Celtic Horizons support services to move in-house

United Welsh Group is bringing support services for its repairs and maintenance subsidiary, Celtic Horizons Ltd, in-house as part of plans to deliver a more joined-up service for customers.

From 1st October 2027, the Group’s contract with repairs and maintenance contractor Mears Group will come to an end, meaning support services that were provided to Celtic Horizons by Mears, such as IT, tools, vehicles and business services, will instead be provided by United Welsh.

For customers, this is largely a behind-the-scenes change. Repair bookings and appointments will continue as normal, and customers will be able to get in touch through the usual channels. Celtic Horizons staff will carry on with repairs and maintenance in customers’ homes and communities as usual.

Lynn Morgan, Executive Director of Property for United Welsh Group said: “By bringing more support services for Celtic Horizons in-house, our repairs, housing and customer service teams will work more closely together, creating a more joined-up service for customers.

“We will also have more choice and flexibility in how repairs services are delivered in future, bringing more opportunities to improve services in response to customer feedback while ensuring value for money. Customers will not pay more in rent or service charges as a result of the changes.”

Celtic Horizons became operational in 2013 under a tripartite agreement between United Welsh, Celtic Horizons Ltd and Mears, providing asset management services to 4,700 homes at that time

The model enabled United Welsh to bring together its asset management services and employ people in one team, while benefiting from the service delivery expertise of Mears.

Richard Mann, Group Chief Executive for United Welsh said: “The Celtic Horizons team have been familiar faces to our customers for many years now. Our 13-year partnership with Mears has been a successful one, and we are grateful for the support they have provided in helping us to reach this point.

“We are close to providing 7,000 homes, and our repairs and maintenance services continue to be the main area of importance for our customers. As we transition into operating Celtic Horizons as a DLO, we are focused on realising the cultural benefits of having all areas of the organisation working to one set of values and customer satisfaction objectives.”

For the 2025/26 financial year, independent customer surveys showed that 85% were satisfied with the quality of their home, and 78% were satisfied with the way the organisation deals with repairs and maintenance.

Richard added: “These changes will create a stronger culture of collaboration and shared accountability, helping us to continue improving services for customers across the organisation. I’m excited about this next chapter for both Celtic Horizons and United Welsh.”