Riverside - Government report highlights £8.4 million local investment led by Riverside

12 February 2010

The Audit Commission, the organisation that inspects local public services, including housing associations, has identified Riverside’s investment in local communities as being something which other housing providers could learn from.

The report on the Audit Commission’s website highlights the success of Riverside’s Revitalisation Fund, which invests £400,000 each year into the local community.

Anne Quilter is Regeneration and Partnership Manager at Riverside and oversees the Revitalisation Fund. She explains, “Since the transfer of housing from Carlisle City Council in 2002 the Revitalisation Fund has provided core funding for a number of environmental, economic and social initiatives and projects in Carlisle and the surrounding area.”

“We are pleased that the Audit Commission has recognised the difference that we are making to the local community and the particular credit that they have given our efforts in attracting match funding to raise additional funding which has seen, since 2002, approximately 84 community projects receive a total of £8.4 million.”

The types of projects that have received funding include; helping people into training and employment, supporting the credit union, providing sporting and other diversionary activities for young people and other environmental projects.