When Sunderland Housing Group, a registered social landlord (RSL), re-named itself Gentoo after a type of penguin (the fastest underwater swimming penguin), the organisation changed more than its name. Gentoo, which is the umbrella brand for five companies, also broadened its remit to go beyond merely supplying property for sale and rent to working to have a positive effect on the lives of its 70,000 customers across the city of Sunderland.

It comes as no surprise, therefore, that Gentoo’s community investment programmes have expanded, too. “We’re traditional a property business and an RSL but now that we’re Gentoo, we’re much more than that,” says Caroline Gitsham, director of Gentoo Living, the social investment and enterprise company in the group. “And we’re looking at how can we add our collective capacity to add value at a local level.”