April 2013

Giroscope is pleased to be working with Humberside Probation Trust helping them to deliver the Step Change Programme.  This programme, run by probation, helps ex-offenders to develop their employment prospects in a number of ways.  This includes help with CV writing, accessing training, help with literacy and numeracy and providing volunteer placements.  Giroscope has been providing work placements for people from the Step Change Programme.  They have been gaining valuable ‘hands on’ work experience and on -site training, helping us in our renovation of Empty Homes.   If you are interested in volunteering with us please down load a Giroscope_volunteer_enquiry_form  and etheir email it to  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or return it by post to Unit 3, 23 Arthur Street, Hull, HU3 6BH.

April 2013

The GMB Union has recently conducted a report that investigates the current state of the ‘right to buy scheme’. In 1980 Margaret Thatcher’s Housing Act offered council house tenants the right to purchase their property from the council at a discounted price. Whilst this proposal was seen by many as a positive step that would offer council house residents a secure home, it came with wider negative implications, the most obvious one being that the council was in effect forced to give away valuable assets, thus not just reducing its housing stock but also its ability to build new housing in the future.

The GMB report focuses on Wandsworth borough Council and found that 40% of the former council houses sold off under the scheme are now owned by private landlords. The report also discovered that one private landlord owns a total of 93 former council houses, another owns 32, another 15 landlords each own 10 or more and a further 83 landlords each own between 5 and 9 of these dwellings. The Unions General Secretary Paul Kennedy said:  “This investigation lays bare the harsh reality of the exploitation of our social housing stock...It shows private businesses making vast profits from the public purse while the people these homes were built for sit on waiting lists that never move.”

The Daily Mirror used the freedom of information act to obtain further information from councils across the country how many of the leaseholders in their freehold properties had given “away addresses” for correspondence purposes – a strong indicator that the home is privately rented. Their research found that in Leeds for example; around 37% of former council houses are now owned by private landlords, which whilst high is not as high as the 46% calculated in the Royal Borough of Kingston, no studies in Hull were done but according to our contacts in the council at least a third of former council houses are likely to now be owned by private landlords - this prediction also being based on the number of ‘away addresses’ used for correspondence. 

As a charity Giroscope remains committed to challenging the private landlord model by providing high quality affordable homes on a secure and long term basis.

April 2013 

Giroscope has just purchased one of the most derelict houses off Wellsted Street in Hull. The property is situated in Raywood Villas, an off-street court of sixteen houses. This house was last occupied in 1998. Since then it has gone to rack and ruin with half of the rear roof missing. Giroscope will soon begin a full programme of works on the property as part of our Empty Homes Project.