Member Article

Grwp Cynefin’s HWB shortlisted for prestigious UK Housing Award

Innovative community facility HWB Dinbych has been shortlisted for a prestigious UK award.

The Grwp Cynefin-managed building has been shortlisted for the Outstanding Development of the Year award in the 2015 UK Housing Awards.

The awards, which recognise outstanding work by housing organisations to improve the lives of people in their communities, are organised by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and Inside Housing magazine.

Now in their 19th year, this year’s awards attracted more than 250 entries from all over the UK.

HWB Dinbych, which is the first development of its kind in North Wales, provides a number of educational and recreational facilities to people of all ages from throughout the Denbigh community.

The community space features four teaching rooms, a music studio, workshop space, IT room, teaching kitchen and a multi-purpose room that can host a variety of activities including youth clubs, meetings and craft courses.

Mair Edwards, community development manager for Grwp Cynefin, said: “It’s fantastic that the HWB has been shortlisted for one of the ceremony’s top awards.

“The Outstanding Development of the Year award is a very competitive category, and it’s a testament to the quality of the HWB development that we’ve been named on the shortlist.”

HWB Dinbych is run in partnership with Denbighshire County Council’s Youth Services and housing departments, Grwp Llandrillo Menai, and the Denbigh Youth Project.

The £2.2m development, which opened last year, was also shortlisted for Development of the Year at the CIH Cymru’s Welsh Housing Awards 2014.

The winners of the awards, which will be hosted by award-winning comedian and TV personality Sandi Toksvig, will be revealed at a ceremony at the Lancaster London Hotel on 21 April. The awards are sponsored by Campbell Tickell, Capsticks, CHAS, Higgins, The Housing Contact, ISOS, Locality Solutions and NHBC.

CIH interim chief executive Gavin Smart said: “The UK Housing Awards recognise the great work being done by housing professionals and organisations across the industry, but they also push us all to do better as a sector.

“We hope the achievements of our finalists will inspire others as they aim to provide the best possible services for residents and communities.

Emma Maier, editor of Inside Housing, said: “The quality of the entries rose again this year so even to get this far is an amazing achievement. In the face of some really stiff competition, Grŵp Cynefin has shown it is performing at the highest level - well done!”

Grwp Cynefin manages nearly 4,500 affordable homes across North Wales, provides a range of community services for people in need and also delivers a number of community regeneration projects.

For more information on HWB Dinbych, contact centre manager Ann Davies on 0300 111 2122 or follow @HWB_Dinbych on Twitter.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sam Harris .