Innisfree News

Professor Mary Hickman, speaking at Innisfree's AGM, stressed that service providers would not be able to address the very specific needs of different communities unless they made much better use of the data available. "White Irish" were frequently lumped together with "White British" and "White Other" which not only prevented the needs of the Irish community being properly analysed but also masked the gap between it and other BME groups. She highlighted the particularly pressing needs of lone pensioner households and older Irish men with health problems and other support needs.

44 families in Brent & Camden all have new homes thanks to two high quality developments in Airco Close, Colindale and West Hampstead which were brought into management this year. We will shortly take these schemes into ownership.

Aerynn House [right above] was our 50th new scheme. The word means peace in gaelic. Early in 2008 we completed the hand-over of 22 new flats in Baxter Road, Edmonton [right below]

Tall tales from the old country

Pat the Hat (centre) joined with the Yarnspinners of Cork to provide an afternoon's entertainment for the residents of Clochar Court, our sheltered scheme in Harlesden. The storytellers enjoyed themselves so much, they want to come back.

Survey shows satisfaction rate is sustained

OUR STATUS TENANTS SURVEY demonstrated convincingly that Innisfree HA's tenants believe that the Association is providing a good housing service.

Tenants are particularly satisfied with

their accommodation
the condition of the property
the helpfulness of staff
the overall repairs service andindividual aspects of the repair work
being kept informed.

Generally, satisfaction remains just as high, or slightly higher, than in 2003. Innisfree HA tenants are more likely to be satisfied with the services they receive from their landlord compared with tenants at other similar social landlords, in fact some ratings were among the top three ratings in the peer group. The results are even more impressive taking into account that the Association has a young tenant population and operates in areas of high levels of deprivation. The majority of tenants think that it is important that their landlord is an Irish Housing Association.

Remembering times past

Recycled materials and a good deal of imagination were all that was necessary to get the Innisfree cottage project off the ground at Clochar Court. It was rescued from a skip by Cecilia, the scheme manager, who immediately spotted its potential for a reminiscence project. However, it's turned into much more than that. Old carpentry and painting skills have proved not so rusty after all. The old wreck has been transformed into one of those little cottages we used to see in Galway or was it Co. Clare or perhaps even on a Kerry hillside? Pictured here in its Christmas guise, plans are underway for the cottage to change with the seasons.