• Individual nominated: Sheenagh McNally
• Organisation: Supporting Communities

Statement of support

Sheenagh McNally has dedicated her professional life to improving social housing through enabling and supporting better tenant participation and engagement with tenants and communities, ultimately improving lives. She has been with Supporting Communities since 1992 and will retire in May 2025. During these 33 years, Sheenagh has worked tirelessly to raise the standard of tenant participation in her own authentic and compassionate way.

As head of corporate services at Supporting Communities, Sheenagh manages ten staff members and our trading subsidiary, Empowering Communities. She has made an incredible impact on the practice and perception of tenant engagement throughout Ireland, north and south. She has advocated for an engagement culture that supports housing providers in putting tenants at the heart of their decision-making processes. Indeed, Sheenagh is often quoted as describing tenants as 'the real experts' when it comes to improving landlord service delivery.

Sheenagh also says that engaging with tenants and supporting their participation in decision-making processes is "not only the right thing to do; it is the smart thing to do." Through her lifelong role as a devoted advocate for tenants and the establishment of the Tenant Participation Standards and Accreditation, she will leave a remarkable legacy of successfully embedding a culture of tenant engagement into the core business practices of social landlords throughout the island of Ireland.

In a recent blog for Supporting Communities, Sheenagh commented, "They say a rising tide lifts all boats, and that's how I think about our tenant participation work. By advocating for a clear set of standards and implementing a method of benchmarking against those standards, we are raising the quality of tenant engagement for everyone, which ultimately improves housing and improves people's lives,"

In 2023, Sheenagh played a key role in organising the first All-Ireland Tenant Engagement Conference, which attracted over 250 delegates and received support and praise from government agencies, regulatory bodies and housing providers on both sides of the border. Supporting Communities plans to run this event bi-annually, and work has already begun on the 2025 programme, which aims to be bigger and better! Although she will have retired by the time next year's conference happens, her influence will no doubt be felt as the architect behind the event's creation.

Sheenagh has significantly elevated the profile of Supporting Communities by establishing this flagship event and creating the 'TP' Standards for Northern Ireland, positioning the organisation as the leading expert in tenant participation and raising the standard of engagement for social tenants across the island of Ireland.

Most importantly, Sheenagh's passion and professionalism shine through in everything she does. Her enthusiasm for her work is the first thing colleagues, tenants, and fellow professionals notice and remark about her. Supporting Communities' board and staff are incredibly proud of what she has achieved and how she has achieved it. She is a genuinely dedicated housing professional and an inspiration in every sense of the word.

In the past year, Sheenagh has achieved several notable milestones in her extensive and impressive career. Although she may be nearing the end of her professional journey, she continues to work with unwavering enthusiasm.

Outcomes and achievements

Through her in-depth work with social landlords, Sheenagh has raised the standard of tenant participation across the island of Ireland. She has shown the housing sector in Northern Ireland that we don't always need to look abroad for best practices; we have plenty of sector-leading examples here at home. She is developing a compendium of best practices observed through Supporting Communities' robust Tenant Participation Accreditation process.

This was an exciting year because Sheenagh awarded Radius Housing the very first Gold Standard Accreditation, which sets the bar high! She also completed three more accreditations, presenting Choice Housing with a silver award and Apex and Woven with bronze awards.

She oversaw increased consultancy work for Supporting Communities in the Republic of Ireland, linking north and south into a common set of standards, taking tenant participation to the next level for everyone.

She has also led the way in Supporting Communities' net zero journey, supervising a university placement student in researching the organisation's carbon footprint and developing training for staff and community groups to become more aware of energy use. This work lays the foundations for a new service that Supporting Communities can offer to social landlord staff and tenants going forward.

• Individual nominated: Jenny McArdle
• Organisation: Smartmove Housing

Statement of support

Since joining Smartmove Housing in 2012, Jenny McArdle has become one of the organisation’s longest-serving employees and has been instrumental in its growth, earning recognition as a highly valued and respected member of the team.

Her journey from a frontline tenancy support officer to deputy housing manager, and most recently to project manager, reflects her exceptional commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable tenants and building strong, trusting relationships with landlords. Over the past decade, Jenny has played a vital role in expanding Smartmove Housing’s services across Northern Ireland, significantly contributing to its position as one of the region’s largest private rented management charity.

From her earliest days as the south area district representative, Jenny demonstrated an outstanding ability to identify local needs and build strong relationships with landlords, referral agencies, and tenants. This approach quickly established Smartmove Housing as a trusted charity in the region, recognised for its dedication to addressing housing challenges. Her success in the south area firmly established Smartmove Housing to expand into areas such as Enniskillen and Greater Belfast, where her expertise and leadership remain central to the organisation’s continued growth and success.

Over the past 12 months, Jenny’s leadership has achieved significant outcomes. Promoted to project manager for the Belfast and south area, she has successfully overseen a series of critical initiatives. Notably, she oversaw the reintroduction of the Deposit Bond Scheme, which provides financial guarantees to landlords in place of upfront deposits. This innovative programme has removed barriers to housing access for working class tenants who may be exempt from other financial support services, while maintaining landlord confidence, effectively addressing a key challenge in the current rental market. A notable strength of this scheme is its inherent sustainability; deposits are fully repaid within 12 months, allowing funds to be efficiently recycled to support future tenants.

As the transition to universal credit across Northern Ireland causes significant stress for many, Jenny’s leadership has been pivotal in ensuring all affected tenants are supported throughout the process. She has helped and continues to support tenants by providing one-to-one tailored guidance and practical assistance, enabling them to navigate the transition with confidence and minimal disruption. She has also provided direct assistance with rates rebate applications and their follow-ups. Her proactive approach has ensured tenants complete the process successfully, preserving their financial stability and maintaining secure tenancies.

In addition to her dedicated support for tenants, Jenny has been instrumental in assisting landlords through a period of significant legislative change. She has worked tirelessly to ensure all properties comply with updated carbon monoxide, gas, and fire safety regulations. By keeping landlords informed of current and upcoming legislative changes, coordinating property access with tenants, and guiding landlords through the compliance process with clarity and professionalism, she has prioritised tenant safety while maintaining landlord confidence. Demonstrating her forward-thinking approach, Jenny has already begun implementing electrical safety checks ahead of the upcoming legislation, ensuring landlords are prepared ahead of time. This dual focus on tenant welfare and landlord support showcases her exceptional ability to balance priorities and deliver outstanding results for both parties.

Jenny’s commitment to professional growth demonstrates her dedication to the housing sector. In the past year, she completed a Level 4 Management and Leadership qualification with Southern Regional College and is currently pursuing a Level 4 Certificate in Housing through Chartered Institute of Housing. By continually building her expertise, Jenny ensures she is well-equipped to apply best practices, helping Smartmove Housing adapt and succeed in an evolving industry.

Outcomes and achievements

Jenny’s proactive approach to legislative compliance has kept landlords ahead of updated regulations on carbon monoxide, gas, fire safety, and electrical safety, ensuring they meet deadlines. Her expert guidance has not only informed landlords but also played a key role in retaining them during a challenging period. By staying ahead of legal changes, Jenny has provided peace of mind, helping landlords navigate complex regulations with ease and confidence. This has strengthened relationships and ensured long-term success in a constantly evolving regulatory environment. A landlord shared:

• “Jenny's support simplified meeting safety requirements. I was considering selling, but her professionalism gave me the confidence to continue. Her guidance kept me compliant and focused on what matters. I’m grateful for her expertise in helping me stay updated with changing regulations.”

Jenny also provides tailored, one-on-one support to tenants transitioning through universal credit, ensuring financial stability and preventing tenancy issues. A tenant shared:

• “Jenny’s guidance was invaluable. Her unwavering support kept me grounded and in my home during a difficult time. Without her help, navigating the situation would have been much harder. I’m incredibly grateful for her assistance.”

• Individual nominated: Charles O'Neill
• Organisation: Co-Ownership

Statement of support

I am honoured to nominate Charles O’Neill, director of product development at Co-Ownership for the housing professional of the year award. Charles has a passion for helping people find solutions to their housing needs and gives his time generously to this end. Charles’ exceptional contribution to the housing sector has advanced affordable housing solutions by providing opportunities for people facing financial barriers to become homeowners.

Within the last year, Charles has been instrumental in shaping how mixed tenure works within Northern Ireland, building understanding within councils and housing professionals to meet the requirements set out in the Local Development Plans to ensure that these work in practice.

Housing innovations

A qualified solicitor, Charles joined Co-Ownership in 2012 and has transformed it from a one-product organisation to one that offers a range of products to help more people own an affordable home. Charles launched Rent to Own in 2016, Co-Own for Over 55s in 2022 and for the last year has been working to develop a new product which will help people with disabilities to own an affordable home. Charles’ vision is to ensure that housing solutions are inclusive for all.

Charles is a member of CIH and a previous chair of CIH Northern Ireland. Charles is also a long-standing board member of Housing Rights:

• “Housing Rights has been lucky enough to have Charles as a board member since 2017. During this time, Charles has placed his significant professional expertise at the service of our mission to improve lives by helping people find and keep a home. Drawing on his legal background and deep knowledge of the housing sector across NI and beyond, Charles has enriched our work. We value his personal commitment to the organisation and his strategic guidance.” Kate McCauley, chief executive

Advocacy and government housing initiatives

As Local Development Plans (LDPs) roll out across councils, Charles has played a central role in developing Co-Ownership’s response to the evolving landscape of affordable housing over the last year. His expertise in housing policy enables him to support the Department for Communities and advise councils and housing professionals on the new regulations. Charles undertook pioneering work with Radius Housing to deliver mixed tenure at their Black’s Gate development, and more recently has led the work with Apex at Black Ridge Hill on LDP requirements in this mixed tenure development. Charles continues to work across the industry to ensure that mixed tenure is implemented effectively, and affordable home ownership is available to those who need it.

Contributions to housing policy

Charles is a respected authority in housing law and policy in Northern Ireland. He has authored several books on housing law and policy that are highly regarded in the field, most recently the definitive guide to the law relating to HMOs in NI.

These books have become essential reading for policymakers, housing professionals, and legal experts, contributing to the ongoing development of housing policy.

Educational leadership

As a dedicated educator, Charles has a profound impact on the next generation of housing professionals. He is the course leader for the Housing Law and Policy short course at Queen’s University. Charles’ high-quality teaching materials ensure that participants gain the knowledge and skills needed to address complex housing issues in today’s environment.

Charles is also a tutor at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies, where he teaches on the property course focusing on private tenancies, new builds, mortgages and apartments. His teaching inspires students to apply innovative thinking to housing challenges that will create lasting, positive changes.

• “Charles is a natural communicator who explains complex subjects in an easy manner and is a favourite of the trainees. Charles has pioneered the continued teaching at postgraduate level of Housing Law in Northern Ireland enabling housing professionals to expand their knowledge and ensure the continued development of this important sector.” Stuart Harper, senior lecturer, Institute of Professional Legals Studies

Outcomes and achievements

Within the last year Charles has:

• Brought clarity and transparency to the Local Development Plans, a challenge given their complexity and variability across council areas.
• Laid the groundwork for a new shared ownership product for people with disabilities.
• Supported the department in developing legislation on the private rented sector.
• Demonstrated his commitment to ethics and professional standards through his work with Housing Rights and Queen’s University.

David Polley (Director of Housing Supply Policy, Department for Communities) sums up Charles’ contribution:

• “Charles is one of those unique people that has both a keen grasp of the detail of housing issues, as well as a deep understanding of how these issues fit together and impact on the broader housing system. His exceptional ability and his willingness to share his knowledge and experience freely have ensured that Charles continues to play a vital role in shaping the department’s housing policy and legislation, including that in relation to our work to; broaden our affordable housing offering, improve the standards of our private rented sector and tackle those major barriers to increasing supply through the development of a new Housing Supply Strategy. It is indicative of Charles’ commitment to housing that all this work is over and above his day job in Co-Ownership. My colleagues and I are indebted to Charles for his outstanding contribution to housing, but it would be fantastic if his dedication and commitment could be recognised formally through the housing professional of the year award.”

• Individual nominated: The late Christina Gilliland
• Organisation: Apex Housing Association

Statement of support

In September 2024, Woodbank House in Omagh (managed by Apex Housing Association) lost to illness, at 47 years old, one of its most valued members of staff, Christina Gilliland.

Woodbank House is a supported living facility for adults with mental ill health, and Christina had worked there as a support worker and senior support worker for 26 years. She was a dedicated member of the team and a cherished friend of both the tenants and staff. Her loyalty, professionalism and hard work has been integral to the success of the lives of both past and current tenants in Woodbank House.

Christina was an invaluable member of the team whose presence is greatly missed. When team members think of ‘Tina’ as she was affectionally known, they are reminded of her compassion, positive spirit, unwavering commitment and determination to provide services and support to those in her care.

Her professionalism enabled her to build trust and credibility which supported her immensely in her role. Tina always gave the best of herself and worked with enthusiasm to support those with mental ill health to live their best lives. Through innovative and creative approaches, she ensured they became valued members of the community.

Tina was generous with her time. She was known for insisting that on Christmas Day every year, no matter what, she would cook the dinner for those tenants who stayed on the scheme, which she did.

Tina consistently went above and beyond in her role to support tenants. Her work played a significant part in her life, right up until the last moments. Despite her own health issues, her wish was always to get well and get back to work with those who meant so much to her.

• “To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money and that is sincerity and integrity” Douglas Adams

Words often fall short of expressing true gratitude, but the profound impact Tina has had on the tenants, staff and families of Woodbank House cannot be over emphasised. She was a professional individual with an extra-ordinary heart. For Tina, kindness and compassion weren’t just occasional gestures, but a way of life.

Delivering a supported living service to adults with mental ill health can be challenging, but the tenants of Woodbank House always felt listened to and supported by Tina. She consistently demonstrated a professional approach with remarkable compassion, understanding and respect for tenants and work colleagues alike. Her outstanding work ethic, diligence, kind and caring nature, selfless contributions, thoughtfulness and effort in making every day special has had a significant impact on the lives of those living in Woodbank House.

One of Tina’s colleagues, summed up the person she was:

• “You could see that caring was a calling for Christina. She was compassionate, empathetic and always made time for everyone. Christina had a gentle manner, and nothing seemed to faze her. She was the go-to person, as she was the organiser and knew where everything was. Christina was one of a kind and will always be remembered as a beautiful person.”

Outcomes and achievements

The impact that Christina made during her 26 years in Woodbank House is illustrated best by the beautiful words provided by tenants and colleagues:

Tenants

• “She was a real lady, who would do anything for anybody. I miss her help and company. She was a really nice person.”
• “She was very caring and would always do her best.”
• “I miss her a lot. She was a good person.”
• “She always helped me with my room. I miss her.”
• “She made a difference to my life.”

Colleagues

• “Christina meant a lot to me as I started my time in Woodbank House under her supervision. She guided me and helped me to achieve my goals at work and in my training.”
• “She showed me the day-to-day running of the scheme and how to meet each tenant’s needs.”
• “She was a very caring individual, and nothing was ever too much bother. If something needed to be done you could be sure that Christina was already on it.”
• “Her gentle nature made her very approachable and always willing to help out in any way she could.”
• “We have not only lost a colleague but a very dear friend. For the tenants, they’ve lost a member of their family.”
• “Christina was one of the most dedicated people I know. To her job, her tenants and her colleagues; nothing was a bother to her. She had time for everyone and knew everything on scheme to a T. She will always be in our hearts and part of Woodbank. She’ll never be forgotten.”

• Individual nominated: Melissa Mallon
• Organisation: Simon Community

Statement of support

Melissa: The housing officer with a heart of gold

Melissa joined Simon Community in January 2010, as a support worker at one of Simon Community’s temporary accommodation services in Belfast. From the beginning, she showed her dedication and compassionate, empathetic approach to everyone she worked with. Over time, she became an expert in Northern Ireland’s Housing Selection Scheme, making her the go-to person for colleagues and clients across Simon Community who were facing housing challenges. In 2017, she progressed to become a tenancy sustainment officer and, in 2021, was promoted to the role of housing solutions coordinator.

As housing solutions coordinator, Melissa leads Simon Community’s tenancy sustainment programme, which focuses on homelessness prevention by helping individuals maintain their housing or swiftly access new homes in the private rental sector. Her efforts have directly assisted more than 600 individuals and families at risk of homelessness, supporting them to avoid becoming homeless and needing to access temporary accommodation.

Melissa’s role includes assessing incoming requests, identifying tailored support for each client, and providing immediate assistance such as food, utility payments, medical transport, and tenancy deposits. But she is so much more than this vital practical support. Melissa is the voice at the end of the phone when someone feels like they have nowhere else to turn. She listens, builds trust, and treats everyone with kindness and respect. For people in the middle of a crisis, she makes them feel heard and supported.

Her ability to connect with people is truly special – she gives hope and helps people to feel that they’re not alone and that there’s a way forward. And time and time again, Melissa goes above and beyond, working tirelessly to find a home for people who desperately need it.

Recognising the challenges of accessing private rental homes - including financial barriers, landlord preferences, and stigmas - Melissa and her team address these obstacles through financial support, expert guidance, advocacy, and effective communication with landlords and letting agents.

Melissa’s work is also integral to Simon Community’s Creating Homes initiative, which provides permanent homes for individuals facing homelessness. She supports tenants transitioning from temporary accommodation to our growing portfolio of homes, helping with financial stability, embedding them into the community, and any other practical challenges. Since Creating Homes began, she has supported all 18 tenants who have moved into Creating Homes properties, helping them transition from temporary accommodation to permanent homes – a very challenging period for many.

Her efforts include assisting with tenancy agreements, supporting with utility setups, and providing essential household items and furniture for families – all with the aim of preventing a return to homelessness for the individuals concerned.

Melissa’s compassionate approach has been instrumental in ensuring these transitions break the cycle of homelessness for good – creating a legacy for the future.

Melissa’s ongoing commitment to housing and the sector can also be seen through her professional development. She completed a Level 2 Certificate in Housing Practice with CIH and is currently pursuing an ILM Level 5 Award in Leadership and Management.

Every single day, Melissa is helping to prevent homelessness and create sustainable housing solutions for those in need. Through her leadership, expertise and a bucket load of compassion, Melissa continues to drive meaningful change, proving that housing is not just a basic need but a foundation for hope and stability.

Melissa’s manager Aisling Devine shared:

• “Melissa is an inspiring colleague. She works hard to help people find and sustain a home with great kindness and compassion. Her intelligence and wit bring positivity to those around her, making a difference for people experiencing homelessness in Northern Ireland.”

Outcomes and achievements

Over her career, Melissa has directly supported more than 600 individuals and families who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness, helping them maintain their current homes or transition into private rental accommodations. Her advocacy and expertise in tenancy sustainment have prevented countless individuals from entering temporary accommodation, saving both emotional distress and financial resources. Our tenancy sustainment scheme has recently celebrated 500 deposits provided and is nearing the 600th deposit – and Melissa has been a huge part of this achievement.

Through our Creating Homes initiative, Melissa has played a pivotal role in providing secure, affordable permanent housing to all our tenants. Her hands-on approach goes far beyond the basics - ensuring every tenant receives the personalised support they need, from setting up utilities to furnishing their homes with essential items to accessing medical support if needed. With Melissa’s support, these individuals and families can finally build the stable, lasting homes they deserve, creating a foundation for brighter, more hopeful futures.

In every role she’s taken on, Melissa has proven herself to be a housing professional with a heart of gold - combining expertise, empathy, and a determination to change lives and prevent homelessness across Northern Ireland.

• Individual nominated: Valerie Pinkerton
• Organisation: Rural Housing Association

Statement of support

Valerie Pinkerton joined Rural Housing Association over 20 years ago as a housing officer, gaining promotion to senior housing officer, and laterally since 2022, as housing manager responsible for managing the housing team and ensuring a high-quality outstanding service is provided to the tenants of the association.

Valerie through her work has always demonstrated openness, honesty and integrity, championing equality and diversity within the organisation whilst always acting in the best interests of staff, tenants and other stakeholders. Valerie is a role model to all her colleagues. She is very passionate about her work and takes pride in supporting new staff who have joined the organisation. She assists in providing excellent induction for new staff, providing ongoing support and mentoring, helping to create an inclusive culture within the association where all employees feel truly valued and respected.

Over the years, Valerie has encouraged numerous colleagues to avail of Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) membership and training as she has done, in her desire to encourage and support excellent professional standards. Valerie leads by example, where she always finds a way to get the work done and done well. Valerie’s caring and dedicated approach has helped build trust with staff, tenants and other stakeholders and has had a positive impact on the lives of people in our rural communities.

The cost of living crisis, particularly with rising energy, fuel and food costs has brought about many financial difficulties and challenges affecting many tenants in rural communities. Throughout this time, Valerie has shown great empathy to others and is very mindful of the difficulties that many of our tenant’s face. Valerie has undertaken additional training and qualifications in debt management to assist tenants with benefit entitlement advice to help maximise their income. Through her work, Valerie encourages the team to be proactive in seeking to identify and support those who are experiencing problems or financial difficulties ensuring that they are signposted to other relevant services as necessary.

Valerie through her knowledge and relationships with the tenants has been instrumental in helping Rural to coordinate the Rural hardship fund and ensure targeted support is made available to those most vulnerable and in need to ensure maximum take up. The nature of the requests to the hardship fund has included assistance with home heating, utility bills and white goods. Rural is very pleased with the positive customer feedback received from those who have availed of the fund with many of the recipient’s commenting that the financial support has made a massive difference to them when times were stressful for them and their families. Valerie and the team continue to communicate that this support is ongoing and available to tenants to encourage them to actively engage with us if problems arise.

In conclusion, having Valerie on our team has made a huge positive difference to the strengthening of our culture within the organisation. Rural are delighted to nominate Valerie as housing professional to recognise her dedication, positive influence and hard work over the years.

Outcomes and achievements

As an example of Valerie’s commitment to innovation and collaboration within Rural Housing Association, Valerie has been very proactive in working with other agencies and advocating that the association should do more to help those who were struggling. Taking this lead, the association established a hardship fund to be made available funds to those who are vulnerable and most in need. As a smaller housing association, Valerie and the team know the residents and their households well through regular communications and engagement within the rural communities. Valerie’s role focuses on the continuous review of our customer needs to ensure support is accessible to all.

• Individual nominated: Tom Dinnen
• Organisation: East Belfast Mission

Statement of support

Tom Dinnen, guided by a principle to break the cycle of homelessness for vulnerable people, has pioneered the Hosford Community Homes project that aims to deliver the right housing solution in the community.

Hosford Community Homes is a community led housing project which gives homeless people in East Belfast the building blocks they need to get on their feet and back into permanent accommodation.

Recognising the unprecedented demands for temporary accommodation and the affordability barriers that people who are homeless have in accessing private rental accommodation, Tom, leading from the front, re-thought the problem and was central to designing a unique initiative that created affordable homes in the East Belfast area.

Putting the person at the heart of the project, with safety, support and community as the guiding pillars to create a pathway out of homelessness, Tom and East Belfast Mission's approach is buy empty properties and rent them out to people that are homeless.

To date, five long term lease properties have been purchased and an empty building has been transformed to create six apartments that are due to be occupied by people that are currently homeless in February 2025.

Tom is spearheading East Belfast Mission's aim to create another 30 homes in the next three years and is currently leading fundraising to develop another East Belfast Mission property, located at Newtownards Road, into two apartments with a social impact space on the ground floor. This project is part of the larger Hosford Community Homes initiative, aimed at providing sustainable housing solutions and fostering community engagement in East Belfast. Tom has achieved in generating 75 per cent of the capital funding from the Neighbourhood Regeneration Fund.

Delivering housing within a stable and engaged community with support tailored to individual needs is central to East Belfast Mission's approach with properties of a high physical standard located with easy access to essential amenities and core support services, such is Tom's focus to fully understand clients, and meet both their accommodation and support needs.

Tom has built an impressive coalition of partners including Urban Villages, Ulster Garden Villages, Benefact Trust, Garfield Western, and local churches, businesses and individuals to generate over £2 million in grants and fundraising including new capital investment.

Tom also led a partnership with Commonweal Housing, a charity that facilitates social investment into innovative solutions to housing injustice, ensuring that East Belfast Mission was the first charity in Northern Ireland to partner with Commonweal to create affordable long term housing. And, such is Tom's commitment to ending homelessness in Northern Ireland, he is sharing his knowledge and learning with other voluntary organisations so the housing model can replicated across Northern Ireland.

With Tom's commitment to shared learning, he also created a partnership with Queen’s University Belfast Community and Places Project, who are evaluating Hosford Community Homes and East Belfast Mission and will publish the model and share it with others to help with replication across the homelessness sector in the UK.

Tom has backed up his vision to create long-term housing solutions for people that are homelessness with innovative action and partnerships and is continuing to create chances for people to live in a ‘community home’ that gives them the building blocks to join the housing market and flourish in society.

Outcomes and achievements

Tom has delivered five new long term lease properties for people that have been homeless in East Belfast by working in partnership with Commonweal Housing and has created a strategic plan to create a further 30 homes within the next three years. He has also transformed an empty building to create six new apartments for people that have been homeless and are due to be occupied in February 2025.

Tom has generated over £2 million in grants and fundraising from Urban Villages, Ulster Garden Villages, Benefact Trust, Garfield Western and local organisations. Tom has also generated 75 per cent of the capital funding from the Neighbourhood Regeneration Fund for a new project at Newtownards Road which will create a further two apartments.

By sharing knowledge and creating a partnership with Queen's University, Tom is ensuring that this model is scalable and can be replicated by other organisations and has assisted at least one other charity to secure funding from Commonweal Housing to purchase long lease properties for people that are homeless.