Gentoo team recognised at national awards ceremony

Housing association Gentoo is celebrating after receiving a prestigious national award for its Affordable Development Team.
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They were named as the Development Team of the Year at the Inside Housing Development Awards at a plush ceremony in a London hotel. The team was recognised for its plan to create a new affordable housing in Sunderland.

The team was established to deliver a multi-million-pound investment in building 1,200 affordable homes in Sunderland by 2025.

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The award comes only two years after the team was created by Gentoo in 2019. They beat off competition from five other nominees in the category from around the country.

The Gentoo team with development director Joanne Gordon holding their award, with Gentoo chair Keith Loraine, centre.The Gentoo team with development director Joanne Gordon holding their award, with Gentoo chair Keith Loraine, centre.
The Gentoo team with development director Joanne Gordon holding their award, with Gentoo chair Keith Loraine, centre.

The Inside Housing Development Awards are national awards that celebrate developers and architects for their work in building exemplary homes and communities in the UK.

The awards are judged by a respected panel of industry experts.

The team was praised by the judges “for creating a whole new range of beautiful house types, getting 160 homes under construction within one year, and a further 400+ homes through the planning process.”

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Work is also due to start on 112 new homes in Downhill and Town End Farm in the coming months, which will also see the launch of Gentoo’s new shared ownership sales offer.

Joanne Gordon, development director at Gentoo Group, said: “I’m extremely proud of everything our team has achieved in such a short space of time.

"This award is testament to their dedication and commitment, and Gentoo’s ambition to transform affordable housing in Sunderland.

“To be recognised nationally is fantastic and this is only the start of the team’s success as we move forward and continue to change the lives of people in Sunderland by providing these stunning new homes.”

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Keith Loraine, chair of Gentoo Group, said: “Gentoo has undergone a lot of change in the past few years, and as part of this we have put affordable house building back at the heart of our organisation.

“Within only a year, the impact our Affordable Development Team had made was nothing short of outstanding and I’m delighted that they have been recognised by Inside Housing for their achievements.”

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