Manchester’s Old Trafford was abuzz last night – but it was housing, not football, that was the cause for celebration.
Around 700 housing professionals from across the north descended on the city to celebrate the sector’s best and brightest at the first in-person Northern Housing Awards in three years.
A total of twenty-five awards were up for grabs, recognising everything from homelessness support and employee wellbeing to retrofit and modern methods of construction.
Not everyone could take home an award; but that didn’t stop the champagne from flowing and the celebrations from continuing into the small hours – with a little help from comedian Justin Moorhouse and funk cover band The Midnight Cats.
This year’s chosen charity was Oasis Community Housing, for whom attendees raised a massive £5,120.
THE WINNERS
Best Approach to Building Safety
- Winner: Salix Homes
Best Approach to Diversity and Inclusion
- Winner: Blackpool Coastal Housing
Best Approach to Employee Wellbeing
- Winner: Blackpool Coastal Housing
- Highly commended: Magenta living
Best Approach to Modular Housing
- Winner: Strata
Best Retrofit Initiative (sponsored by Plentific)
- Winner: Stockport Homes Group
Best Approach to Sustainability (sponsored by Jewson Partnership Solutions)
- Project Sero Net Gwynedd
- Highly commended: Leeds City Council
Supported/Sheltered Housing Scheme of the Year (sponsored by PROCare
- Winner: The Courtyards – Community Gateway Association
Shared Ownership Scheme of the Year (sponsored by Stanley)
- Winner: Edge View – Jigsaw Homes Group
Partnering Scheme of the Year
- Winner: Places for People and Urban Splash
Regeneration Scheme of the Year (sponsored by Insurend)
- Winner: Poets – Salix Homes
Best Development for Social/Affordable Rent
- Winner: Atkinson Road – Stanley Investments
- Highly commended: Social Council Developments – Seddon
Best Private Development
- Winner: Moda, The Lexington – Falconer Chester Hall Architects
Best Repairs and Maintenance Team (sponsored by TCW)
- Winner: Believe Housing
Best Digital Transformation (sponsored by Social Telecoms)
- Winner: Thirteen Housing Group
Best Initiative for Tackling Homelessness (sponsored by Capita)
- Winner: Greater Manchester Housing First
- Highly commended: Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Best Resident Involvement Initiative (sponsored by Fortem)
- Winner: The Social Housing Tenants’ Climate Jury
Resident Support/Advice Programme of the Year (sponsored by Equans)
- Winner: Community Gateway Association
Consultancy of the Year
- Winner: Mediaworks
Contractor of the Year (sponsored by ROCC)
- Winner: Seddon
Supplier of the Year
- Winner: PROCare Shower and Bathroom Centre Ltd
Developer of the Year
- Winner: Stanley Investments Ltd
Landlord of the Year (sponsored by Seddon)
- Winner: Thirteen
Local Authority of the Year (sponsored by aico)
- Winner: Blackpool Council
Northern Housing Team of the Year (sponsored by Novus Property Solutions)
- Winner: Manningham Housing Association
Tenant of the Year (sponsored by Voicescape)
- Winner: Cath Bacon, Manningham Housing Association
The judges
- Chris Seeley, director of ARK Consultancy Ltd
- Barrington Billings, head of Asset Management and Development, Tuntum Housing
- Tracy Harrison, chief executive of the Northern Housing Consortium (NHC)
- Charlotte Carpenter, executive director of Growth and Business Development at Karbon Homes
- Phil Morgan, housing professional
- Nick Atkin, chief executive, Yorkshire Housing
- Caroline Gitsham, business consultant
- Mike Brogan, chief executive, Procure Plus
- Cedric Boston, chief executive, BME Housing Association Unity Homes and Enterprise
- Robin Lawler, industry consultant
- Mandy Elliott, chief executive, Crosby Housing Association
- Alun Hughes, chartered surveyor
- Liz Haworth, group chief executive, Halton Housing
- John Bowker, executive director of Operations, Stockport Homes Group/Threesixty
- Graeme Foster, chief executive, Alpha Living
- Ulfat Hussain, deputy chief executive and director of Operations, Manningham Housing Association
- Alison Inman, former president of the Chartered Institute of Housing
- David Miller, director and principal architect, David Miller Architects
- Jacqui Sinnott-Lacey, chief operating officer at West Lancashire Borough Council
This year’s awards were delivered in partnership with Oasis Community Housing, a Christian homelessness charity that helps almost 2,000 people every year by providing housing and support and a place where they feel they can belong.
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