JANUARY 2010 ISSUE 13

See, Believe, Do!In 2009 we aspired to A Year of Transformed Lives & Excellent Outcomes. We achieved it.

As we make progress on our Road to Renewal, we are committed to help change the world through our people – our employees and those we serve through the various strands of our business – and by influencing others. 2010 is A Year of Renewing Hope & Inspiration.

The way we look at the world around us and what we believe can change – our vision and belief – are important start points. In Luminus our worldview is that mending broken Britain really is possible. We’re helping in the renewal, daily, through a focus on excellence in everything we do.

So we encourage you – see, believe and do! Together we can make the difference.

Chan Abraham, Luminus Group Chief Executive

Luminus celebrates Transformed Lives & Excellent Outcomes in 2009

Special guests join Chan Abraham and the ‘Luminus Singers’ at the prestigious event

Luminus Group opened the doors of Brook House for its 10th Carols for Christmas on Wednesday 16 December 2009.

Dignitaries including Saeed Athkar, Mayor of Huntingdon, Gordon Thorpe, Mayor of St Neots, John Davis, Mayor of St Ives and Malcolm Cohen, Mayor of Godmanchester joined business leaders, Luminus employees, tenant representatives and members of the local community for festive readings, mince pies, mulled wine and to celebrate inspirational stories from Luminus’ work in 2009.

Special guest Faye Hart gave two beautiful operatic performances of O Holy Night and We Are The Reason

while the Luminus Singers performed If I had a Hammer reflecting the mission and values of Luminus.

Chan Abraham, Luminus Group Chief Executive said,

“Luminus Carols for Christmas simply gets better and better every year.

As Luminus celebrates nearly ten years of transforming lives and excellent outcomes, we were delighted to welcome so many members of the local community to this fantastic event.

Although there is much gloom in the world, we also have a lot to be thankful for at Christmas, one of the most special times of the year.”

Changing our world: Vision & Belief

LUMINUS, eastern England’s most inspirational housing provider, is bringing encouragement, hope and inspiration to the people of Fenland through the development of Octavia View, a community centre providing housing, education and a range of facilities that will benefit the entire community.

Luminus Ferry Project is working hard to ensure that Octavia View, formerly the Queen’s Hotel in Wisbech, will be ready in May 2010.

Chan Abraham, Luminus Group Chief Executive, and chairman of Ferry Project said,

“We are delighted that Octavia View is progressing well as this project is vital for the local community and economy. Up to 24 homeless people will be able to live there, and will benefit from training in work related skills, helping to bridge the gap in their step back into employment. This will allow them to move into more permanent accommodation after an average six months stay. Octavia View will also provide a café, meeting rooms and community facilities for local people to utilise.”

Ipswich based firm Asbury Construction are renovating, restoring and transforming the building into a multi-purpose and usable centre. They have worked through the snow and over the Christmas break to ensure the project remains on target.

During the work, many original features have been uncovered including six fireplaces, some of which date back to Georgian times. These features are being uncovered and sensitively restored and will be available for the general public to view.

Luminus is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and creating as little waste as possible. HOPE Social Enterprises, Luminus’ reuse and recycling enterprise, is collecting the waste wood that has been removed from the Octavia View site and reusing it to make products or firewood for sale. In this way, HOPE has saved many tonnes of wood from going into landfill. HOPE charge less to take the wood away than the landfill costs, so the project benefits everyone both economically and environmentally. Any builders wishing to take advantage of this project should contact HOPE on 01354 606745.

Luminus Group • Brook House • Ouse Walk • Huntingdon • PE29 3QW • www.luminus.org.uk

Ferry Project forges ahead

Luminus’ Sheltered Housing service has been awarded the highest grade, grade A, in the National Supporting People Quality Assessment Framework by Cambridgeshire County Council inspectors.

The framework assesses the quality of services that Luminus is providing to elderly and vulnerable people in sheltered schemes across Huntingdonshire.

It includes looking at the assessment of clients’ needs, the support given to the clients by employees and how the clients are involved in the planning of services.

Chan Abraham, Luminus Group Chief Executive said,

“The excellent results achieved are testimony to the hard work and dedication of our employees.

The ‘A’ grade in the Supporting People Quality Assessment Framework reflects the quality of care our Community Services team provide to people within our sheltered schemes.

I would like to thank Alan Haines, Community Services Manager, Debbie Millington, Support Services Manager, each member of their teams and our staff who work behind the scenes.

Their dedication and commitment to help make a difference in people’s lives is a great example of progress along our Road to Renewal over the next ten years.”

Chan Abraham celebrates the beginning of construction work with Ferry Project employees

'A'' grade for Community Services