All change for one of the country's oldest oldest housing and care groups

One of Scotland’s oldest housing and care groups has launching a new strategy to give sectors of the company equal priority after deciding their current strategy doesn’t speak to 90 per cent of their tenants.
Bobby Duffy of ArkBobby Duffy of Ark
Bobby Duffy of Ark

Ark was founded by a group of worshippers from the Morningside Baptist Church in Edinburgh 1977 as a way to help one parishioner with learning difficulties move home within the community.

Now, they employ more than 900 people to give support to adults with ongoing care requirements as well as their families.

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After speaking to 600 tenants Ark has decided to re-brand to better serve their community.

Chief Executive of the organisation, Bobby Duffy, said: “We have decided to drop the housing association part of our name and simply be known as Ark. It means housing and care now have equal priority.”

“We are driven by our social purpose and the future success of Ark will be measured by the social impact we have on our community. Our new vision and mission will therefore reflect our ambitions as an organisation who seeks to have a positive impact on the lives of our community now- and our community of the future”.

Mr Duffy added that the management wants to reassure its community that it will make clear plans for the future through these difficult times.

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Ark – which will now drop ‘housing association’ from its name – has developed a business plan that will lay the foundations of a long-term strategy that will see the transformation of the organisation over the next five years and beyond.

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