People and projects from across Wales were honoured in this year’s Welsh Housing Awards in Cardiff on Friday night.
Competition for the awards organised by the Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru was fiercer than ever across 13 categories as housing professionals gathered to hear who had made it from the shortlist to the winners’ podium.
Winners and shortlisted entries were as follows:
Outstanding contribution to housing in Wales – sponsored by Coastal Housing
Winner:
- John Puzey, director, Shelter Cymru
Housing champion award – sponsored by Merthyr Valleys Homes
Winner:
- Hannah Jinks, Hostel Services Officer, Cardiff Council
Shortlisted (and commended on the night):
- Janet Mulcock, Voluntary Board Member, Rhondda Housing Association
- Sue Carleton, Voluntary Board Member, Taff Housing Association
- Annie Woods, Neighbourhood Housing Officer, Gwalia (Pobl Group)
Building safer communities award – sponsored by The Noise App
Winner:
- Stronger families for safer communities, Charter Housing (Pobl Group)
Highly commended:
- Information sharing for safer communities, Trivallis with South Wales Police and Cardiff Council
Shortlisted:
- Linc STRIVE, Linc Housing Association
Campaigns, communications and publications award – sponsored by Joy Unlimited and Keith Edwards consultancy
Winner:
- BIG day out, Cartrefi Conwy
Shortlisted:
- The experience of Universal Credit – a tenant’s perspective, Cardiff Metropolitan University (Housing Studies) with Community Housing Cymru
- Persona project, Valleys to Coast Housing
Community focused contractor award – sponsored by BRC
Winner:
- Building futures in Flintshire
Highly commended:
- Back into the community campaign, Morganstone
Shortlisted:
- Walters Terrace, Keepmoat Regeneration with Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association
- The Mill, Lovell with Tirion and Cadwyn Housing Association
Customer excellence award – sponsored by Morganstone
Winner:
- Working on behalf of Tai Tarian, Mi-space (UK) Limited
Shortlisted:
- Change Engage Improve, First Choice Housing Association
- Together we can, Melin Homes
Empowering and involving communities – sponsored by United Living
Winner:
- Own 2 feet…living, Bron Afon Community Housing
Shortlisted:
- Shaftesbury Youf Gang, Newport City Homes with Gwent Police, Newport City Council and Energize Media
- UNITY, Newport City Homes with Charter Housing and Newport City Council
- A.G Team, Rhondda Housing Association
Increasing equality and diversity in housing award – sponsored by Melin Homes
Winner:
- Gwent Gypsy and Traveller Service, Gwalia Care and Support (Pobl Group)
Highly commended:
- WISH (Women in social housing – professional development network), WISH North Wales Region with WISH GB
Shortlisted:
- Equality Street, Tai Calon Community Housing
New development award – sponsored by Blake Morgan
Winner:
- Loftus Garden Village, Lovell with Pobl and Newport City Council
Highly commended:
- Wenallt Uchaf, Dolgellau, Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd
Shortlisted:
- Leonard Charles, Morganstone with Coastal Housing Group
New ideas and approaches award – sponsored by Mi-space
Winner:
- Outside in – preventing homelessness together, Charter Housing (Pobl Group) with Caerphilly Council Homelessness Team
Shortlisted:
- The MHA New Homes Team, Monmouthshire Housing Association
- Space saviours, Valleys to Coast Housing with Newydd Housing Association, Monmouthshire Housing Association, Tai Calon Community Housing and United Welsh Housing
Using technology and promoting digital inclusion award – sponsored by Welsh Housing Quarterly
Winner:
- Charter’s approach to digital communities, Charter Housing (Pobl Group) with local housing associations, Communities First and funders
Shortlisted
- Melin’s agile working journey, Melin Homes
Working with other sectors award sponsored by Pobl
Winner:
- Closer to home, First Choice Housing Association
Shortlisted
- Brynteg Road, United Welsh with Aneurin Bevan Health Board
- Step down team housing options, Conwy Housing Solutions with Denbighshire Housing Solutions, Betsi Cadwalader University Health Board, and Conwy and Denbighshire Care and Repair
- Managing better, Care and Repair Cymru with RNIB Cymru, Action on Hearing Loss Cymru and other partners
CIH Members’ Choice Award
Winner:
- The MHA New Homes Team, Monmouthshire Housing Association.
Every project on the shortlist in the organisation categories is featured in the Good Practice Compendium – a free publication which includes the full application and contact details of each shortlisted entrant. CIH Cymru hopes that the document will be a kicking off point for teams looking for new ideas, or a first port of call when looking for colleagues who have done similar work.
More details of the winners will be featured in the January issue of WHQ.