L&Q’s founder was my inspiration – I wish he was around to help us now

The combination of social purpose and commercial drive that Gos had nearly 60 years ago still courses through the veins of L&Q and underpins everything we do. When I think about the huge challenges we face, I know that Gos would have found a way to overcome the obstacles, and then look for the opportunities on the other side.

If Gos could sow the seeds of L&Q with £64 and a handful of friends, what can our sector achieve with the assets and balance sheets at our disposal today, and the thousands of talented people who work with us?

Of course, none of us underestimates the scale of the human suffering and the unprecedented economic challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak, and the lasting impact it will have.

“When I think about the huge challenges we face, I know that Gos would have found a way to overcome the obstacles, and then look for the opportunities on the other side”

We are all making difficult decisions to reduce expenditure, suspend some of the services we can offer, pause projects, close construction sites and in some cases furloughing staff.

These decisions ensure we can continue providing emergency and business critical functions, we can keep people safe, we can protect jobs, and we can support our most vulnerable residents through this crisis.

When restrictions are eventually lifted, things will take time to get back to normal, and that is where the opportunities lie if we are bold enough to seize them.

At L&Q we talk a lot about returning to BAU – business as usual. We absolutely want to get back to providing all the services our residents want and building the homes this country needs, but do we necessarily want to do everything the same way as before?

Coronavirus has ripped up the rule book, and perhaps given us the opportunity to do things differently, more efficiently, and better.

This crisis has already shown us that we can unravel the red tape of bureaucracy and streamline decision-making.

We have more than 2,000 people logging on from home every day and our IT is comfortably taking the load. Last week I joined my executive team for a live Q&A broadcast to nearly 1,000 of our colleagues, and we’re rolling out similar communication for our residents. The time we’ve got back from not commuting lets us join our children for a Joe Wicks workout in the morning.

“Coronavirus has ripped up the rule book, and perhaps given us the opportunity to do things differently, more efficiently, and better”

After coronavirus I believe there will be fundamental changes to the way we work and live.

Maybe we will need to design our homes differently because people will spend more time working there? Perhaps we will change our approach to place-making as people adapt the way they socialise and exercise? Our residents may expect us to provide new services around financial planning and health awareness.

With the grim statistics coming thick and fast, and no clear end in sight, it can be difficult sometimes to think positively about the future.

Our sector, however, is one that has always adapted in the face of adversity and sought the opportunity in every challenge.

Gos Home embodied that spirit better than anyone. He made a profound impact on the place where he lived, and his love of and pride in L&Q never waned. He was regularly in touch with us, and never stopped looking for ways to help us.

As recently as January he was showing delegates around our Barking Riverside project in east London.

It was Gos’ daughter, Emily, who told me the sad news about his passing. In her note, Emily told me that the founding of L&Q was only one of many examples where Gos saw a problem and then got people together to solve it.

Well, we’ve got some problems on our hands right now, but we’ve also got the people in our sector to solve it. I wish we still had Gos to help us too.

Gos Home’s extraordinary passion, commitment, energy and joie de vivre lives on at L&Q and across the housing association sector as a whole. It was a pleasure and a privilege to have him as our founder, my mentor and my friend.

David Montague, chief executive, L&Q