Tenants, staff and partners the stars of the show at LMH Focus Awards

Published by Jean Clarke for Liverpool Mutual Homes in Housing and also in Communities, Environment, Health

Tenants who have worked tirelessly to improve their communities were recognised at a housing association’s award ceremony last night.

Liverpool Mutual Homes’ (LMH) Focus Awards event at St Georges Hall paid tribute to the hard work and commitment of tenants who have given their time to improve the lives of others across the city.

The coveted Neighbour of the Year award was won by Peter McKenna for his work in and around the Fountains Estate in North Liverpool where he lives.

Peter’s apparently ceaseless energy sees him running every-day favours and errands for elderly residents, working with support groups to tackle community issues like crime and anti-social behaviour, and helping LMH formulate local and city-wide policies.

His proactive role in the multi-agency Intensive Community Payback scheme was one of the main reasons it was such a success and saw reported crime and anti-social behaviour halved.

Peter’s role in the project saw him helping to identify the people behaving anti-socially, reassuring tenants of their safety and explaining how to get involved in the scheme, and working with offenders as they rehabilitate by working in the communities where they originally transgressed.

The Tenant Group of the Year award was won by FACT which recently celebrated its 21st birthday.

The volunteers have worked closely with LMH’s North team, contractors, architects and planners at each stage of the improvement programme and have been superb ambassadors for LMH when hosting visits from the Tenant Services Authority and other VIPs including senior Government officials.

The other award winners were:

• Unity Award for a group of organisation: The Intensive Community Payback scheme
• Unity Award for an individual: Dave Doran
• Best Value for a group or organisation: Take Parts
• Best Value for an individual: Claire Hogan
• Team of the Year: Gas Servicing
• Team Leader of the Year: Mike McDonnell
• Partnership Award: Mitie
• Staff Member of the Year: Tony McEvoy
• Improvement Award for a group or project: Allocations and Lettings Service
• Improvement Award for an individual: Neil Prowse

Chief Executive at LMH, Steve Coffey, said: “It is only right that we pay tribute to the tenants, staff and partners who have contributed so much to our success over not only the last year, but the previous two years since we were formed as an organisation.

“The people and groups who have won and been shortlisted for the awards are passionate about improving communities and tenants’ lives and the extra effort they put in is nothing short of exceptional - they are an inspiration to everyone connected with LMH.”

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Photograph: Peter McKenna, pictured with his grandson, won the Neighbour of the Year award last night for his efforts improving lives in North Liverpool.