The evening of 6 October 2025 marked a milestone moment for tenant participation across Ireland, as Supporting Communities hosted the first-ever All-Ireland Tenant Engagement Awards at the Crowne Plaza Belfast. Held as part of the All-Ireland Tenant Engagement Conference, the awards ceremony brought together housing professionals and tenant representatives to celebrate outstanding achievements in the field of tenant engagement.

Showcasing Success

This inaugural awards programme represents an exciting development in recognising the vital work that takes place in tenant participation across Ireland. Supporting Communities established these awards to showcase the sector's successes, gain wider recognition for the importance of tenant engagement, and build support for those who dedicate themselves to improving housing services for others.

Ian McCrickard, Chair of Supporting Communities, had the honour of presenting awards to the winners and highly commended nominees in each category. Our compere for the evening was Emer Maguire, Northern Ireland's brightest new comedy star, who kept the audience thoroughly entertained with her humour and perfectly pitched comedic songs for the occasion.

The First Tenant Participation Accreditation Award to a Housing Provider from the RoI

But even before the main awards presentation, attendees witnessed another significant first: Fold Housing became the first approved housing body from the Republic of Ireland to receive Supporting Communities’ Tenant Participation Accreditation.

Tracy Dawson, Fold's Housing & Communities Manager, accepted the Bronze Level 'TP Accreditation' on behalf of the organisation, remarking that “being the first organisation in the Republic to receive this award is something we are particularly proud of, and we hope it encourages others to follow the same path. To them, I’d just like to say that this process is absolutely worthwhile. It gives you the tools and the direction to be the very best you can be for your residents, and at the end of the day, that’s what matters most. For all of us at Fold Housing, this award is just the beginning. We’re excited to build on this accreditation and to keep improving our services, so that we can deliver real, lasting benefits for our residents and the communities they live in.”

What a great way to kick off a night of celebrating tenant engagement!

The team from Fold accept their Bronze Level TP Accreditation from Ian McCrickard, Chair of Supporting Communities. Well done everyone!

And the Winners Are…

We celebrated four new awards designed to recognise innovation, partnership, and individual contributions to tenant participation. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees!

Innovation in Tenant Participation Award

This first category recognised creative and forward-thinking approaches to engaging tenants in housing services.

Two organisations received Highly Commended recognition: Newington Housing and Tuath Housing, both demonstrating excellent innovative practice.

Patricia McQuillan and Karina Murry Accept the Award on behalf of the Adaptations Working Group

Winner: The Northern Ireland Housing Executive Adaptations Working Group

The Housing Executive's Adaptations Working Group pioneered a new way of involving tenants in shaping housing services. Their innovative, tenant-led approach has transformed how people with disabilities access and engage with the adaptations process, ensuring that modifications to homes truly meet residents' needs. Their success has been recognised externally through their best-ever Customer Service Excellence result, achieving 29 Compliance Plus points—an increase of four from the previous year—directly linked to the work of this group.

Working in Partnership Award

Next up, a celebration of partnership. Collaboration lies at the heart of effective tenant engagement, and this category celebrates organisations working together to achieve better outcomes for tenants.

Two partnerships received Highly Commended recognition:

Circle's Tenant Engagement & Strategy Working Group
The Housing Executive's Cohesion Involvement & Community Strategy Group

Winner: Oaklee, working with The Harbour Athy Partnership

Oaklee, in collaboration with The Harbour Athy Partnership, showcased how a multi-agency partnership, grounded in genuine tenant engagement, can begin to transform even the most challenged communities—moving from fear and fragmentation towards a future defined by safety, pride, and belonging. One resident summed it up: "It's not just about stopping the problems, it feels like we are building something together." Another reflected with pride: "For the first time, I feel proud to invite my family to visit." This partnership demonstrates what is possible when collaboration is genuine, when tenants are empowered as equal partners, and when small wins grow into lasting change.

Excellence in Tenant Engagement - Staff Award

This next category recognises housing staff who demonstrate exceptional commitment to tenant participation and consistently go above and beyond in their work with tenants.

Two individuals received Highly Commended recognition:

Ken Cullen from Circle
Lesa Kelly from Radius

Winner: Claire Darby, Clanmil Housing

Claire Darby, Clanmil Housing Accepts her Award

Claire has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to putting tenants at the heart of everything she does. She has built strong, respectful, and lasting relationships with customers through an approach that is both inclusive and empowering. Her passion and empathy set her apart—she invests time in listening, supporting, and encouraging tenants, often outside working hours, earning their deep trust and respect. As one tenant put it: "She eats, breathes and sleeps customer engagement… if she wasn't here, it just wouldn't be the same. She is a huge asset and as a tenant, I would be lost without her." Others have spoken of how she has given them confidence to share their voice, feel valued, and become active participants in shaping services.

Excellence in Tenant Engagement - Tenant Award

The final award of the evening celebrated the tenants themselves—the individuals who contribute so much time, energy, and passion to improving services for their communities.

The Highly Commended recognition went to:

The Anonymous Shopping Group from Woven (who discovered they wouldn't be remaining anonymous after all!)
Linda Watson, a Housing Executive Tenant

Winner: Bobby McConnell, Radius Housing

Bobby McConnell from Radius Housing Takes home the Final Award for Excellence

Bobby's journey exemplifies the transformative power of tenant engagement. What began as personal dissatisfaction evolved into a passionate commitment to positive change for all tenants, demonstrating how one tenant's voice can grow into genuine influence at both organisational and policy levels.

Bobby has spoken in parliamentary sessions, highlighting critical issues including wastewater infrastructure constraints that limit housing development and the growing homelessness crisis. His progression from dissatisfied tenant to respected board member and policy influencer shows what constructive involvement can achieve. As a passionate advocate for fairness, accountability, and inclusion, Bobby demonstrates how tenant engagement can deliver real and lasting impact—not just for individual tenants, but for housing policy across the sector.

Thanks to Our Sponsors

The success of the inaugural All-Ireland Tenant Engagement Awards would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors. Our heartfelt thanks go to main sponsor Oaklee Housing, and to our awards sponsors: Ark Housing, Alpha Housing, HAIL, and Circle VHA. Their support demonstrates a sector-wide commitment to celebrating and advancing excellence in tenant participation.

Looking to the Future

Ian McCrickard, Chair of Supporting Communities, reflected on the significance of the evening: "Tonight we have celebrated exceptional people and their work happening across our sector—work that makes a real difference to people's lives every single day. Every winner and nominee showcased outstanding commitment to tenant participation, and we are proud to recognise their achievements through these inaugural awards. This is just the beginning. By celebrating excellence, we hope to inspire others, raise standards across the sector, and ensure that tenant engagement continues to be valued as the cornerstone of quality housing services."

The success of this inaugural awards programme sets a strong foundation for future years. By recognising and celebrating excellence in tenant participation, Supporting Communities aims to inspire others across the sector, raise standards, and most importantly, ensure that tenants' voices remain at the heart of housing services.

Congratulations to all winners, highly commended nominees, and everyone who entered the awards. Each submission demonstrated the passion, dedication, and innovation that make tenant participation such a vital part of our housing sector.