Caerphilly-based housing association United Welsh has won a clutch of recent awards alongside two of the companies it works with.
The maintenance arm of Caerphilly-based housing association United Welsh has scooped a top industry award.
Celtic Horizons, a joint enterprise between United Welsh and contractors Mears, took top honours in the ‘Maintaining High Quality Homes’ category at the 2015 UK Housing Awards ceremony in London.
The awards, jointly organised by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and Inside Housing, are regarded as the most prestigious in the sector.
The judges said that the partnership “clearly demonstrated a strong commitment to developing customer service standards through embedding a strong leadership culture through investment in employee training and reinvestment back into the communities they serve.”
Anthony Whittaker, Chief Executive of United Welsh, said: “It is a testament to the strong relationship between United Welsh and Mears that Celtic Horizons has so quickly become an award-winning organisation.”
Jane Nelson, Mears Executive Director, added: “We are pleased to be working in a truly collaborative way and would like to thank each and every member of the partnership for their continued commitment to maintaining Celtic Horizons as an innovative and award-winning model through providing top class maintenance services.”
Celtic Horizons directly employs over 140 local people, several of them tenants of United Welsh.
The housing association, based at Beddau Way near Castle View, has also been recognised for its work on the Beeches housing development – built on the site of the former Caerphilly Miners’ Hospital.
In partnership with Caerphilly County Borough Council and housing developer Lovell, United Welsh won the Best Residential Development category at the recent Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Wales Awards.
Housing developer Lovell has also picked up an award of its own for the 82-home development, which was completed in January this year.The company’s site manager Darren Jarvis and his team were recently presented with a Bronze National Considerate Constructors Scheme award in recognition of their work.
Richard Mann, Director of Development at United Welsh, said: “We always say that at United Welsh we don’t just build homes we build communities and so it is vitally important to us that we look after existing communities when we start a development.
“We are delighted that Lovell has been presented with the Bronze National Considerate Constructors award for the Beeches Village as it was important to us that the community was involved and their views taken into account from the outset of the project.”
David Gough, Regional Director with Lovell, said: “Our approach throughout has been to put the community at the very heart of this landmark development. The former Miners’ Hospital has a truly inspiring history, having been created through the generosity of the local mineworkers and our goal has been to continue that tradition.”