About Gentoo

Gentoo's Group Chief Executive Peter is a very conceptual thinker and uses this to challenge and inspire those people around him. He regularly asks both his direct team and those in the wider organisation to re-imagine how they work or the services that they offer. He is very good at spotting talent and taking people out of their day job to work on projects or activities. Peter was central to the development of Genie, their product that is neither a mortgage or rental but a brand new way of owning a home without the need for a mortgage or deposit. This has resulted in 86 people to date choosing this as their way of owning their own home in Sunderland. This product was developed by Peter locking a team away for 6 weeks to come up with a solution to the current housing crisis. He has recently been asked to be an ambassador for HRH the Prince of Wales as a reflection of the work that Gentoo have done as a ‘responsible business’ and he is focused on making an impact in the next two years that he will have this role.

Gentoo Green have community based initiatives which they offer to support their commercial activity. These include Incredible Edible programmes - Incredible Edible aims to create community resilience by enabling edible landscapes, creating local sustainable food production, environmental awareness and healthy, pleasurable eating. Incredible Edible utilises unused spaces within communities and creates a programme of growing, harvesting and cooking vegetables and fruits. In doing so it creates new community links and strengthens existing ones.  PlanetSmart in schools - The Gentoo PlanetSmart in schools programme is an initiative to engage school-age children with environmental initiatives. The programme is curriculum aligned, teaching Key Stage 1/2 about Climate Change, recycling and other environmental topics. Winter Workshops - Energy Advice events – Gentoo staff arrange and facilitate sessions which enable local residents to access information and support on a range of sustainability issues. These sessions are often delivered alongside low-carbon refurbishments or new build schemes. Residents of the local area can drop in and discuss the detail of the scheme being supported, as well as be given advice on Energy Saving behaviours, Energy saving technologies and Fuel Switching and fuel poverty support, Recycling and Water use.  In November 2013, 92 Gentoo staff took part in a Good Deed Day in one of the largest co-ordinated volunteering projects aimed at supporting communities within Sunderland. Overall, seven community buildings were significantly improved from this one day event receiving complete makeovers.

Gentoo believe in celebrating all of their successes as well as the hard work and dedication of their staff. Each year their Chief Executive hosts their annual Grafta's black tie dinner. This year's event saw 190 of their staff attend and some receive awards from one of nine categories which include the Phoenix Award, the Bright Spark award, the Facilitator Award, the award for Collaboration, an award for Blue Sky Thinking, the Acrobat award, outstanding leadership and the One to Watch award for their up and coming stars. The awards have been designed to inspire the right behaviour in their employees. At the event they also celebrate the academic achievements of colleagues and the long service of colleagues. The Housing sector has faced a very challenging year and like many organisations both within their sector and across the UK in general, Gentoo has had a tough year but they've survived. In fact they've grown, and continue to make a huge difference to the lives of the people who live in their properties. In order to do this Gentoo's staff have given all they've got to deliver their challenging goals. In recognition for this hard work the Groups Chief Executive has given all staff an extra days holiday which is not only to recognise their hard work and commitment but also to improve their art of living by enabling them to spend more time away form work with their family and friends.