Pictured above: Dave Butler and Ashley Islip from Three Valleys Housing

Three Valleys Housing is driving the success of its care and repair services by investing more than £300,000 every year in its customised fleet of vehicles.

The organisation has pledged to improve front-line services for customers - and better resources for staff - by awarding its vehicle contract to Northgate, Britain's largest vehicle rental company.

A 70-strong fleet of vans and cars will enable care and repair teams at Three Valleys Housing to provide an even more efficient and effective service.

Mhairi Massey, Head of Business Systems at Three Valleys Housing, said: "As a member of Procurement for Housing, we were able to obtain fleet services more speedily, comply with EU legislation, and benefit from savings made available through collective purchasing.

"This is good news for everyone - greater flexibility for us as a business, bespoke vehicles which allow staff to deliver first-class services, and a speedy response time for our older and more vulnerable customers who depend on our care and support staff."

The housing association, which was created in March 2002 to receive the transfer of 5,800 homes from Erewash Borough Council, has also spent an additional £60,000 on supplementary equipment for vehicles used by repair teams.

"Our 70-strong van fleet now benefits from additional internal racking as well as roof racks, ladder racks and pipe racks," added Mhairi Massey.

"We understand the importance of having the right equipment to hand in order to complete the job. Our new vehicle arrangement helps to ensure that this is always the case."

Nick Cash, Business Development Manager for Northgate, said: "Northgate is delighted to be working with Three Valleys Housing. 

"Following our recent success being selected as a PfH Framework supplier, we were keen to demonstrate our ability to deliver a bespoke fleet solution, designed around the needs of Three Valleys Housing.

"The key drivers that were considered throughout the evaluation process were - value for money, contractual flexibility, and the ability to deliver a whole fleet in just over two months. We were pleased to be able to step up to the challenge, and work closely with Three Valleys Housing to deliver on all of their expectations."

Three Valleys Housing manages 5,200 homes in and around Long Eaton, Ilkeston and Sandiacre.