Housing association seeks local tradespeople in Scarborough

Independent and small companies of joiners, plumbers, plasters, glaziers and roofers in Scarborough are being sought by York Housing Association (YHA), as part of a drive to employ local suppliers to help maintain its portfolio of around 40 homes around the town.

“We are always keen to make good use of local skills and support small businesses, and with on-going maintenance required at all of our homes in Scarborough, it is great to support local people by making sure this work remains with local contractors,” comments Brendan Todhunter, maintenance manager for YHA. 

Indeed, YHA is most interested in small companies – and even one-man home maintenance operations – who would be able to undertake a number of repairs or tasks during a single visit.  “Our residents don’t want a plumber visiting one day, and a tiler the next, when someone who is multi-skilled could get the repair job done in a couple of hours,” adds Brendan.  “We’re also looking for people who can provide an out-of-hours service to deal with any urgent problems during the weekend or evenings.  It makes no sense using a York- or Hull-based contractor to fix a broken window or damaged lock in Scarborough, when there are skilled tradespeople on the doorstep who can identify and fix the problem in less time than it takes someone else to get to the site.”

The use of local tradespeople is part of YHA’s commitment to supporting local communities, one of its core mission values.  The organisation also seeks to minimise environmental impact of its activities, and reducing mileage amongst contractors is key to this.

 “We can make great use of the flexibility that local companies are able to offer, and in return, they are assured that we pay our bills promptly for every job – something that might ordinarily put tradespeople off working with larger organisations,” adds Brendan.  “Similarly, the application process to become a registered supplier is simple and straightforward, and we can start working with companies very quickly.”

Any Scarborough-based tradespeople who wish to apply to join the YHA registered supplier list should contact Brendan Todhunter on 01904 636061 or email brendahtodhunter@yorkha.org

ENDS

For further media information or photographs, please contact:

Jay Commins

Pyper York Limited

Tel:       01904 500698

Email:   jay@pyperyork.co.uk