Giroscope Workers Co-operative began in May 1985 when a group of young people decided to do something positive about their housing situation. Hull had a real homelessness problem although house prices were low. Giroscope decided they could buy houses needing renovation to provide much needed accommodation. Although they had no funding, they persuaded friends with jobs to take out mortgages on run down properties and borrowed money where they could. Giroscope renovated the first homes in 1985 and soon after rented them out to local people in housing need. The rent from the properties helped the project buy and renovate further properties. The main aim of the organisation was to provide affordable housing to people in need, whilst at the same time providing useful and enjoyable employment for a variety of people. In August 1986 Giroscope became a legal company. They chose to become a Workers Co-operative and registered with the Industrial Common Ownership Movement (ICOM). Later the Co-operative became an organisation with ðCharitable Aims� which meant that it was easier to obtain funds from trusts and charities.

Giroscope have been fortunate enough to receive considerable funding from charities and trusts over the years. They have raised money through fundraising events and received gifts in kind from many companies and won grants from English Partnerships, the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) and the National Lottery. John Wood of Giroscope outlined the project "At the moment Giroscope is composed of twenty-three houses, six flats, a shop, two offices and 3,000 sq ft of workshop space which are based in West Hull. We are currently looking to buy another property in the area that we can renovate to a high standard and rent out to people who are generally disadvantaged in the housing market.We undertake renovation work using environmentally friendly products and incorporate energy efficiency into our properties wherever possible. For example, two of our houses have solar panels that provide hot water for the tenants and our workshops utilise PV (Photovoltaic) Cell technology to create electricity. " John added "We provide a range of accommodation to rent, ranging from one bedroom flats to five bedroom houses. Our prospective tenants come to us by either word of mouth or through various agencies in the city, helping people in housing need.

Some of our tenants use us as a short term housing solution whilst others stay with us for many years." What next? The core work of buying and renovating derelict and semi-derelict houses to rent to people in housing need will continue at Giroscope. However we are always looking to improve and develop new initiatives. John Wood explained some of their new ideas "We want to introduce a more pro-active maintenance system. This would involve an annual survey of every Giroscope property to discover what work is required and what problems may occur in the future. And with plans to expand our workforce there is the possibility of carrying out more outside contract work. We don�t want to underestimate our renovation and regeneration knowledge and skills, gained since 1986. " Volunteering at Giroscope We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers who would be interested in general building work, painting, plastering, carpet fitting, joinery, cleaning, administration & fundraising. Volunteers will learn new skills, receive valuable work experience & on-the-job training. To find out more about Giroscope & volunteering contact Giroscope Ltd (Workshops) 23 Arthur Street Anlaby Road Hull HU3 6BH Tel. No. 07949 805695 E-mail: info@giroscope.freeserve.co.uk Giroscope February 2003