INDUSTRY NEWS 5


Bellway picks up staff prize at national awards


Tilia Homes partners with Places for People


(Left to right): host Katherine Ryan; Laura Bell, head of organisational development for Bellway; Heidi Khoshtaghaza, Bellway Group HR director; Andy Neilson from award sponsor OpenReach


Housebuilder Tilia Homes, part of the untypical group, has partnered with the UK’s leading social enterprise, Places for People, in a deal worth approximately £17m to bring a choice of affordable homes to its new development in Thetford.


Bellway was awarded the ‘Best Staff Development Award’ at the Housebuilder Awards 2024, held in October. Bellway was picked as winner from a shortlist of fi ve fi nalists by a panel of expert judges from across the housebuilding industry. The company’s entry – entitled ‘A workplace where everyone is welcome’ – outlined Bellway’s pathway towards being an Employer of Choice, which is an integral priority of its innovative long-term sustainability strategy, Better with Bellway. Bellway trainee assistant site manager Sophie Curtis was also highly commended in the Housebuilder Star category at the event. As well as demonstrating dedication towards her bricklaying apprenticeship, she has encouraged other young women to consider a career in construction and supported other apprentices working in the industry. Heidi Khoshtaghaza, Bellway Group HR director, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have won the prestigious Best Staff Development accolade at the Housebuilder Awards for the second year in a row.” She continued: “At Bellway, we are totally committed to creating a peoplefi rst culture which embraces equality, diversity and inclusion and this award is recognition of the achievements we have made and the


vision that we are working towards.” “I’d also like to congratulate Sophie on being highly commended in the Housebuilder Star category. She consistently goes above and beyond what is expected of her, to learn, and develop, and to encourage others to do the same – she is a fantastic ambassador for everything we do at Bellway.” Under the Better with Bellway initiative, which was launched two years ago, Bellway has introduced a number of new bespoke programmes to foster an inclusive workplace, including inclusion hiring training for people managers across the business.


Improvements to family-friendly policies and fl eible working have also been introduced to make life easier for emplo0yees. Bellway’s “mental health fi rst aid programme, run internally, has trained employees to be mental health advocates, while there has also been a focus on mental health awareness training across the company.


Through partnership with the Leonard Cheshire’s Change 100 Programme, Bellway has provided paid work placements to promote social mobility and disability diversity, while the company has also set targets to increase the ethnic diversity of both its workforce and within senior roles.


Sovereign Gate has been created with the environment, sustainability and community in mind, and will provide  new energyeffi cient homes.  affordable homes ranging from two to four-bedrooms will be available on either a shared ownership or rental basis directly through Places for People.


This collaboration aims to address the


signifi cant demand for affordable housing in the region, with projections indicating a need for more than 10,000 new dwellings by 2038 in Greater Norwich alone. The new community at Sovereign Gate will also benefi t from areas of public open space, enhanced landscaping and a play area to create a vibrant and welcoming environment that promotes community interaction and a rich quality of life for residents of all ages. John Kerr, regional managing director from Places for People, commented: “We are thrilled to partner with Tilia Homes on the Sovereign Gate development in Thetford. This collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission to create places that work for everyone. The developments focus on energy effi ciency, sustainability, and community spaces resonates with our values of building not just houses, but thriving communities. We look forward to welcoming residents to this new community and contributing to the vibrant future of Thetford.”


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