Looking back helps us understand why we do what we do today, and where we’re going next. For more than 60 years, we’ve been working to create and support thriving Communities. Because Community Matters.
60 years as a Force for Good
Sixty years ago, four friends in Preston set out with a simple idea: to be a force for good in housing. They founded North British Housing Association - the beginning of what would become Places for People.
A lot has changed since 1965. We’ve grown, welcomed new organisations into our group, and expanded far beyond where we started. But our purpose hasn’t changed.
We’re still here to support thriving Communities and make a positive difference in People’s lives.
As we mark our 60th year, we’re celebrating the People, places and moments that have shaped us - and inviting others to share their stories too.
Where we began
Our roots are in Preston. But our story reaches much further back than 1965.
From the very beginning, our founder John Foulerton spoke about being a force for good - a belief that still guides us today.
Since then, we’ve grown across England and Scotland, from Edinburgh to Portsmouth, Bristol to Norwich, and many places in between. Through partnerships, mergers and new ventures, we’ve evolved - but our focus has stayed the same: creating and supporting thriving Communities.
Today, that journey has made us the UK’s leading Social Enterprise.
Our history brought to life
We can actually trace a part of our estate to 1536, when the forerunner to one of our leisure centres was built on land once owned by William the Conqueror.
Throughout the centuries that followed, vast swathes of our estate sprang up in response to the seismic social change brought about by major historic events, from the Industrial Revolution to two World Wars. The subsequent chapters of our story chart our formation into the UK’s leading Social Enterprise.
Hundreds of years of heritage
Although we formed in 1965, the history of our properties and Communities stretches back centuries. Our oldest property, Dymock’s Building in Falkirk, was built in the 1650s, while Court Garden Leisure Centre in Marlow stands on the site of a pleasure park owned by William the Conqueror! We are committed to preserving and celebrating this history so that our Customers and wider Community feel connected to it. We are not simply interested in bricks and mortar, but the human stories within them, honouring this legacy as we develop and progress.
History is at the heart of Community, shaping local identity, culture and values. Only by understanding the history of our estate, entities and Communities can we fulfil our aim of creating and supporting thriving places to live.
Seeing our Communities through a different lens
Alongside our written history, Places for People’s heritage has also been captured visually through the Jellicoe photography coffee table book. This digital publication presents our Communities through intimate, powerful photography, focusing on People, everyday life and the shared spaces that bring neighbourhoods together.
Jellicoe’s work complements our purpose as an organisation that values Community above all else. By documenting lived experiences across our homes, estates and neighbourhoods, the book reflects how People and place are inseparable. It celebrates the diversity, resilience and humanity found within Places for People Communities, reminding us that our history is defined as much by the People who live it as by the buildings themselves.
This collection offers a visual reflection of who we are today, while honouring the journey that has shaped us.
Reimagining the past for a brighter future
Thanks to mergers with organisations that share our social purpose, such as Bristol Churches Housing Association and Castle Rock Edinvar, Places for People’s heritage is celebrated across the UK. At our Engine Yard development in Edinburgh, we have transformed the former tram yard into a Community of mixed-tenure homes, while marking its significance to Scotland’s industrial past. Meanwhile, in East London, our Eastwick and Sweetwater development celebrates the site’s history as a confectionery manufacturer, and its later role in the 2012 London Olympics.
As we look to the future, we want to maintain the same commitment to Community and believe that understanding, honouring and celebrating our history is essential to fulfilling that mission.
Insights from our CEOs past and present
Reflecting on our past is an opportunity to shine a light on the People who have helped fulfil our mission of ‘being a force for good’. Like former CEO Eric Armitage, who shares the same passion for creating and supporting thriving Communities as our current Group CEO Greg Reed.
Our Because Community Matters Awards event was the perfect time for the two to finally meet. Watch the video to hear their insights into what makes Places for People, and our purpose, so unique.
Read our full history and heritage
Tell us your story
The personal testimonies of our Customers, People and partners all help to tell our collective story. We’d love to hear your own recollections of Places for People, whether you’ve lived in one of our properties, worked alongside our teams or simply have a special memory you’d like to share.
