Honouring excellence in housing

Leading lights from across the social housing sector were honoured when Northern, Midlands and Southern Housing held the 7th annual Housing Excellence Awards

Over 600 people attended the event at the Palace Hotel in Manchester, which was sponsored by BES Consulting, Connaught, Morrison, Xmbrace, Wilmott Dixon Partnerships, The Vinden Partnership, Arcus Consulting, Bramall Construction, Travis Perkins Managed Services, Kinetics, Wolseley and Ridge Partners.

Writer, broadcaster and non-exec director in the public and private sector Simon Fanshawe was the host for the evening.

Following a drinks reception sponsored by Forrest, guests enjoyed a three course meal and heard from speakers the Reverend Dr Shannon Ledbetter and Dr Tim W illiams, before the awards ceremony got underway. Williams is a managing director in Navigant Consulting’s Public Services practice, where he leads the regeneration and housing advisory team. A former special advisor to David Miliband in the days of the ODPM , he has also advised former Housing Minister Caroline Flint on matters of regeneration, planning and housing.

Ledbetter is the founder of the charity, Liverpool Habitat for Humanity (LHFH), an affiliate of the worldwide Habitat for Humanity family, which uses largely volunteer labour – including the home owners themselves – to build its properties. A raffle was held in aid of LHFH during the course of the evening and raised over £4,000.

The event was rounded off with a performance from five-piece Oxfordshire-based band The Rollright Stones, which saw guests take to a packed out dance floor to boogie the night away.

The real stars of the event, however, were the winners. For those of you who were unable to attend on the night here is a full list:

1. Best New affordable Housing Scheme of the Year
Sponsored by Ridge and Partners LLP
Winner: Tees Valley Housing (part of Fabrick Housing Group)

2. Affordable Housebuilder of the Year
Sponsored by the Vinden Partnership
Winner: Larkfleet Group

3. Supplier of the Year
Winner: Travis Perkins Managed Services

4. Product of the Year
Sponsored by Wolseley UK
Winner: Sitexorbis (eMAKS)

5. Customer Service Award
Sponsored by BES Consulting
Winner: Bramall Construction

6. Tenant Care Programme of the Year
Sponsored by Connaught Partnerships
Winner: Great Places Housing Group

7. Social Landlord of the Year (National)
Sponsored by Morrison
Winner: Great Places Housing Group

8. Social Landlord of the Year (Regional)
Sponsored by Bramall Construction
Winner: Sandwell Homes

9. Innovation in Housing Technology
Sponsored by Arcus Consulting LLP
Winner: Blackpool Coastal Housing

10. Partnering Scheme of the Year
Sponsored by xmbrace
Winner: Kinetics Group / Liverpool Mutual Homes

11. Regeneration Scheme of the Year
Winner: Southdale

12. Consultant of the Year
Sponsored by Kinetics
Winner: Ridge and Partners LLP

13. Sub-contractor of the Year
Sponsored by Willmott Dixon Partnerships Ltd
Winner: Rothwell Plumbing Services Ltd

14. Contractor of the Year
Sponsored by Travis Perkins Managed Services
Winner: Forrest