A hat trick of housing heroes are recognised in Birmingham
Birmingham City Council (BCC) is celebrating after a highly successful evening at the prestigious 2018 Housing Heroes Awards in Manchester last night.
Organised by the Chartered Institute of Housing, the national awards highlight the unsung heroes of the housing world.
The Council scooped three award wins in recognition of its achievements including, frontline team of the year, inspirational colleague of the year and the prestigious, tenant lifetime contribution award.
BCC’s Neighbourhood Housing Services that cover south Birmingham secured the frontline team of the year award for its caretaking of high and low-rise tower blocks. The 80-strong team plays a crucial role in making sure that communal areas remain clean and green and ensure that during the ongoing national housing shortage, the best use of council housing stock is made and tenancies are maintained.
Following the tragedy at Grenfell Tower, it was noted that the team went above and beyond to ensure that residents were reassured that the properties which they were living in were safe and secure and that all necessary fire prevention information was delivered as quickly as possible to alleviate any undue concern.
BCC’s Lisa Hopkins was also recognised for her work as she won inspirational colleague of the year. Lisa is a housing officer, who specialises in antisocial behaviour, working in one of the most deprived areas of Birmingham.
In addition to managing her own caseload, Lisa has taken the time to proactively and effectively train colleagues so that skills and professional development remain at the forefront of priorities so that the wider team can continue to make a difference to the lives of all those affected by antisocial behaviour.
Finally, Joan Goodwin, chair of the City Housing Liaison board for Birmingham, has been awarded the prestigious tenant lifetime contribution award. For the past 25 years, Joan has been representing the tenants of more than 62,000 properties across Birmingham as part of her role in the Housing Liaison Board, giving them a voice and working with BCC to ensure that tenants receive the best possible service.
Cllr Sharon Thompson, Cabinet Member for homes and neighbourhoods said, “These awards truly reflect the dedication and commitment of people across Birmingham to make this city a fantastic place to live.
“There is currently a national housing crisis and Birmingham is no exception to experiencing some of these problems which are being faced across the country. However, as shown by these accolades, we have the right people in place so that as a city, we can make a positive difference whether we are speaking about safety, skills or succession planning and I’m truly proud to be a part of it.”
