Trust Information

When the Trust was set up over 20 years ago, Orbit Housing Association was a non-charitable organisation and we felt that the time was right to establish a new body which would be the "charitable arm" of the group. Although legally independent, the Trust had close operational links with the Association and a common purpose.

 

Life is very different now. Since 1989, Orbit has grown and evolved into a much bigger organisation with charitable subsidiaries, but the relationship with the Trust has been maintained through funding and by acting as our agent in the provision of services to groups of our beneficiaries. We have, however, secured our own income stream outside of Orbit through the community alarm rentals which has enabled us to make significant grants to such organisations as HACT and Care & Repair England.

 

Our 20th anniversary last year was an opportunity to both look back on what we have achieved and to look forward to a new role for the Trust. Whilst we hope to continue to assist Orbit residents and customers, we are looking at forming strategic partnerships with others and to develop more independent sources of
income. As such, we will move away from predominately making grants to
individuals towards project-based work, although we will always be there to support the truly vulnerable members of the community.

 

One avenue that we are pursuing is to work with Age Concern Warwickshire on piloting the emerging technologies for older people to enable them to live an independent life in their own homes.This partnership may, in the longer term, lead to a closer relationship but, for now, we are looking to continue working with a wide range of bodies that share our goals.

 

We have had stable governance throughout the 21 years, but three trustees who have stood down are Ron Crewes, our founder chairman, Keith Arnold and Joan Christodoulou and we thank them for their contribution. We have a responsibility to continue the work which our founder patron Len Murray championed all those years ago and the current trustees are determined that we will build on his legacy.

 

List of beneficiaries

 

Over the last 20 years, we have given over £600,000 to organisations and individuals, including:

 

  • Age Concern Warwickshire
  • Care & Repair England
  • Coventry Church (Municipal) Charities
  • Housing Associations' Charitable Trust
  • Peter Le Marchant Trust
  • Relief (Hastings Area Community Trust)
  • Rotary Club of Coventry Breakfast
  • The Foresters Fund for Children
  • Volunteer Centre, Stratford-upon-Avon
  • Acorn Court, Coventry
  • Ashcroft Project, Sheringham
  • Beauchamp House, Warwick
  • Coundon Road Project, Coventry
  • Coventry Mind
  • Deepmore Road, Rugby
  • Deneside House, Great Yarmouth
  • Heathcote House, Brandon
  • Jasmine Green Housing Project, Lowestoft
  • Mother & Baby Unit, Bristol
  • NACRO, Coventry
  • Nene Valley Family Refuge, Northampton
  • Optua, Kesgrave
  • Rene England House, Leamington Spa
  • Springfield House, Milton Keynes
  • The Meadows Community Group, Burbage
  • Warwickshire Housing/Drug Support Scheme
  • Wellington Road, Dereham
  • YMCA, Burton-upon-Trent

 

Clients of Orbit Group's Care & Repair Projects covering:

  • Burton-upon-Trent
  • Coventry
  • Norwich
  • Rugby
  • Stafford
  • Suffolk