Riverside chief executive awarded CBE

The chief executive of social housing and regeneration organisation Riverside has received a CBE for services to the housing sector.

Deborah Shackleton, who has over 30 years’ experience working in housing, joined Riverside in 1993, and has led the organisation from a predominantly North West based housing association to becoming one of the largest registered social landlords with properties nationwide.

Her CBE coincides with Riverside’s accolade as Social Landlord of the Year, awarded in May at the Housing Excellence awards for the second consecutive year.

Shackleton said: “Recognition through the CBE award is fantastic. But equally important is the momentous year it’s been for Riverside. We have restructured seven pre-existing housing associations into a single association. This means we will make savings which will allow us to invest more time and money into providing more new homes and improving local services. And to achieve Social Landlord of the Year again was the icing on the cake.”

Established in 1928 as Liverpool Improved Houses, Riverside started out with just 15 houses in Swan Street, Liverpool, with rents of six shillings (30p) per week in a bid to make housing affordable to those most in need.