community purpose.
The Helping Hand service
has been invaluable, and
Pat’s respectful support
has made everyday tasks
much more manageable.
Esther (GCHA Tenant)
432 clients
Over
Additional Benefits
STRATEGIC
COLLABORATION AND
TENANT ADVOCACY
In collaboration with the Northern Ireland
Federation for Housing Associations
(NIFHA) and other housing associations, we
worked to ensure that tenants’ voices were
heard at a strategic level. Our contributions
to key consultations and discussions led
to several positive outcomes. Following
a brutal cut of 80% of the social housing
development programme funding we
highlighted the vital need for additional
funding but it still fell significantly short of
what is needed.
Through representation on NI Housing
Association Charitable Trust (NIHACT) they
funded an important academic research paper by
Queen’s University Belfast which was presented
to the Minister of Housing. This resulted in the
successful removal of intimidation points from
housing allocation rules and policy and makes
rehousing fairer for all.
We also continue with others to appeal for ring-
fenced retrofit funding for Northern Ireland to
bring it into a fair playing field with the other
citizens in regions across the UK who receive
this. This critical funding would enable us to
commence works to improve the thermal comfort
and insulation levels of aging homes.
Additionally, we jointly contribute to raising
the issues and solutions to Northern Ireland
Water infrastructure and the need for increased
investment to allow new social housing
developments to go ahead. In this year alone
we had to invest £130,000 of our funds to NI
Water for solutions and connections for our site
to enable the plans to go ahead. These were
completed at the end of August 2025 following
major delays slowing up our new homes plans.
Through working with others we will continue to
represent our tenant and community needs at
Stormont and through local media channels and
work closely with PSNI to ensure more homes
and safer communities for all.
OUR COMMUNITY
PARTNERSHIPS
We are delighted to report on the
success of our community events
this year, which were made possible
through valuable partnerships with a
wide range of statutory and voluntary
organisations, as well as local
businesses. These collaborations are
fundamental to our mission of building
strong, thriving communities.
By working hand-in-hand with our partners,
we were able to deliver events that not only
brought residents together but also provided
essential services and resources. Our key
partners for these events included:
•
Statutory and Public Bodies: The PSNI (Police
Service of Northern Ireland) and Translink
•
Voluntary and Community Groups: Supporting
Communities, which delivered valuable training
and resources to our tenants at our events,
and North Belfast Alternatives, which hosted
an excellent wreath-making workshop.
•
Corporate and Local Businesses: Our
valued corporate partners, including Dulux,
Lidl, and Asda, provided generous support,
helping us to enhance the quality and reach
of our events. We also extend our special
thanks to our main contractors, PK Murphy
and CTS, for their ongoing collaboration and
commitment to our shared community goals.
These partnerships underscore our belief that
community development is a collaborative
eort. We look forward to strengthening these
relationships and forging new ones to continue
delivering positive outcomes for our tenants
and the wider community in the coming year.
1312
OUR PEOPLE
Our people remain a top priority, and
we’re committed to building a team that
shares our values and provides the best
possible service for our tenants. We were
delighted to welcome two key additions
to our team this year. In August, Keelan
McGaghran joined as our new Director
of Operations, and in November, we
welcomed Pat Magorrian as our new
Compliance and Maintenance Ocer. Both
have already made a significant impact on
our performance.
We believe that employee voice is crucial. We
held a successful sta away day in February,
where we took the opportunity to realign
with our core values and incorporate sta
feedback into the development of our new
strategic plan. We continue to invest in our
team’s professional growth and ensure they
have the resources they need to succeed. This
past year, we upgraded our IT software and
infrastructure introducing new softphone system,
and our sta attended over 60 continuing
professional development (CPD) events.
60+ CPD Events
Keelan
McGaghran
Director of
Operations
Pat Magorrian
Compliance &
Maintenance
Ocer
We remain dedicated to our environmental
responsibilities and are actively working
to reduce our ecological impact. Over the
past year, we have taken significant steps to
improve sustainability across our operations.
Key initiatives include:
•
Lighting Upgrade:
We have recently upgraded
the lighting in our oce car park and the car park
within our scheme at Loughview Terrace, with
more energy-ecient, low-energy fittings. These
improvements not only enhance safety but also
reflect our ongoing commitment to sustainability
and reducing our environmental impact.
•
EV Infrastructure:
We successfully secured
funding to assist with the installation of electric
vehicle (EV) charging points at our oce.
•
Zero-Emissions Fleet:
Our Helping Hand service
now operates a new zero-emissions electric van,
reducing our carbon footprint.
•
Oce Hygiene:
We installed UV lighting in
our oce toilets to create an aerosol-free
environment, promoting better air quality.
•
Enhanced Recycling:
We conducted a thorough
review of our oce recycling practices to ensure
we are operating as eciently as possible.
•
Knowledge Sharing:
Both sta and tenants
attended the “Greening Social Housing”
conference hosted by Alpha, fostering greater
awareness and a shared commitment to
environmental goals.
The over £6k worth of damage caused by Storm
Ewoyn in January, which impacted several of our
properties with damage to roofs, fences, and trees,
served as a powerful reminder of nature’s force and
the urgent need to continue our eorts to mitigate
environmental impact and build a more resilient future.
ENVIRONMENTAL
Our Commitment to Environmental
Responsibility
1514
•
Door Replacement Program: We began a
door replacement scheme for 24 units at York
Road, part of our ongoing eort to modernize
and improve our properties.
•
Improving Thermal Comfort: We invested
more than £6,000 in upgrades aimed at
improving the thermal comfort for our
tenants, helping them stay warm and reduce
energy costs.
•
Fire Safety Works: In our commitment to tenant
safety, we invested over £3,000 in essential
fire safety works across our properties.
We are committed to providing high-
quality homes for our tenants and
continue to invest in improving our
properties. This year, we completed
a number of significant projects to
enhance both the quality and safety of
our homes.
Key initiatives include:
•
Roof and Gutter Maintenance: We
completed an extensive cyclical maintenance
program for roofs and gutters across our
entire stock, ensuring our homes are
protected and well-maintained.
•
Enhanced Safety and Eciency: We
invested over £3,000 to upgrade the street
lighting at Loughview Terrace, replacing old
fittings with more ecient alternatives to
improve overall safety for residents.
Grove Community
HOUSING ASSOCIATION
GREAT
HOMES
GOVERNANCE
Eective governance is a cornerstone
of our organisation. We are incredibly
grateful for the expert guidance and
unwavering support of our dedicated
Board of Management throughout the
year. Their commitment to continuous
improvement is clear, with Board members
collectively attending over 35 dierent
Continuing Professional Development
(CPD) events. Additionally, in February, the
Board participated in a strategic planning
day facilitated by Distinctive People, which
was instrumental in shaping our future
direction. Each Board member was also
provided with a Chartered Institute of
Housing (CIH) “Building Better Boards”
membership, ensuring they have the latest
insights and best practices.
Our commitment to strong governance was
further validated through a series of rigorous
internal audits this year. We underwent a total of
five audits covering critical areas, including:
•
Damp & Mould
•
Financial Planning and Forecasting
•
Fixed Asset Management
•
Governance Strategic Controls
•
Risk Management Framework and Financial
Transactional Control
We are pleased to report that we received a
“reasonable assurance overall” rating on these
audits, confirming the eectiveness of our
systems and controls. Furthermore, we were
delighted to retain our Grade 1 accreditation
from the Department for Communities, a
testament to our high standards of governance
and operational excellence.
G
R
A
D
E
1
A
C
C
R
E
D
I
T
A
T
I
O
N
R
E
T
A
I
N
E
D
35 CPD Events
16 17
In partnership with tenants, we launched the Helping
Hand service in November 2024 to support minor
home repairs. By year-end, it had completed 81 jobs
for 51 households, saving an estimated £2,430 and
reducing injury risks. This initiative delivers strong
value by oering practical support, financial savings,
and improved satisfaction.
We secured 75% grant funding (£3,550) for oce EV
charger installation and generated £7,200 by leasing
our new build site to Morrow Construction. These
funds were added to our Tenant Engagement Fund to
support projects in 2025–26.
Regulatory Compliance and Social Value
We retained a Grade 1 rating from the Department
for Communities, with regulators noting our strategic
approach to value for money, financial viability,
and governance. Our values—approachability,
service-focus, honesty, integrity, accountability, and
compassion—guide all interactions and underpin our
delivery of social value.
Through our community engagement fund, we
support local projects such as the Rooftop football
club and deliver a wide range of tenant participation
events. From seasonal gatherings to professional
development for tenant voice group members
at the Supporting Communities conference, we
create opportunities for inclusion and connection.
Partnerships with organisations such as Translink,
East Belfast Alternatives, PSNI, Dulux, ASDA, Lidl,
PK Murphy, and CTS have enabled successful
events, including a Grand Central Station trip and a
Christmas wreath-making workshop.
Future Goals
We will continue to focus on value for money
by setting clear targets, achieving operational
eciencies, and seeking external funding to enhance
property value and tenant wellbeing. GCHA remains
committed to delivering exceptional value and
making a positive impact within our communities.
The 2024-25 financial year seen a reduction in
housing allocations from 12 to five, we are proud
to report a void loss reduction of over £6,000.
This saving is a direct result of our enhanced
communication with contractors, which has
significantly improved the eciency of our void works
process. We are committed to an ongoing review of
this approach to secure further reductions.
Furthermore, in a period of continued cost of living
challenges for our tenants, we have achieved a
0.44% reduction in overall arrears. This success is
due to our diligent weekly review of arrears cases,
in strict adherence to our rent collection policies,
and our vital partnership with North Belfast Advice
Partnership (NBAP). Over the last financial year,
NBAP dealt with 1,421 queries from 432 individuals,
with 95% of these being benefit-related. This crucial
collaboration helped secure £1,083,269 for individuals
in our community, providing essential support and
reinforcing our proactive approach to tenant welfare.
Eective Procurement and
Tenant Engagement
•
Leveraging the HA5 procurement group to
achieve eective procurement and secure
favourable terms for our maintenance contracts.
•
Actively seeking tenant feedback through our
tenant satisfaction surveys and tenants voice
group and scrutiny panels to ensure our services
meet their needs and expectations. (See Figure 3)
•
Investing in our stock through maintenance and
upgrades to improve energy eciency and reduce
operating costs. In the last financial we saved more
than £6,000 just by switching to a more ecient
cost-eective energy supplier.
•
Oering aordable rent to support our tenants’
financial well-being.
RENT
PROVIDES VFM
71%
VERY OR FAIRLY
SATISFIED
OVERALL
STANDARD OF
THEIR HOME
71%
VERY OR FAIRLY
SATISFIED
SERVICES
PROVIDED
BY GROVE
75%
VERY OR FAIRLY
SATISFIED
RECOMMEND GROVE
AS A LANDLORD TO
FAMILY OR FRIENDS
82%
VERY OR FAIRLY
SATISFIED
Figure 3. Current tenant satisfaction Levels
2025 2024 2023 2022
GROVE 23/24
KPI’S
DFC
TARGET
Voids Loss (£)
5,342 11,786 15,817 30,441 - -
Void Loss %
0.41% 0.96% 1.38% 2.71% <1% <4%
% of rent collection due
99.54% 99.36% 98.25% 97.37% - 98%
Current Arrears (£)
53,937.23 55,744.29 33,954.60 45,036.00 - -
Current Arrears as a % of rent due
4.12% 4.56% 2.98% 4.01% <5% 5%
Figure 2. Internal Benchmarking Performance - Operational Performance
18
VALUE FOR MONEY
STATEMENT
At Grove Community Housing
Association (GCHA), we are dedicated
to providing high-quality homes and
services that deliver exceptional value
for money to our tenants and the
wider community.
OPERATING MARGIN
(Operating Surplus /
Turnover)
GEARING
(Borrowing/total assetless
current liabilities)
AVERAGE
BORROWING
PER UNIT
AVERAGE RENT
PER WEEK £
2025
Grove 11.85% 6.30% £3,726 96.00
Sector PENDING PENDING PENDING PENDING
2024
Grove 20.88% 7.08% £4,266 88.24
Sector 21.94% 31.31% £25,863 99.09
2023
Grove 21.65% 7.70% £4,785 82.65
Sector 19.55% 30.45% £25,200 91.66
2022
Grove 25.08% 10.77% £6,737 79.44
Sector 20.80% 32.55% £25,858 88.63
2021
Grove 41.71% 13.66% £8,523 77.39
Sector 23.01% 32.51% £25,199 87.26
Figure 1. Benchmarking Against NIFHA’s Global Sector Accounts
* Figures taken from NIFHA 2024 Sector Global Accounts
Key Performance Indicators
and Continuous Improvement
•
Benchmarking our performance against
the NIFHA sector global accounts
and internally to identify areas for
improvement (see figure 1)
•
Continuously reviewing our services
and suppliers to ensure eciency and
cost-eectiveness.
•
Investing in technology to streamline
processes and enhance service delivery.
•
Working eciently to maximise
resources and minimise costs.
•
The Operating Margin % of 11.85% in 2025 has fallen compared to the previous year of 20.88% reflecting the additional
roof maintenance costs and stock condition surveys costs. It is also less than the Operating Margin % of NIFHA Global
Accounts of 21.94% in 2024, reflecting the intermittent operational costs in year (2025 results still to be published).
•
Gearing % of 6.30% in 2025 remains low and continues to fall due to loans being repaid. It is also significantly less than
the Gearing % of NIFHA Global Accounts of 31.31% in 2024 (2025 results still to be published) indicating less financial
risk and capacity to take on debt in the future.
19
£
£
£
£
£7,200
£7,200 earned
from site
while awaiting
project
approval
Statement of Financial Position as at 31 March 2025
Notes
2025 2024
Fixed assets £ £
Housing properties 9 12,191,012 12,237,630
Other tangible fixed assets 11 561,960 539,858
12,752,972 12,777,488
Current assets
Trade and other debtors 12 97,830 88,342
Cash and cash equivalents 825,767 943,031
923,597 1,031,373
Less: Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 13 965,807 850,277
Net current assets (42,210) 181,096
Total assets less current liabilities 12,710,762 12,958,584
Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year 13 8,142,787 8,536,608
Pension fund asset 18 - -
Total net assets 4,567,975 4,421,976
Reserves
Share capital 19 9 14
Revenue reserve 20 4,567,830 4,421,832
Capital reserve 21 136 130
Total reserves 4,567,975 4,421,976
Statement of Comprehensive Income for the Year ended 31 March 2025
Notes
2025 2023
£ £
Turnover 3 1,505,800 1,427,345
Operating costs 3 (1,327,313) (1,129,380)
Operating surplus 3 178,487 297,965
Gain/(loss) on disposal of fixed assets 83,324 (6,869)
Transfer from/ (to) disposal proceeds fund 15 (90,952) 5,017
Other income 3a 7,200 -
Interest and financing income 13,488 15,932
Interest and financing costs 6 (46,549) (52,655)
Surplus for the year 144,998 259,390
Other comprehensive income
Remeasurement of net defined benefit plan 18 196,000 105,000
Restriction on pension asset recognition 18 (195,000) (111,000)
Total comprehensive income for the year 145,998 253,390
FINANCE &
ECONOMIC
BOARD OF
MANAGEMENT
& ADVISORS
Chief Executive & Company Secretary
Ms Agnes Crawford
Registered Oce
171 York Road, Belfast BT15 3HB
Registered Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IP000173
NI Charity No. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NIC104573
Department for Communities
Registration No. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NIC104573
Solicitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Edwards & Co
Internal Auditors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TIAA Ltd
External Auditors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SUMER NI
Accountants . . . . . . . . . . Connon Associates Ltd.
Bankers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ulster Bank
HR & OD Advisors . . . . . . . . . . Distinctive People
Grove Community
HOUSING ASSOCIATION
2120
BOARD MEETINGS
Name Possible Attended
Mr Brian Dunn (Chair)
6 6
Mr Vivian Chestnutt (Vice Chair)
6 6
Mr Jack Peel (Treasurer)
6 6
Ms Sally Smyth
6 5
Mr Ciaran McGivern
6 5
Mr Mike Wilkins 6 6
Mr John Cochrane
6 5
Mr Diarmaid Ward
6 6
Ms Fauzia Tasnim
6 5
Mr Stefano Zucca
0 0
Mr Jim Chapman (Vice Chair, left Aug 2024)
2 2
Mr Eamonn Hunt (left 1 May 2024)
0 0
Mr Kevin Brown (left 11 Oct 2024)
1 1
Mr Erskine Holmes OBE (left 16 Jan 2025)
4 4
Mr Robin Arbuthnot (left 26 Mar 2025)
6 6
Contact Details
Registered Oce
171 York Road,
Belfast,
BT15 3HB
Telephone
(028) 9077 3330
Out of Hours Repairs Line
0330 1230 341
E-mail
info@groveha.org.uk
Website
www.groveha.org.uk
Our Sincere Thanks
Our deepest gratitude goes to our tenants for your
active engagement, valuable feedback, and patience
as we work to continuously improve our services
and the homes we provide. We are committed to
a collaborative partnership with you to shape our
future. We also extend our heartfelt appreciation
to our dedicated sta, our selfless voluntary Board
members, and all our committed partners, including
maintenance contractors, expert service providers, and
knowledgeable colleagues. Your unwavering resilience
and commitment, particularly during these challenging
times, are truly commendable and essential to our
core mission of delivering great homes and services.
As we look ahead to the remainder of 2025-26 we
are excited about a range of new initiatives while also
continuing to advocate with government bodies and
elected representatives for the necessary funding to
deliver new homes and the infrastructure they require.
Grove Community
HOUSING ASSOCIATION
‘Alone, we can do so little;
together, we can do so much’.
Helen Keller