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 in 2009 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 will continue to assist Orbit residents and customers and others who apply to us direct, we are looking at forming strategic partnerships to develop more independent sources of income. As such, we will look to balance making grants to individuals with 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 UK Warwickshire and Warwick District Council on piloting the emerging technologies for older people to enable them to live an independent life in their own homes.

 

We have had stable governance throughout the 21 years, but four trustees who have stood down are Ron Crewes, our founder chairman, Keith Arnold, Joan Christodoulou and Michael Gledson. We are indebted to them all for their contribution.

 

Ron sadly died in September 2010, just six months after leaving the board. We have a responsibility to continue the work which Ron and our founder patron Len Murray championed all those years ago and the current trustees are determined that we will build on their legacy.

 

In February 2011, we appointed Linda O'Sullivan as our first director. Linda is a freelance service development consultant, whose clients include Age UK Warwickshire, for whom she was engaged as a fund-raiser. Linda comes with a proven track record of business development and an empathy with the work of the third sector.
 
Her appointment was initially for one year, but it has been extended to the end of August 2012.
 
The job description and person specification can be downloaded here.

 

Download
Job Description
Job Description for Trust Director post
Job description.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [48.1 KB]
Download
Person Specification
Person Specification for Trust Director Post
Person specification.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [50.5 KB]

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