12 May 2023
Reflecting on Pride 2022
Ahead of Pride month 2023, our LGBTQ+ Employee Network Group, Spectrum, reflect on their time at Brighton Pride in 2022.
07 Nov 2022
Stonewater helps employees become homeowners
The myOwnHome scheme has helped more than 30 colleagues to buy their own homes so far.
14 Jun 2022
The importance of digital upskilling
The coronavirus pandemic put into sharp focus just how important it is to have essential digital skills. From staying connected to loved ones to buying food, being able to easily get online was a necessity – especially as most of the country’s workforce was required to work from home for the first time in their careers.
16 Mar 2022
New way of working is a win-win
Stonewater’s new hybrid working model is based on flexibility and accommodating how each individual wants to work in order to achieve the best results for themselves, our customers and the organisation.
23 Feb 2022
A safe space to breathe
February is dedicated to LGBTQ+ History Month, an annual celebration that allows us to reflect on the past and what has been achieved to promote equality for all, whilst also highlighting what more must be done.
17 Dec 2021
myOwnHome: new employee benefit inspires home ownership
Anne-Marie Alexander, Commercial Services Team Leader, was stunned to learn that she could achieve her goals of homeownership thanks to Stonewater’s myOwnHome – an innovative employee benefits scheme designed to allow colleagues to overcome barriers preventing them from owning their own home, through shared ownership.
02 Sep 2021
Starts at Home: Maddie’s story
Stonewater currently provides safe accommodation and specialist support to 521 people across its supported housing and domestic abuse services.
02 Aug 2021
Ex-serviceman finds his feet with self-build scheme
Gavin Owens left the army in 2010 after six and a half years of service. Many veterans leave the military with mental and physical injuries. For Gavin, a serious head injury meant that he was unable to find suitable employment and he ended up unable to support himself financially.
26 Jul 2021
Ex-serviceman finds a new start thanks to self-build
From cold winter months sleeping in his van to now having his own cosy home and a new cyber security career in sight, it’s full steam ahead for one ex-serviceman.
15 Jul 2021
85-year-old veteran uses his skills to support community self-build scheme
The end of 2020 was strikingly downbeat for many but for one 85-year-old, retired, ex-serviceman there were a number of reasons to smile.
12 Apr 2021
How shared ownership helped one married couple buy a home
In Market Harborough, a market town nestled within the Harborough district of Leicestershire, lies a stunning development of new-build affordable homes.
25 Jan 2021
Freedom Programme
Sandra (not her real name) was an older woman referred to Stonewater’s Freedom Programme by a local Council and had experienced abuse throughout her 40-year marriage.
25 Jan 2021
South Asian Women's Refuge - Yasmin
Yasmin (not her real name) is a 30-year-old Bangladeshi woman with young children. She experienced significant domestic abuse from her husband, which had also escalated towards her two girls.
08 Jan 2021
Achieving home ownership dream in time for Christmas
Mother-of-three Nicola Henderson is over the moon to finally realise her family’s dream of home ownership thanks to a leading housing provider’s innovative employee benefit scheme. Nicola, Lettings Team Leader at Stonewater for the last four years, describes how myOwnHome has been the step-up onto the property ladder they needed.
16 Oct 2020
16 October 2020: Starting over in the middle of a pandemic
A year on from joining the Stonewater Homes team as a Property Manager, Rachel Lifton was in a position to make use of an employee benefit scheme that would enable her to overcome the barriers preventing her from becoming an independent homeowner – even during a pandemic. Here, she shares her house buying experience and why the myOwnHome scheme was pivotal in making it possible.
16 Oct 2020
16 October 2020: The importance of community
~ How one Stonewater colleague was able to buy a home in an area she felt connected to ~
There have been many lessons learned over recent months during the coronavirus pandemic, the importance of being part of a thriving and supportive community being one that most of us have recognised.
16 Oct 2020
16 October 2020: A housing association for colleagues and customers
~ A colleague from leading housing provider Stonewater explains how the organisation has helped her find a home ~
Last summer, Nick Harris, Chief Executive at Stonewater, made an announcement that changed the lives of many colleagues working for the housing provider, forever. To truly champion its mission of giving everyone the opportunity of having a place that they can call home, Stonewater announced that it would be launching its own specialist shared ownership scheme – exclusively for colleagues – called myOwnHome.
09 Oct 2020
9 October 2020: Becoming a tenant innovator by Steve Bladen
When I was invited to my first scrutiny panel meeting nearly two years ago, I had no idea what to expect. I would never have imagined Stonewater naming me as their ‘tenant innovator’ and putting me forward for an award, or even becoming vice chair of the panel. It has been a surreal journey so far, but one I am immensely proud of.
06 Jul 2020
6 July 2020: Rural housing is more than bricks and mortar
By Charlotte Brace, Special Projects Manager at Stonewater
For those of us working to keep #RuralCommunitiesTogether, Rural Housing Week is a great opportunity to explore the common challenges and rewards of developing this type of scheme and how further progress can be made to deliver more, much-needed affordable rural homes.
11 May 2020
Digital savvy Grace keeps in touch with loved ones during lockdown
Grace lives in one of Stonewater’s homes allocated for customers that are 50+. Recently and at the age of 79, Grace completed a six-week training course provided by Stonewater to improve her digital skills. Before retiring, Grace worked in an office and so was able to type but hadn’t really kept up to date with modern technology.
28 Apr 2020
Escaping the family home
RS is trans and experienced domestic abuse from her brother and father.
16 Mar 2020
From the frontline – what it’s like to work for Stonewater’s Safe Space for LGBT+ people
Manon Thomas talks to Inside Housing about what it's like to be a Specialist Coach at our LGBT+ Safe Space
13 Nov 2019
Waterworks Lane - veterans self-build project
Stonewater is leading an innovative community partnership to help armed forces veterans gain valuable construction skills, whilst building their own brand-new homes.
10 Sep 2019
Buying a home is simpler than you think
How shared ownership is making it possible for families to buy their own home
Pemberly is one of several Stonewater affordable housing communities in Weymouth, Dorset, which is enabling local people with strong links to the area to stay close to their family, friends and work.
30 Aug 2019
My baby and I were forced out of our home
After being made homeless by her husband and separated from her children, Mrs A turned to Stonewater’s South Asian Women’s Refuge (SAWR) for support. Here, Mrs A shares her journey so far and explains how her life has been transformed in just a few months.
29 Aug 2019
Escaping domestic abuse
After years of living as a victim of domestic abuse and battling depression, Mrs T couldn’t cope any longer. Following advice from her doctor, at aged 69 she decided to leave her home and seek asylum at Stonewater’s South Asian Women’s Refuge (SAWR). Here, Mrs T shares her story and reflects on the misconceptions she had about supported housing.
29 Aug 2019
Working towards independent living
Shane Isaac arrived at the Swindon Foyer in August 2016. The Foyer provides safe accommodation for people facing homelessness between the ages of 16 and 25, as well as ongoing support to help its resident reach their aspirations. Here, Shane reflects on his experience of supported housing and how the Foyer has helped him change his life for the better.
28 Aug 2019
Supporting women fleeing domestic abuse
Stonewater opened its Bedfordshire South Asian Women’s refuge (SAWR) in 2008. Since its opening, Shamela Khatun has worked at the refuge – that provides housing to women and children fleeing domestic abuse, honour based violence, forced marriage and modern slavery – as a coach. Here, she reflects on her role at the refuge and the importance of supported housing.
27 Aug 2019
Helping young families get the support they need
The Quay Foyer in Poole, Dorset, provides young families facing homelessness with temporary accommodation and support, to get them back on their feet. Natalia Kerr, a Senior Coach at the foyer, has worked in supported housing for a number of years and here, she explains what she enjoys most about her job.
05 Aug 2019
I no longer need to dream about becoming a homeowner
Donna Foster wanted nothing more than to buy her own home. Like many others, she had felt the overwhelming pressures to save a deposit and found herself getting nowhere closer to her goal.
05 Aug 2019
Buying would never have been possible
Megan Watton and her husband, Benjamin, moved into their three-bedroom house in Hereford just two weeks before welcoming their first son to the world.
05 Aug 2019
We love where we live, even more now it’s ours
The £200 million Voluntary Right to Buy (VRTB) pilot gave eligible tenants like Mr and Mrs Raj, the opportunity to purchase their home at Right to Buy level discounts.
08 Jul 2019
How the VRTB scheme helped one family buy a home in the perfect location
The cost of buying a house in rural areas like Warwickshire is on average 20 percent more expensive than a property in an urban district. For aspiring homeowners like Amanda Snelson, this makes taking that first step onto the property ladder even tougher.
26 Jun 2019
How the VRTB scheme helped a long-term Stonewater resident become a homeowner
When Helen Price tuned in to watch the news last year, her ears perked up as she heard about the Voluntary Right to Buy (VRTB) pilot taking place in the Midlands.
20 Jun 2019
Stonewater helps couple in Wincanton to buy their own home
Dominic and Katie Harding have always wanted to own their own home but with house prices in the South West continuing to rise at a faster rate than incomes, getting on the property ladder can seem impossible for families like the Hardings.
28 May 2019
Here, we explain how shared ownership has helped Anita purchase a home with Stonewater.
Anita had long term aspirations of owning her own home.
22 May 2019
Stonewater helps Herefordshire couple onto the property ladder
Kelly and Colin Hughes had always dreamed of owning their own home.
08 Mar 2019
South Asian Women’s Refuge (SAWR) – Mrs S
Mrs S came to Stonewater’s South Asian Women’s Refuge (SAWR) fleeing extreme levels of violence and abuse from her husband and in-laws. Forced into a marriage to an older man, she arrived in the UK to find that her husband had three children who she was expected to care for.
08 Mar 2019
South Asian Women’s Refuge (SAWR) – Mrs K
Mrs K was housed at SAWR after episodes of domestic abuse by her husband had escalated to also target the family’s two young children.
04 Mar 2019
Isle of Scilly residents settle in rural home
Earlier this month we were contacted by an elderly couple, Mr and Mrs Davis* who lived the Isle of Scilly but were looking to move to mainland England.
01 Mar 2019
Refurb brings a trip down memory lane back to life
After his son moved into a newly refurbished Williams Court in Bournemouth late last year, Robin Durnford spotted a photo on the wall. To his surprise, he saw himself in the picture aged 20, which was taken in 1955 whilst he was on leave from the Royal Navy.
27 Feb 2019
Helping residents live independently
At the end of 2017, Chris Jones, 61, moved into one of our retirement living schemes in Leominster. Chris had previously been suffering from ill health and had spent a long time in hospital, but now he lives fully independently after being discharged and housed at the scheme with other residents.
21 Feb 2019
Finding a home for those in need
Earlier this month, we rehomed Ms. Jones* and her three children within three days after they were left homeless.
04 Feb 2019
Maesdown Evercreech
Stonewater started work on this greenfield site in December 2016 with Winsley White Ltd (a contractor from Chilcompton) with support from both Mendip District Council and Evercreech Parish Council to deliver 30 affordable homes. These properties were made available to people with a local connection to Evercreech in the first instance with 20 homes available on an affordable rented basis and the remaining 10 homes available on a shared ownership basis.
30 Jan 2019
Lagland Street
In August 2018 we completed our development of 19 homes on the corners of Globe Lane and Lagland Street in Poole Town Centre, Dorset.
20 Dec 2018
Gender violence campaign marked by local refuge
As part of the ‘16 days of action to end gender violence’, an international campaign that challenges violence against all genders, staff at Stonewater’s Asian Women’s Refuge (SAWR) hosted an event to raise awareness and thank all of its stakeholders and the community for their ongoing support.
14 Dec 2018
Green-fingered youths make a difference in Swindon
Young people in Swindon have improved their local environment, as well as their gardening skills, by planting trees and fruits at their residential scheme.
07 Dec 2018
Stonewater staff and contractors give something back to residents for Christmas
Staff and contractors across the whole of Stonewater have pulled together to collect donations for residents and their families in the West this Christmas.
10 Oct 2018
After unsuccessfully applying for computer lessons at her local collage, Pauline found our digital sessions incredibly useful
Pauline, 71, suffers with bipolar disorder and is quite isolated. Although she has visits from her mental health key worker and is in touch with a few of her neighbours she is estranged from her family.