Happy 50th Birthday Arches

Happy 50th Birthday to Arches

2025 will see Arches Housing turn 50 and over the course of the next eight months we will be celebrating this milestone with numerous events and community days.

Since our creation back in 1975, we have prided ourselves on our connections with our communities and our customers alike. As part of our celebrations to mark our birthday, we will be interviewing a wide range of customers, staff members, Board members and partners to share their memories of working with and for Arches over the years.

You can read a new interview each week at the bottom of this page, as well as following our social media platforms where we will highlight our brand new interview for that week. We’re looking forward to sharing our stories and celebrating our 50^th anniversary together.

Burngreave Road before

Burngreave Road from the side

Burngreave Road now

An Arches at 50 interview:

“It’s what I get out of bed for in the morning”

Marcia has worked within the Housing Sector for over 30 years, which has seen her turn her hand to rent collection, lettings and housing repairs. As a 50 something herself, she is the first to admit that she doesn’t get a lot of ‘spare’ time mainly due to her many interests which include cooking and socialising, as well as spending time with her children and grandchildren.

Marcia has been with Arches for the past two years and by her own admission, loves her job. Currently working as a Housing Officer, Marcia is always on hand to offer support and guidance to customers across her ‘patch’. Marcia comments:

“Previously my ‘patch’ covered homes in the Central area – Page Hall, Burngreave, Pitsmoor, Firth Park, Ellesmere and parts of Grimesthorpe. However, I have now moved over to the district patch and will work in areas such as Darnall and the Wensley estate.

I have a variety of households that I work closely with, and our customers are from a wide range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. This is what I love about my job, no two days are the same at work. One day I may be dealing with a case of hoarding at a property and the next I may be welcoming a new customer to into their new home. I love the variety it brings”.

Being from Sheffield herself, Marcia is very proud of the great work Arches has done and continues to do in the local area and its wider communities, she adds:

“It’s what I get out of bed for in the morning, I love helping others especially when they don’t see that they need help. Many of our customers may be struggling and not sure which way to turn. I thrive on being able to help them or give them a little support and guidance when it matters the most – it’s what Social Housing is all about”.

When asked to describe Arches in three words, it’s no surprise that her first two choices are Diverse and Supportive – they do exactly what they say on the tin. The third word however is a little more unusual – Futuristic. Marcia explains her choice:

“I think that as a small Housing Organisation we sometimes get overlooked for bigger organisations as they are perceived to be the leaders in the sector. Arches however, punches well above its weight and is embracing technology to help support the tenant’s needs with a tailored approach, whilst also having staff like me on hand to answer any questions or queries, they may have. We’re all about the support, however it is given. 

I think it’s great that Arches has reached its 50^th birthday and I’m looking forward to joining in with the celebrations, whilst toasting to the next 50 years”.

Dates for your diary:

Read more Arches at 50 interviews

Arches Timeline:

Piccies from our Arches @50 launch event: