An introduction from Gentoo's Customer Committee
We’ve just marked the first anniversary of our Customer Committee and what a year it’s been.
From our very first meeting in November 2023, it was clear this wasn’t just a tick-box exercise. Gentoo genuinely wanted to put customers at the heart of decision-making, and we’ve seen that commitment in action.
We care deeply about our communities and want to see real improvements in social housing. Meeting every two months, we’ve had direct conversations with Board members, scrutinised policies, and helped shape how services are delivered. It’s not just talk, our feedback is being acted on.
One of the biggest changes we’ve helped drive is how Gentoo responds to damp and mould. Together, we’ve worked to create a more empathetic, customer-friendly approach. It’s not just about fixing the issue it’s about how customers are treated throughout the process. That shift matters.
We’ve also influenced how Gentoo communicates with customers, especially around sensitive topics like rent updates. By sharing our own experiences, we’ve helped make sure the messaging is clear, respectful, and informative.
We’ve represented Gentoo nationally, contributing to the Social Housing Quality Resident Panel and sharing our views directly with government ministers. It’s empowering to know our voices are being heard at the highest levels.
We’re proud that Gentoo received the highest C1 grading for delivering the Consumer Standards - a recognition of how customer involvement is driving real change.
We will strive keep that grade by actively working for Gentoo customers ensuring we work together and continue with excellent service for the community.
As involved customers, we’ve worked closely with Gentoo on many of the improvement themes in this year’s Customer Annual Report and we’re proud of what it represents.
We know how important it is for customers to understand where their rent goes and how Gentoo invests in homes and communities. That’s why we helped shape the content of this report to make sure it’s relevant, transparent, and easy to understand.
We’ve seen first-hand how customer feedback can lead to real change. Whether it’s influencing policies, improving communication, or shaping services, your voice matters.
We’d encourage you to take a look and if you feel inspired, get involved. Together, we can keep making Gentoo better for all of us.
Want to shape the future of Gentoo? Email: customerinvolvement@gentoogroup.com
28,500 Homes
60,000 Customers
1,000 + Colleagues
79% of colleagues live in Sunderland
£5 million in additional benefits and discounts for customers
We will invest £467 million over the next 5 years to maintain and modernise our homes and estates
£1 million a week invested in existing properties
79% of homes are EPC C or above
19,000 people on Gentoo's social housing list
405 new homes for private sale by 2029
G1, C1, V2 regulatory governance
700 new affordable homes built by 2029
76% overall customer satisfaction (IFF independent score)
We're always looking for ways to improve the services we provide and the best way to do that is by listening to you.
That’s why Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) are so important. They’re a set of standards introduced by the Regulator of Social Housing to help us understand how well we’re meeting your needs.
TSMs focus on the things that matter most to you, like:
When we gather feedback for the TSMs, you might be contacted by IFF Research. They are an independent research agency.
You may be contacted by:
Taking part is completely voluntary. If you’d prefer not to take part, just let the surveyor know and you won’t receive any further contact.
Thank you for helping us shape better services, your voice really does make a difference.
Your feedback helps shape the way we work. TSMs give us a clear picture of what’s working and where we need to do better. They also make it easier for you to see how we’re performing and to hold us accountable.
Our customer excellence promise
This year, we’ve delivered over 7,000 hours of customer excellence and complaints training for our colleagues focused on delivering the best possible service, every time. At the heart of the training is our new CARE model (Clear, Assured, Respectful, Empathetic). These four values guide every conversation, visit, and interaction ensuring you feel listened to, understood, and supported.
Our Tenant Satisfaction Measures for 2024 - 2025
Where your rent is spent
We are a not-for-profit housing association, which means that every penny we receive in rent and service charges is reinvested into delivering high-quality homes and services for customers. Our core purpose is to provide safe and decent homes for our customers of today and tomorrow and to do that, we need to ensure that our rents are both fair and affordable for everyone.
We regularly review our rents and service charges to make sure they reflect local affordability and meet the expectations of customers. This helps us strike the right balance between keeping costs manageable for customers and maintaining the quality of our homes and services.
Below, you can see a breakdown of how we have spent your rent and service charges so you can see exactly how your money is helping to support your home and your community.
Repairs and Maintenance: £36.7m
Fixing things when they break like plumbing, heating or windows.
Investment plan: £50.2m
Improving our homes such as making them more energy efficient with better insulation or new windows.
Interest payments: £29.5m
We borrow money to invest in our homes and services, this covers paying back the interest on those loans.
Service Charge costs: £5.0m
If you have shared spaces (like gardens, lifts or cleaning services), this helps cover those costs.
Management and running costs: £26.9m
The day-to-day running of Gentoo, like staff wages and office costs.
Planned maintenance: £7.0m
This covers annual maintenance on things like lifts and fire doors.
Your safety and comfort are our top priorities. Everyone deserves to feel safe, comfortable, and proud of where they live. That’s why we’ve made big changes to how we tackle damp and mould, with a new approach that puts you first.
Over the past year, we’ve taken a more proactive, customer-focused, and caring approach to dealing with damp and mould. We’ve always taken these issues seriously, but now we’re doing even more to respond quickly, support you throughout the process, and prevent problems from coming back.
We’ve listened to your feedback and taken real action. In the last year, we’ve carried out over 19,644 repairs in 4,356 homes from small fixes to full treatments. And we’re not stopping there. We’re keeping in touch with you as part of our aftercare process, which is how we continue to support you once the work is done. Whether it’s checking in, offering advice, or helping with any questions, we’re here to make sure everything keeps working as it should. So far, 3,818 homes* are being supported through our aftercare process.
*figure correct as of June 2025
A new approach
We’ve changed the way we work to make things easier and more reassuring for you:
We won’t just fix the problem and walk away. Our case coordinators check in with you after 8 weeks and again 12 months after work is done to make sure the issue hasn’t come back. It’s all part of our promise to stay with you every step of the way.
We’ve also introduced a new Damp and Mould Policy that puts your wellbeing first. It’s based on a zero-tolerance approach and was shaped with customers. We’ve also created easy-to-follow guides to help you spot and report any issues early.
You can read them both on our website: www.gentoogroup.com/damp
And with our new customer database system, our teams can now see everything in one place so we can respond quicker and keep you updated every step of the way.
We’ve also trained our staff to spot signs early, improved how we inspect homes, and proactively target the neighbourhoods most affected. And with 79% of customers saying their home feels safe, we’re proud of the progress but we’re not stopping there. We’re committed to doing better by listening to you, training our teams, and taking action early.
From 27 October, Awaab’s Law will require all social landlords to fix serious issues like damp and mould within strict legal timeframes.
This means emergency repairs must be completed within 24 hours and damp and mould problems must be investigated and resolved quickly.
We are fully committed to acting fast and keeping your home safe. If you notice any signs of damp, mould, or other hazards, please report them to us immediately so we can take action.
Awaab’s Law is here to protect you, and so are we.
We believe the best ideas come from the people who know our communities best, you. Over the past year, your feedback has helped shape real change, from neighbourhood improvements to service redesigns.
In 2024-25, we hosted 13 Customer and Community Voice meetings across Sunderland. These sessions gave customers the chance to raise concerns, share ideas, and work with us to improve their neighbourhoods.
To watch a video and feel the difference customer involvement makes visit: vimeo.com/1098125695/
You said, we did
Find out where it's going to be at www.gentoogroup.com/hereforyou
Want to get involved with Gentoo? Visit www.gentoogroup.com/get-involved
Your Gentoo Voice
More than 1,400 customers are now part of Your Gentoo Voice, our digital platform where you can share feedback, ideas, and help shape the services that matter most to you.
Thanks to your input this year, we’ve made real improvements, including:
You can read them on our website www.gentoogroup.com/servicestandards
Your Gentoo Voice at a glance
2,000 + project views
350 + responses received
We’ve partnered with customers to review and redesign services through several major initiatives:
Tpas accreditation assessment
Tpas is a national organisation that helps customers and landlords work together to improve housing services. They support customers involvement making sure customers like you can have a say in decisions that affect your home and community. The accreditation is a nationally recognised award that shows a landlord is excellent at involving customers in decisions about their homes and communities. 20+ customers helped review our self-assessment and evidence. We expect to know if we’ve got this in 2025.
Complaints Self-Assessment
In May 2024, customers helped validate our approach to ensure we meet the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code.
Gentogether tender process
Customers joined interview panels and helped select contractors for our long-term home improvement programme.
Empty Homes Deep Dive
Community Fund redesign
Customers told us the current process was outdated. Together, we co-designed:
Your voice continues to shape the way we work. Whether it’s through meetings, digital platforms, or community events, your feedback helps us build stronger, more responsive services.
Community is more than just a place, it’s a feeling and we want to help communities to thrive. Whether it’s festive celebrations, career-building opportunities, or green-fingered fun, we’re
proud to support our customers in ways that make a real difference, season after season.
Bringing people together
From The Big Lunch at Farringdon Youth and Community Centre to another sold-out family fun day in the summer, we want to create moments that matter. With glitter face painting, teddy bear adoptions, planting competitions, and free school uniforms, our events are made possible by generous partners and volunteers.
Festive magic for all
Following the success of our first summery fun day event, we kicked off the festive season with over 1,000 customers for a magical family fun day at the Beacon of Light complete with football, bouncy castles, UV dance parties, gingerbread decorating, and a visit from Santa and Mrs Claus! Families also enjoyed free food, arts and crafts, and pr-eloved winter clothing and gifts.
The festive cheer continued with:
Giving back
In 2024, Gentoo colleagues raised an incredible £10,928 for Sunderland children’s charity Love, Amelia. From summer BBQs and sponsored runs to raffles, tuck shops, and payroll giving, our teams went above and beyond. We also rolled up our sleeves to volunteer at the charity’s warehouse and supported key campaigns, donating over 2,000 back-to-school kits, 250 Christmas presents, and thoughtful gifts for Mother’s Day.
This partnership is especially meaningful, as many of the families supported by Love, Amelia live in our homes. Together, we’re making a real difference to address the challenges in our community. And it doesn’t stop there, watch this space!
Building brighter futures
We’re passionate about helping young people thrive. Through the Gentoo Trades Academy, in partnership with Sunderland College and Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, 14–16-year-olds are gaining hands-on experience in construction—plus mentorship and real career pathways.
We also welcomed our largest-ever group of 28 new apprentices, continuing our proud tradition of creating over 350 opportunities since 2001.
As part of our commitment to our customers and communities to help them thrive, we guarantee interviews for customers and any young person leaving care.
Greener, happier communities
Our communities are blooming!
Going the egg-stra mile
Our Easter campaign delivered essential support to families across Sunderland. With the help of generous contractors and colleagues, we created and delivered over 80 Easter hampers filled with food staples, toiletries, and chocolate treats, bringing comfort and joy to customers facing the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Strong communities are the foundation of a thriving society. That’s why our Aspire grant programme is dedicated to supporting grassroots organisations that bring people together, promote wellbeing, and create opportunities for all.
Aspire grants offer an opportunity for people to make a positive difference in our communities, whether that be through sports clubs, wellbeing services or community events. What makes this programme unique is that Gentoo customers are at the heart of the decision-making process, with each grant approved by our involved customers.
In the past year, we awarded 50 grants totalling £22,142 to local groups across Sunderland. These small but powerful investments are helping to build safer, more connected, and more inclusive communities, many of which directly benefit customers.
Highlights
If you or someone you know could benefit from an Aspire grant visit www.gentoogroup.com/aspire
We’re proud to share the success of a £19 million regeneration project that’s transformed over 1,100 homes in Pennywell.
Since October 2022, we worked alongside our partners at RE:GEN Group to deliver a wide range of improvements that have made homes warmer, more energy-efficient, and more secure.
More than 1,100 homes have received upgrades such as new roofs, windows, loft insulation, and improved fencing and gates. These changes have not only enhanced the appearance of the estate but also improved comfort and reduced energy costs for customers.
We used a ‘whole house’ approach, which looks at how all the parts of your home work together, rather than just improving one thing or area. This way, we can give you the best results, helping you stay warm, save money, and reduce energy waste.
We have a wide range of upgrades, including:
864 new roofs
1,510 new fences
190 new walls and 99 wall repairs
905 lofts insulated
870 new windows
838 steel gates installed
42 garage conversions
828 outhouses rendered
Our commitment goes beyond bricks and mortar. We are committed to investing in the communities we serve. That’s why this project also delivered around £900,000 in social and local economic value. We launched The Bread and Butter Thing (TBBT), a mobile food club offering affordable foods and access to support services. We also invested nearly £30,000 in the Pennywell Community Centre, created employment and training opportunities, and carried out local litter picks to help keep the area clean and welcoming.
Find out more about how we supported Pennywell Community Centre vimeo.com/901457769
Customers living in the area gave us overwhelmingly positive feedback, over 92% of customers said they were satisfied with the improvements.
This work is part of our wider five-year investment plan, which will see over £200 million invested in existing homes and neighbourhoods across Sunderland.
Rose Taylor who has lived in her Pennywell home for 52 years, said: “I’ve had new fencing, windows and a new garage roof. It’s been wonderful. The house is a lot warmer, and the team were really good. It’s made a big difference to Pennywell.”
Thank you to all our customers in Pennywell for your support and feedback.
Our customers have always been at the heart of everything we do. But in 2025, we’re stepping it up.
We’re building on what matters most, your voice, your needs, your neighbourhoods and taking meaningful steps to make sure that support goes further and reaches more people.
We're hitting the road with our Mobile Housing Hub
You asked for more accessible, face-to-face support and we listened. This summer, we’re launching our Mobile Housing Hub, a travelling service that brings our team directly to your neighbourhood.
Whether you want to talk about:
You’ll be able to speak to us in person, right where you live. We’ll be visiting community hotspots across Sunderland all summer long.
Your voice matters more than ever
Our new Customer Engagement Strategy 2025–2027 is all about making it easier and more meaningful for you to connect with us, so we can build better relationships and improve our services. Here’s how:
Our goals for 2025 and beyond