Connexus Annual Report 2023

In a year filled with unprecedented challenges, Connexus has demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and unwavering commitment to its objective to provide good quality, affordable homes and services to our customers. Despite the uncertainty in our operating environment
made worse by high inflation, we have managed to navigate through difficult times and achieve significant milestones that will strengthen our position for the future.

As we look ahead, the organisation’s finances are strong. Funding is in place for the next three years, and this supports the investment initiatives that we plan to deliver in the 2023-26 corporate plan which will improve the quality and energy efficiency of homes for our customers. 

We have a programme of continuous improvement in place to ensure our services are efficient, effective, and meet the needs of our customers. This involves a number of projects that will transform the way in which we deliver our services and we started with making significant changes to our repairs services this year. My thanks go to all our colleagues and external partners who have worked so hard on making these changes happen, and I look forward to seeing and hearing from our customers how these service improvements have delivered real benefits.

In this my first annual review, I would also like to thank John Barker who stepped down in October 2022 as chair of the Connexus Board, for his commitment and leadership over the past three years. I would also like to thank Richard Woolley, our chief executive, who will be leaving us in November this year after over four years with Connexus. Richard has seen many changes and leaves us in a strong position to become a leading organisation nationally, renowned for its expertise in the rural communities of which we are so proud. I thank him for his passion for Connexus and its customers, and the strong personal commitment he has had in his career to social housing more generally. A new chief executive, Kate Smith, will join us next year from Anchor Hanover and I look forward to working with her on the delivery of our corporate plan, built on these strong foundations.

Michele Ibbs

Chair of the Board