A tenants charity has thanked the Fusion21 Foundation for its “lifeline funding” which enabled it to continue its crucial work.
In July 2020, the board of directors at housing charity TAROE Trust had reluctantly decided to close it down due to a lack of funds.
But thanks to a £220,000 grant from registered charity the Fusion21 Foundation, which is part of national procurement provider Fusion21, that last resort was averted and TAROE Trust has been able to spend the last three years continuing to make a difference for tenants around the country.
TAROE Trust, which was previously known as membership organisation Tenants and Resident Organisations of England and whose origins date back to the 1970s, offers a range free advice and information to tenants and utilises its direct engagement with tenants to influence national housing policy and improve services for tenants and residents living within the regulated housing sector.
Formed as a charity in 2013, it had struggled to find funding for several years and was facing oblivion while the charity sector struggled to adjust to lockdown during the pandemic.
However, the Fusion21 Foundation approached TAROE Trust and offered grant funding to ensure that the charity could continue its vital work while building a more sustainable income stream. After three years, it is facing a brighter future and reflecting on what has been achieved in that time.
With the help of the funding, TAROE Trust has been able to:
- Work with tenants to develop a Manifesto for Change for the sector
- Engage with and influence Government policy-making such as the establishment of a Resident Voice Group to inform the Social Housing Quality programme
- Assisted with the Regulator of Social Housing’s new Tenant Satisfaction Measures through participation in a working group
- Participated in the on-going review of the Decent Homes Standard
- Input into the new Consumer Standards and related Code of Practice from the Regulator of Social Housing
- Helped to shape the new building safety regulatory framework
All of these achievements have come alongside TAROE Trust’s regular work supporting tenants and tenant groups as well as developing a portfolio of products and services that are being offered to these groups as well as landlord organisations, including the Respect for All Charter. This sets out the behaviours that tenants should be able to expect from landlords, stakeholders and contractors.
Michael Gelling, Chair of TAROE Trust, said: “The funding that the Fusion21 Foundation offered has been the lifeline for the continued survival of TAROE Trust. All of our recent achievements have only been possible due to this funding and our standing in the sector and our potential for future impact is now very strong.
“We have exceeded our service-related income targets for the forthcoming financial year and are well-placed to achieve our future financial sustainability objectives. We hope that through implementing our future plans, the true impact this funding has achieved will be multiplied many times over in the years to come.”
Jo Hannan, Head of Fusion21 Foundation commented: “TAROE Trust has a hugely important role to play in the coming years, representing the views and needs of tenants at a pivotal time for the housing sector.
“We are delighted to have been able to support its continued work and look forward to seeing it go from strength to strength with renewed confidence and energy in the future.”
Header image from left to right: Jo Hannan, Head of Fusion21 Foundation; Darren Hartley, Chief Executive of TAROE Trust; Anne Taylor, Trustee and Vice Chair of the Fusion21 Foundation
