CEO blog overview for  2010

  • Best wishes
    Date: 24 December 2010
    Wishing you a very happy Christmas and best wishes for 2011.
  • The year that was
    Date: 22 December 2010
    Looking back over an exciting year in which Peabody made great strides.
  • All change
    Date: 21 December 2010
    There is a challenging time ahead.
  • Then and now
    Date: 10 December 2010
    A selection of images, both old and new, from our library of photographs.
  • The 25 Year Club
    Date: 2 December 2010
    Three new members were welcomed to the Peabody 25 Year Club last night at our annual reception for Peabody staff who have served 25 years or more.
  • @ the GLA Housing and Plannning Committee meeting
    Date: 30 November 2010
    Last week I attended the London Assembly's Housing and Planning Committee meeting to speak about Peabody's plans for the future of the Crown Estate properties.
  • The great London fire safety conference
    Date: 30 November 2010
    Our fire safety conference for social housing providers in London was a great opportunity to share knowledge and experience.
  • The CSR
    Date: 19 November 2010
    I spoke to the Mayor’s Housing Assembly this morning about the Comprehensive Spending Review.
  • Inspiring business
    Date: 17 November 2010
    Young entrepreneurs can inspire young Peabody residents to create their own social enterprises.
  • GUEST BLOG: Well Met in Wandsworth
    Date: 15 November 2010
    Befriending Coordinator Joseph Crilly tells us about Peabody’s Well Met befriending scheme, one of our outreach projects providing support to older people in London.
  • Remembrance Day
    Date: 11 November 2010
    I was very pleased and moved that the Peabody staff team remembered those who had died in war this morning by two minutes silence.
  • Raising the bar
    Date: 11 November 2010
    All the tasks on our Short Notice Inspection Action Plan have now been completed.
  • Making a real difference
    Date: 10 November 2010
    Well done to all our Making a Difference Day Award winners!
  • GUEST BLOG: "Up to 100 needles were found on the estate every week"
    Date: 1 November 2010
    Tony Molloy, our head of estate services, describes his role in the remarkable transformation of Priory Green estate.
  • The Crown Estate consultation
    Date: 27 October 2010
    I'm pleased that the Crown Estate consultation with residents is now underway.
  • The Comprehensive Spending Review
    Date: 26 October 2010
    Last week's spending review has created a strong reaction in the housing sector.
  • Glass half empty
    Date: 20 October 2010
    Planned cuts of at least 50 per cent to the national housing budget will have a devastating impact on the sector's ability to fund new affordable homes and create jobs.
  • Widening the conversation
    Date: 18 October 2010
    Over the next few weeks I’ll be inviting Peabody staff from across the organisation to contribute to my blog.
  • 10 years of the Sundial Centre
    Date: 15 October 2010
    Last week we celebrated the 10-year anniversary of our pioneering community centre in Tower Hamlets for older people, the Sundial Centre.
  • Good news!
    Date: 12 October 2010
    We've been named by The Crown Estate as the prospective purchaser of its four London housing estates.
  • Look before you leap
    Date: 17 September 2010
    The government must handle reform of housing benefit carefully to protect the most vulnerable people in our society.
  • Connaught
    Date: 15 September 2010
    I was saddened by recent events at social housing contractor Connaught, which has gone into administration with the loss of some 1,400 jobs.
  • Things fall apart
    Date: 1 September 2010
    The no-ball cricketing scandal has re-inforced my belief in the vital importance of having principles.
  • Mr Geoff Bacon
    Date: 1 September 2010
    I was very saddened to hear of the recent death of Mr Geoff Bacon, who was the victim of a violent attack earlier this year and did not recover from his injuries.
  • Blazing a trail
    Date: 31 August 2010
    I am delighted that Peabody has been mentioned in a report funded by the Baring Foundation and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
  • Building a great future
    Date: 30 August 2010
    If you haven't already, why not check out our new publication, Great futures: An insight into Peabody, our customers and our great future together.
  • Late summer break
    Date: 2 August 2010
    I’m now away with my family for a couple of weeks.
  • Under pressure
    Date: 30 July 2010
    A recurring theme during my meetings with London MPs was concern over impending changes to housing benefit.
  • Getting up to speed
    Date: 29 July 2010
    This week I met with Osborne Chief Executive David Fison. As you may know, Osborne took over our repairs and maintenance service on 17 May.
  • The graduate
    Date: 23 July 2010
    A recent highlight for me was attending my son's graduation ceremony at the University of Leeds. He's just completed a degree in English.
  • Getting from A to B
    Date: 21 July 2010
    The Tube is an essential service for Peabody residents and vital to London's growth and prosperity. This is why I have added my voice to a call to protect it from cuts.
  • Growing communities
    Date: 20 July 2010
    On Monday I visited St Paul's primary school in Whitechapel, where Peabody's Activate London programme has been involved in making a vegetable garden for students and the local community.
  • Collaborative working the only way to deal with overcrowding
    Date: 19 July 2010
    I welcome the focus given to collaborative working between housing associations and London councils in the mayor's action plan to tackle overcrowding.
  • End of an era
    Date: 21 June 2010
    The end of an era in which investment in housing was used to drive economic growth is at hand.
  • The importance of being independent
    Date: 20 June 2010
    With the TSA set to be scrapped, it is imperative that the government’s new arrangements preserve the independence of regulation.
  • Outstanding services to the community
    Date: 18 June 2010
    At a showcase event in London’s Living Room City Hall we celebrated the achievements of our landmark community services directorate and marked the retirement of inspirational founder Maura Santos.
  • Rudi Vis
    Date: 15 June 2010
    I am saddened to learn that Rudi Vis, until recently the MP for Finchley and Golders Green, has died after a short battle with cancer.
  • Going digital
    Date: 9 June 2010
    We're developing projects to help more people access digital technologies.
  • Lift off
    Date: 17 May 2010
    Today is a momentous day – it's the day Osborne take over our responsive repairs service.
  • New kids on the block
    Date: 14 May 2010
    With the coalition government now reality – perhaps for 5 years – I hope fresh energy and ideas will be brought to bear on some of the big challenges ahead.
  • Topping out at Peabody Avenue
    Date: 12 May 2010
    I was proud to attend a ‘topping out’ ceremony at our Pimlico estate, Peabody Avenue, earlier in the week.
  • A hard day's night
    Date: 7 May 2010
    Like many people I stayed up very late last night following the election results – although perhaps not as late as the BBC's David Dimbleby, who was still going strong last time I checked!
  • WiFi on Whitecross
    Date: 7 May 2010
    This time last week I attended the opening of a new community centre and free WiFi service on our Whitecross estate in Islington.
  • Osborne - a 21st century quality service
    Date: 28 April 2010
    Residents have led the way in choosing Osborne, one of the UK’s top construction and property service companies, to provide our repairs and maintenance service.
  • Regeneration and renewal
    Date: 26 April 2010
    A visit to the north east of England last week had me mulling over the challenges facing housing associations as they seek to regenerate communities.
  • Getting better all the time
    Date: 12 April 2010
    Our regulator, the Tenant Services Authority, has upgraded its judgement of Peabody to reflect our strong financial position and commitment to further improving our services.
  • The space is out there
    Date: 7 April 2010
    Attractive new housing schemes can entice under-occupying residents to downsize to homes more suited to their needs, freeing up larger homes for overcrowded families.
  • London... activated
    Date: 1 April 2010
    I'm thrilled with the progress of Activate London, our well-being programme funded by the Big Lottery Fund.
  • A visit from Winston Churchill
    Date: 26 March 2010
    A trawl through the archives reveals an extraordinary visit to Peabody Avenue, our estate in Pimlico, by a certain cigar-smoking politician...
  • Budgeting for an uncertain future
    Date: 25 March 2010
    First thoughts on Wednesday's Budget.
  • The new working poor?
    Date: 23 March 2010
    Increasing numbers of people in London earn too much to qualify for social housing but not enough to afford a home on the open market.
  • Alfred the Great
    Date: 12 March 2010
    A volunteer at our Pembury Neighbourhood Learning Centre in Hackney is among those helping to turn the area around.
  • A real sense of purpose
    Date: 5 March 2010
    It was great to meet the housing MP Ian Austin earlier this week when he visited the Gateway, our Neighbourhood Learning Centre in Southwark.
  • London among the winners on the day
    Date: 1 March 2010
    So England lost the rugby... but it was good to be at the match.
  • Six Nations rugby
    Date: 26 February 2010
    Here's to a good match at Twickenham tomorrow!
  • The proof is in the pudding
    Date: 25 February 2010
    It is hard to disagree with the overall goals of the Conservative's planning green paper, but it remains to be seen exactly how they will be achieved.
  • More for less
    Date: 8 February 2010
    Investing in housing is an incredibly cost effective way to boost economic recovery, generating jobs and helping to create thriving, sustainable communities.
  • Mental health is all of our business
    Date: 4 February 2010
    At the first London well-being conference we debated how to tackle issues facing people who suffer mental health problems.
  • The Audit Commission report
    Date: 4 February 2010
    Today the Audit Commission publishes the report on its short notice inspection of Peabody.
  • Monday... the best day of the week
    Date: 29 January 2010
    The undoubted highlight of my week was attending the opening of Orchard Hill College's new education centre at our BedZED development in Sutton.
  • We're still open
    Date: 13 January 2010
    Our work doesn't stop, even in the coldest weather.