Grangemouth housing & care group Ark reveals new name

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.

rk – which operates a care home and delivers care at home and housing support services in Grangemouth - will reshape as a modern, future-focused organisation that aims to positively impact on the lives of its tenants, supported people and staff.

Formed 43 years ago, it employs more than 900 people, and provides care, support and housing for adults with complex and enduring needs and their families, as well as general needs housing, across Scotland.

Ahead of the re-brand, it spoke to around 600 tenants, supported people and staff.

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Bobby Duffy, chief executive said the unprecedented level of engagement was vital in shaping its future path.

He said: “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.

“We aspire to be an organisation that is a provider of the highest quality of housing and care to our customers.”

Mr Duffy said that although the pandemic has created uncertainty, the management team had remained fully focused on reassuring its community and partners that it is a robust organisation.

He added: “This is a long term plan. We will have a specific focus for the years 2020-2025, but our ambitions for this organisation run beyond that.

“The level of transformation we wish to achieve will take time and we believe the strategic objectives we have set out in this first business plan, will prepare the ground for the transformation of Ark and deliver the change our community told us they want to see.

ARK Housing Association was established in Edinburgh in 1977 by a small group of parishioners from Morningside Baptist Church led by Rev Peter Bowes.

The founders were responding to the need of one parishioner with learning difficulties, who wanted to live in a house with support, in the community.

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