RHA Wales and Coastal Housing Group have unveiled the brand identity for our proposed merger company. If the planned merger proceeds as intended, the two companies will move forward from 2nd January 2025 as:

beacon

(noun)

  1. a light or fire in a place that is easy to see, such as on the top of a hill or cliff, that acts as a signal:

As part of the centenary celebrations a chain of beacons was lit across the region.

 

  1. a good example that gives people hope or encouragement:

She was a beacon of hope in troubled times.

 

Beacons have illuminated human history as symbols of hope, guidance, and connection. They have been used consistently, by countless cultures, to communicate across vast distances, their glow uniting people, providing direction, carrying messages, and marking cultural celebrations.  Whether lit on inland mountaintops or coastal cliffs, their enduring presence reflects a shared understanding, a shared purpose and the human desire to connect with others.

RHA and Coastal have been progressing the planned merger since November 2023 and have reached a number of significant milestones including the appointment of the merger company board, CEO and Executive Team designates.

Read more about what the merger could mean for tenants.

Work on the proposed merger between Coastal and RHA Wales has taken another step forward with completion of recruitment to the new merger company’s board of management.

Following a selection process, we are pleased to announce the following appointments:

  • Aaron Hill
  • Bethan Evans
  • Dawn Mitchell
  • Ed White
  • Gurmel Bhachu
  • Jane Howells
  • Jonathan Roberts
  • Scott Allin
  • Scott Caldwell

All appointees currently serve on either the Coastal or RHA boards of management and will thus bring significant skills and experience to the new merger company. They will form the new company’s board of management at point of merger, along with the previously-announced roles below:

  • Chief Executive Designate, Debbie Green
  • Deputy Chief Executive Designate, Luke Takeuchi
  • Chair Designate, Peter Hughes
  • Vice Chair Designate, Patrick Hoare


If you would like to find out more about our organisation’s merger then please visit our dedicated webpage:

www.rhawales.com/merger

RHA Wales continues to progress a planned merger with Coastal Housing Group (CHG) to create a new organisation.

Another significant milestone has been reached, with appointments to the Executive Team of the new merger organisation.
Following a thorough selection process, we are pleased to confirm the following appointments that will take effect when the merger completes:
• Executive Director of People – Caroline Belasco
• Executive Director of Transformation & Insight – Jen Ellis
• Executive Director of Development & Growth – Rhianydd Jenkins
• Executive Director of Operations – Serena Jones
• Executive Director of Finance – Simon Jones
Along with the previously announced appointments of CEO Designate Debbie Green and Deputy Chief Executive Designate Luke Takeuchi, this completes the Executive Team for the new merger organisation.
Our next focus in terms of recruitment is to complete the remaining appointments to the merger organisation’s board, to join Chair Designate Peter Hughes and Vice Chair Designate Patrick Hoare, whose appointments were announced last month.

If you would like to find out more about our organisation’s merger then please visit our dedicated webpage:
www.rhawales.com/merger

As per our previous news article, RHA Wales is progressing a planned merger with Coastal Housing Group to create a new organisation.

This work is well advanced, and we are making good progress against our plan. We have now reached a significant milestone, with the first executive and non-executive appointments being made after a thorough assessment process.

 

Peter Hughes has been appointed as Chair Designate and Patrick Hoare as Vice Chair Designate of the new organisation. They are currently the Chairs of RHA and Coastal respectively, so will bring lots of relevant experience.
Coastal’s current CEO, Debbie Green, has been appointed as the Group CEO Designate of the new organisation and RHA’s current CEO, Luke Takeuchi, has been appointed as Deputy CEO Designate. This means that Debbie will head up the new merger organisation as Chief Executive from day one, working closely with Luke as Deputy Chief Executive. Debbie and Luke will also become members of the new organisation’s board of management.
Having these key leadership roles in place will ensure both a smooth transition at point of merger and strong succession planning.

 

For more information or to chat to a member of our team then get in touch:

Telephone: 01443 424200   Email: [email protected]

We are proud to have worked with Cwm Taf Local Health Board & Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council on our new hospital discharge facility provision which is providing essential and much needed hospital discharge accommodation.

Dan Yr Allt, in Rhydeflin was developed by P&P Building and Roofing Contractors utilising land owned by RHA Wales.  Our collaborative approach enabled us to design and develop an adapted property alleviating hospital bed demand on the NHS and providing individuals with adaptions to ensure independent living can be achieved and quality of life improved.

A funding package of Integrated Care Funding, Housing with Care Funding and private finance from ourselves at RHA Wales, enabled delivery of this special project. This new home enables individuals to move from a hospital setting to an accessible and suitable property, whilst they complete their recovery journey and/or until they are ready to return to their own home full time or until permanent suitable accommodation is identified for them.

 

The two-bedroom bungalow is suitable for one person and an additional bedroom for a family member or a carer. It comprises of a fully adapted kitchen and bathroom, tracked hoist system, power assisted doors, external scooter store and level access all around the property to enable the occupants to easily access external areas and enjoy the peaceful and tranquil setting that surrounds the bungalow.

Designed and built to be non-fossil fuel, the property meets EPC A standard utilising air source heat pump and solar pv as opposed to traditional methods, WDQR – Beautiful Homes and Spaces Standards and Lifetime Homes Standard.

The long-term aim is that this home is a model for what can be delivered by working collaboratively with health, housing as in Local Authority and RSL. Often these sorts of initiatives are considered on large scale builds, what we have demonstrated together is small builds like our Dan Yr Allt project can have a big impact and play a part in elevating pressures on our NHS and move individuals to a more suitable setting to aid their recovery.

From a project delivery perspective, and a mixed funding model, smaller, often less financially viable projects can be delivered and improve lives. And that’s key. Without this approach the land at Dan Yr Allt would likely remain as vacant land. However, through collaboration, a shared aim we have delivered something special that is having a positive impact, and together we are providing a vital resource for a recently discharged hospital patient whose is integrating herself back into the community, regaining her independence whilst waiting for her permanent accommodation to be sourced.

Christmas Support & Festive Cheer

We understand that the festive season can be challenging for many. We know that people are struggling with the cost of living crisis and energy bills rising.  Our RHA Wales colleagues worked hard to fundraise during 2023 to ensure we are able to help to offer some festive cheer this Christmas.

Our festive hampers are offered to those identified by our Housing and Payment Advisors as well as offering everyone into help themselves to our community fridges.

The festive hampers include:

* Items for Christmas dinner

* Treats for families like selection boxes, chocolates and mince pies

* Food cupboard staples to batch cook

*Pet food for furry companions

*Toiletries, sanitary products and home essentials

We’re also providing winter warm packs are through funding from the local authority. Our front line staff  identify those in need, and offer to those struggling with heating or aren’t appropriately clothed for the cold weather.

Through working with generous partners we have donated the hampers this week to tenants and community members, our colleagues and our awesome tenant volunteers made sure hampers were delivered to doorsteps in time for Christmas. Ensuring those in need were provided with festive food and gifts for their children, it’s been lovely to brighten Christmas day for those who need a helping hand.

We would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and thank you all for your donation, support and volunteering.

Fundraising and working with partners and awesome volunteers to donate almost 100 hampers to those in need this Christmas!

They did it!

We are incredibly proud of our staff, tenants and volunteers who walked massive 21 miles, from Tonypandy to Cardiff on Thursday 20th of July, to raise funds for food donations to help those in need this winter season.

Through your generous support, donations, and sponsorship then we can support even more people this year. A massive well done to our colleagues from Finance, Maintenance, IT, Com Dev, Development and Customer Advice and everyone who helped with our fundraising efforts.

They have raised over £3000, and donations are still coming in! 

We actively support community members and tenants each and every week and now, for the fifth year running we wanted to fundraise to help provide even more food hampers in Winter 2023. In December 2022 we provided 90 food hampers through the money raised by our colleagues who worked hard doing a 24 hour Danceathon. This year, thanks to your generousity we can help even more people in our communities.

 

CLICK HERE TO DONATE &  GET UPDATES ON OUR JUST GIVING FUNDRAISING 

MyRHA – new online tenant portal launches

At RHA we are always trying to improve your experience as a tenant and make life that little bit easier.

That’s why we’ve created MyRHA.

A brand-new online account which tenants log on to via our website. Accessing their account 24 hours a day to report repairs, pay rent, update their information plus so much more. The online account has been designed to make getting in touch a little easier and we hope you find it useful.

Take a look at our helpful video guide and full information HERE

 

Carbon Literacy Success

At RHA Wales we take our commitment to carbon literacy very seriously and we are proud that 100% of our staff have completed Cynnal Cymru / Sustain Wales carbon literacy training which covers how we can work together on climate change, our carbon footprint and how we can all play a vital part in protecting our planet for future generations. 

Our staff now have an awareness of the carbon dioxide costs of their work habits, everyday activities, and individual actions. They better understand how climate change is affecting them geographically and us as an overall housing sector, as well as the measures we need to take to mitigate this.
In 2022 all 73 of our staff completed the training and 50 of those are now accredited as Carbon Literate, all acquiring the knowledge and skills to lower their carbon footprint.
As an employer and a housing provider we have a responsibility to do all we can to reduce our carbon footprint, and in 2023 we aim to become a Carbon Literate Organisation, working towards achieving the Silver Accreditation by supporting the development of a Carbon Literate workforce and continuing to work with the Carbon Literacy Catrefi Cymru Network.
Climate action is important to all of us and is a globally defining challenge of our generation. As a responsible business we believe we need to invest and act to protect our future generations and the damage being caused to our planet.

Best Companies 2022 results announced!

We are very proud to announce our 2022 Best Companies results with our partners, stakeholders, tenants, and colleagues.

We have maintained our 2-star rating which recognises ‘outstanding levels of employee engagement’ and we have improved in the overall rankings which demonstrates that we genuinely value our people and have continued to ensure RHA is a great place to work.

In addition, we successfully achieved the following listings:
NO: 8 in the Top 50 UK Best Housing Associations to work for
NO: 23 in the Top 50 Welsh Companies to work for
 NO: 76 in the Top 100 UK Mid-size Companies to work for

Our Best Companies staff survey donations have raised a total of £300 for a local Foodbank, which we are proud of.

 

 

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Get in touch

Got a question? Get in touch! [email protected] 01443 424200 CF40 1BE