Sixty Years of a Beacon of Hope
Posted on: 05 Jul 22
This year, Trident Group is celebrating our 60th Anniversary.
Going back to our roots as Templefield Housing Association, which was founded on 5th July 1962. Our year of celebrations begins on 5th July 2022 and will span the following 12 months.
Trident Housing Society was formed in 1965, and in 1979, Templefield and Trident merged to form Trident Housing Association.
Over the past 60 years, Trident has seen a lot of change. The housing associations in the 1960s were established in response to the cost-rent initiative brought in by the Housing Act of 1961. Hundreds of social housing estates were built across the country throughout the 1960s and 70s. Trident House and the Urban Village site were completed in 1980, able to accommodate over 300 people. Over the decades, Trident has always filled a gap in housing and support provision.
In 2009, Trident Reach was established as a department under Trident Housing Association. The aim of Reach was and still is to provide vital care and support services for the homeless, mentally ill, young people, older people, BME groups, and domestic abuse victims, across the Midlands.
Since then, Trident Reach has grown massively. Between Housing and Reach, the Group supports approximately 10,000 people. Trident Reach is the commissioned rough sleepers outreach service for Birmingham City, as well as the commissioned Respite Rooms provider for homeless victims of domestic abuse, as part of a nationwide pilot. A testament to the hard work that Reach staff have put into supporting the city’s homeless.
For Trident’s anniversary, we want to celebrate everything that the Group stands for, especially responding to change. Whilst turning 60 we are reminded how important it is that Trident responds positively to the changing world around us, facing any challenges that time may bring. We are also reminded of the hard work and resilience of our staff, who dedicate their careers to being a beacon of hope for the groups they support.
As Chair I am immensely proud of what Trident has achieved over this time and for the contributions of the very many staff and residents involved, we are all very grateful. Trident today is because of the efforts of many in providing and enjoying the housing and services for which we are rightly proud. On behalf of the Board, both current and past, thank you all.
Colin Small, Chair of the Board
I am pleased to have been part of the Trident Group and journey for almost 19 years, and there are probably many people who have lived in our properties, workfed for the organisation, or been supported by us, for longer than my tenure.
This milestone in our journey has seen us achieve many things over the years and still continues to give me, my Executive Team and staff, the drive to do more. More of the same and more with a difference. In recognising my staff teams I want to turn my attention to personally thanking and recognising you as our resident, customer, or stakeholder.
My vision for the Group has always been to be a “Beacon of Hope” for all, in all our areas of service and operations, and this is probably needed now more than ever; as we look beyond this milestone and towards the next and the exciting challenges and opportunities that it brings for all of us at Trident Group
John Morris, Group Chief Executive
I’m really pleased to be able to celebrate with staff and residents in marking the Group’s 60th anniversary, having been part of the Group’s 50th celebrations 10 years ago, too.
We have all witnessed and experienced so much change over the last decade, particularly over the last 2 years, and unfortunately change is constant, so these changes are set to continue.
One thing I’m incredibly proud of however is that my, my teams’, and my colleagues’ dedication and commitment to providing the best service possible to our customers – internally and externally – remains unchanged.
So, for me, this anniversary year will be about recognition — recognising, appreciating, and thanking all those who make Trident Group the organisation that we are today.
Dr. Christopher Derby, Executive Director of People and Resources.