Last week, we stepped into the spotlight at the Chartered Institute of Housing’s prestigious awards ceremony to celebrate a win and two nominations for our commitment to housing excellence!
We were so proud to see ‘I’m In’ win the award for best campaign, and it was particularly special to enjoy the moment alongside some of the customers who helped bring the campaign to life!
Over 1,500 voices shaping the future
We launched the campaign in June as part of our fresh commitment to customer and community voice. It marks a new era of involving customers in shaping the future of Valleys to Coast by offering a menu of ways for customers to share their views.
So far we’ve had over 1,500 direct customer interactions across multiple channels, and launched a customer panel for customers and colleagues to discuss our plans together. And our customers’ views are already making a real difference! You can read about the improvements we’ve made to our services following the feedback given at our panels here.
Laura, Head of Comms and Engagement, said:
“Our I’m In campaign is all about empowering our Valleys to Coast customers to get involved – the idea was about shifting the dynamic from asking customers to help us, to them actively wanting to engage and participate. And that’s exactly what’s happened. Since launching in June, our new Customer Panel has grown from strength to strength and we’ve seen new faces join our familiar faces – making new friends, making a difference.”
Want to share your views and be part of the change? Get involved today!
Beyond the nominations…
We were also thrilled to be nominated for the ‘Excellence in Championing Equality and Diversity’ and ‘Community Initiative’ of the Year awards. Here’s a snapshot of our work and its impact in these categories:
Excellence in Championing Equality and Diversity
To create a more inclusive service, this year we’ve:
- Established a new office wellbeing space.
- Increased customer EDI data collection from 48% to 71%.
- Begun working towards Tai Pawb’s QED award, with 53 recognised good practice examples – the highest among housing associations!
Project Officer, Mel Thomas, who is leading on our work towards the QED award, said “I am so proud that we’ve been shortlisted. It’s a powerful recognition of the values our colleagues work towards every day.”
Community Initiative of the Year
Through our Growth for Good programme, we are turning underused land into vibrant open spaces. In 2025, we created two tiny forests and launched three community food growing hubs, providing accessible growing space for residents of all ages. One grateful resident said: “very often if you pass the garden, you will hear laughter. I see it as our happy place.”
Rachel Lovell, Head of Regeneration said “I’m delighted that our Growth for Good project has been recognised for how it has supported our communities’ ambitions and addressed their need for more accessible community spaces. We’re excited for the next phase of Growth for Good, starting with the transformation of Blackmill Woodland.”
We are so proud of our team and the communities that make our work so meaningful. Being recognised at these awards highlights our commitment to engagement, inclusion and building a brighter Bridgend.
