Chief Executive

ABOUT US

The Atrium Group is a forwarding looking and ambitious organisation, with a clear plan for the future.

The parent of the Group, Atrium Homes, is a Company Limited by Guarantee, a registered Social Landlord and a Scottish Charity.  It was incorporated in 1998 and it has been delivering landlord services since September 2000. During that time, Atrium has overcome many obstacles and seized many opportunities to become the successful, robust and resilient organisation that it is today.

Atrium Homes owns over 1300 properties (including lock-up garages) throughout East and South Ayrshire and its vision is delivering quality affordable homes, sustainable communities and life chances for people. We cater for a broad spectrum of housing needs and have a clear social purpose in striving to help a wide cross section of people. At every level of the organisation, from the Boardroom to the front line, we work to ensure that our customers receive a first class service and are able to enjoy the benefits of living in an Atrium home.

The Group includes Atrium Initiatives, a subsidiary company set up in 2005 to explore opportunities that Atrium’s charitable status does not allow for. Atrium Initiatives operates as a separate arms-length company to deliver a range of complementary housing services under several distinct brands.

Choice Places is the largest such brand and it has provided factoring services to owners in Atrium’s mixed tenure estates since 2007; whilst Choice Lets owns, manages and lets market rented properties in Kilmarnock.  The subsidiary has also provided development support services as well as interim director services to several other organisations.

Between 2006 and 2020 we added over 400 new properties to our portfolio through new build development and a further 30 through ad hoc acquisitions. Approximately two thirds of our properties were built in the mid to late 20^th century and many are of non-traditional construction. To address the differences in standard of property between these and our new builds, we have recently updated our Business Plan, and focussed the organisation on delivering around £12million investment in our older homes by 2025, to both achieve Scottish Government quality standards and to bring them to our own Homes Fit For 21^st Century Living Standard (HFF21CLS).  We have procured a framework of contractors to deliver the programme, and whilst the Covid-19 epidemic has interrupted delivery, we aim to get it back on track in 2022.

We still have aspirations to grow and are actively buying “second-hand homes” with Scottish Government subsidy, to improve and add to our rental portfolio. In addition, we have further new build opportunities to explore and may pursue them, if they meet our value for money tests.

As a Group, we are passionate about the homes and the services we provide and, as an organisation we are constantly evolving. We make customers the focus of everything we do, with a clear commitment to continuously improving efficiency, performance, and value for money. We are investing in technology and digital services, to help improve service delivery across our diverse communities. We invest in our people, value our staff team and, have a strong ethos of professionalism and respect.

The Group as a whole is financially robust. At 31 March 2021, Atrium Homes reported an annual turnover of £5.84 million, a surplus of £1.15 million and had cash reserves of £4.54 million. Atrium Initiatives posted a pre-tax profit for the year of £51k against a turnover of £474k and in the last three financial years, Atrium Initiatives has contributed over £100k in gift aid to Atrium Homes.

Atrium Homes is governed by a Board of voluntary serving non-executive directors, with an expansive range of skills, experience and knowledge. Atrium Initiatives has a Board (which includes senior staff) appointed by the Board of Atrium Homes. We have a total staff team of 28 employees (Atrium Homes acts as the Group’s employer) who work across both companies, with service costs being charged back and forward as necessary. The Group is led by the Chief Executive and managed by an Executive Team of 3 senior staff, with an operational and business support structure that is agile and responsive.

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