Manningham Housing Association recognised for commitment to diversity and inclusion

Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has been shortlisted for Best Approach to Diversity and Inclusion at the Northern Housing Awards 2023.

The award is for housing providers “who show a genuine commitment to diversity and inclusion – both within their own organisation and the wider housing sector.”

MHA is one of four finalists in the category with the winner due to be announced at a ceremony at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester on 2 May.

The association – which manages more than 1,400 homes for over 6,000 residents in Bradford and Keighley – is already the first in the country to be officially accredited for its work in promoting equality, diversity and inclusion, and last year won the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce Equality Trailblazer Award.

In reaching their decision to shortlist MHA, the Northern Housing Awards judges cited a recent report from an external assessor which stated that “diversity and inclusion is deeply embedded in the DNA of Manningham Housing Association.”

Ulfat Hussain, MHA Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Operations, said: “Diversity and inclusion are at the heart of everything MHA does. It is our collective mission to celebrate difference, it makes us what we are.

“National Inclusion Week is one of MHA’s annual highlights.  Last year, we held daily communal lunches with cuisine from different parts of the world, hosted Q&A sessions on faith and culture, and encouraged staff to dress traditionally.

“We also run regular inclusion and unconscious bias training sessions for staff and Board members, and carry out regular internal surveys on diversity and inclusion issues.

“The MHA family will always be there for each other and the communities we serve from all social, ethnic and diverse backgrounds.

“Each one of them deserves credit in being shortlisted for this prestigious award.”

Barrington Billings, MHA Chair, said: “Whilst MHA is a relatively small housing association, we have a hard-earned reputation for punching well above our weight and for standing up for those marginalised communities often without a voice.

“That includes turning our words into actions.

“The judges’ decision to include us in the final four for this Northern Housing Award is recognition of our continued success in transforming our diversity and inclusion goals into positive outcomes.”