For Arena Housing Group, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is not an optional extra. It is central to what we do and we aim to integrate CSR into all of our core business activities. We invest in housing for the long-term, often building and managing homes in fragile neighbourhoods and sometimes for vulnerable people. If we do not make long-term decisions that take into account the wider implications of what we do for the communities in which we work, our business will fail.

We think that it is vital for us to be accountable to our stakeholders regarding our approach to social responsibility, and we are committed to reviewing our strategic business objectives in the context of their views. We intend to manage our CSR activity through a steering group that will meet twice a year and will include representatives from across Arena Housing Group and its subsidiaries. Our priorities for the coming year are to develop and implement CSR action plans across four key areas - performance, environment, people and communities.

Research published this year showed that 50% of housing association tenants of working age, and 80% of those under 24, were not in work. Addressing this issue will be a key priority for us and our subsidiary Arena Future has the specific aim of ensuring that we maximise the training and employment opportunities that our business activities provide for residents.

If you are one of our customers, staff, partners or suppliers and you want to know more about our CSR activity, the downloadable report is for you. It confirms what we stand for, shares what we have achieved so far and outlines our priorities for the future.

Anne Flynn
Group Board Corporate Social Responsibility Champion