whg and Aspire Housing approve merger plans
The Boards of whg and Aspire Housing have agreed to move forward with plans to merge, creating a new housing association with more than 32,000 homes across the Midlands.
The legal merger is expected to complete in November 2026, when the new organisation will become known as whg aspire.
What this means for customers
By joining together, whg and Aspire can do more for customers and communities. Our aim is to:
- Provide safe, secure and healthy homes that are energy-efficient.
- Deliver reliable services that are easy to access.
- Remain committed to our heartlands of Walsall and Newcastle-under-Lyme.
- Invest more in existing homes and communities.
- Improve services by learning from what each organisation does well.
- Build more affordable homes which meet the needs of our communities.
Customers do not need to do anything because of this announcement.
Your rights as a customer will not change because of the merger and there will be no immediate change to the services you receive. Your rent and service charges will not increase as a result of the merger. You should continue to report repairs, make payments and contact us in the usual way.
How customers helped to shape our plans
Customer feedback has been an important part of the merger process. More than 3,600 customers took part in online and telephone surveys.
Over a quarter of customers (27%) said they had positive views about the merger, the majority (57%) were neutral and 16% were negative.
Customers told us that the things that matter most to them are:
- Delivering high quality, timely repairs.
- Keeping neighbourhoods clean and tidy.
- Investing in existing homes.
Our Boards considered this feedback, along with detailed information on the merger plans, before deciding to go ahead.
What customers told us has already helped shape the priorities for the new organisation. These include good quality, reliable services, safe and well-maintained homes and strong local services. We will continue to keep customers involved and informed as we join together and consider how to combine services.
Taking the best from both organisations
whg and Aspire are both well-established housing associations with strong local connections.
We have both achieved a C1 consumer rating, which means we meet the standards set by the Regulator of Social Housing for the services we provide to customers.
The merger will put us in a stronger position to manage rising costs and meet new government housing requirements, while continuing to invest in existing homes, services and communities.
Gary Fulford, current whg Group Chief Executive, will lead the new organisation. Sinéad Butters MBE, Group Chief Executive of Aspire Housing, will remain closely involved to support the early stages of integration to whg aspire.
What happens next?
Teams from whg and Aspire will continue preparing for the merger, which is expected to legally complete in November 2026. Over time, we will look at how we can improve services by bringing together the experience, learning and best practice of both organisations. We will keep you informed and give you plenty of notice about any future changes that affect you.
Please read our frequently asked questions (FAQs) for more information.
