Kent Housing Group Excellence Awards celebrate the best of the best in the county’s housing sector

Teams and individuals working in the housing sector across the county have enjoyed success in the annual Kent Housing Group (KHG) Excellence Awards.

The awards – the Oscars for our regional housing sector – celebrate the very best projects, professionals and partnerships across housing in Kent and Medway.

KHG Chair Sharon Williams said: “I know that for all KHG members, housing delivery – whatever aspect of housing delivery that is – is a passion, not a job.

“These awards are always special. Over the years the judging panel has been touched by the passion and purpose behind the vital contributions colleagues in housing are making in Kent. The ideas, the innovation and the vision that are demonstrated illustrate the caring side of housing and the drive we have to make a difference.

“These are tough times, for our residents, our tenants and for us. We are all trying to do more with less resource, we are all under pressure to deliver. This is a challenging period but seeing so many success stories gives us enthusiasm for the art of the possible and enables us all to go back to the day job fully inspired by what we have seen and heard today.”

The winners were announced at a virtual awards ceremony hosted by Sharon Williams and Rebecca Wilcox, Chair of KHG’s Events Group. KHG is thankful for sponsorship from Kent Housing and Development Group, DHA Planning, Optivo, Paramount Independent Property Services, Golding Homes and the South East Consortium.

Category winners and highly commended

Excellent partnership – winner Live Well Kent and Medway.

Excellence in delivering services for vulnerable people – winner Medway Council Enhanced Domestic Abuse Service; highly commended Endeavour & Springboard Foyers, MHS, and also West Kent and & Medway Rough Sleeper  Initiative’s mental health team.

Excellence in development and regeneration – winner Faversham Lakes, West Kent Housing Association; highly commended East Stour Court, Ashford Borough Council and Yeomans House, MHS.

Innovator of the year – winner Kerry Petts, Folkestone & Hythe District Council; highly commended Eve Lockton-Goddard, Thanet District Council.

Excellent community project – Elizabeth Shaw, One Big Family; highly commended Peer to Peer mentor project, Pathways to Independence (part of SIG) and Friends of Bybrook Barn Nature Reserve, Ashford.

Excellent young professional of the year [aged up to 30 years old] – winner James Newman, Gravesham Borough Council; highly commended Franky Roma, Medway Council and Merle Murray, Golding Homes.

Excellent health or social care professional – Kelly Thomas, Kent County Council; highly commended Helen Dyer, Ashford Borough Council.

Excellent housing professional – Julie Terry, West Kent Housing Association; highly commended Florentina Bela, Gravesham Borough Council and Genette Pinwill, Golding Homes.

Team of the year – winner ABC Electrical Services, Ashford; highly commended Home Straight, Town and Country Housing.

Excellence in the private sector – winner Cold Homes team, Thanet District Council; highly commended MEES project, Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council.

Unsung community hero/neighbour of the year – winner Beryl and Keith Jackson.

Excellence in asset management – winner Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrator Scheme, Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council and Clarion Housing; highly commended Energy and Sustainability team, Gravesham Borough Council.

Celebrating winning KHG Team of the Year is Anthony Baldock (pictured right above), Director of Health and Wellbeing at Ashford Borough Council, with team leader Paul Brooker and the ABC Electrical Services team. Paul Brooker said: “We have created a fantastic team with a strong bond and all share the same passion in delivering a quality service for ABC. The electricians deserve a special mention in helping us produce award-winning apprentices and providing them with the skills to succeed within the trade.”