It’s Officially Ours!

YMCA Heart of England are delighted to announce that we officially completed the purchase of 83 homes from the UK’s largest housing association, Clarion Housing Group in September 2024. 

The homes which are all a part of a dedicated supported housing scheme at The Orchard, 302 Reservoir Road, Erdington, Birmingham, B23 6DF provide 83 units of supported accommodation to the local community of Erdington in Birmingham. 

Tom Jackson, YMCA Heart of England’s Director of Operations, said “We are thrilled that we have been able to purchase The Orchard. These are homes and residents we know very well, as we have managed this accommodation for Clarion since it was built in 2009, so practically it made sense for us to become the new landlord. We hope that by bringing these homes into our ownership, we will simplify and optimise the services that residents receive”

Pauline Tomlinson, Chief Executive Office at YMCA Heart of England added: “We are delighted to complete the purchase of The Orchard. The acquisition underlines our commitment to the local community by bringing the accommodation into the ownership of our YMCA we believe that this will enable us to better meet the diverse needs of our residents. This includes single parents, young people who have experienced numerous challenges and need safe and secure homes. Ownership of these 83 units of accommodation will enable us to continue to embed and co-design programmes so young people can reimagine their future opportunities, as we continue to work alongside them to help instil hope and a sense of purpose for their future ahead”. 

YMCA Heart of England is an independent Christian charity and a registered social landlord that provides a range of accommodation and support services for local people in their communities. They aim to provide critical foundations for young people, including a place of safety and security which is the first step in establishing a secure basis to enable them to have a better quality of life so they can truly thrive and contribute. If you want to support the work that we do or find out more about the services we provide, visit https://ymcaheartofengland.org.uk/  

To celebrate the purchase of The Orchard, we will be hosting an official celebratory event on 7th February 2025 at 11.30am at the neighbouring Coppice office, 301 Reservoir Road, B23 6DF, where we look forward to welcoming stakeholders, partners and community members.