RBH employee and tenant ownership story picks up award

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) is celebrating after winning a prestigious accolade at the 2022 Employee Ownership Association (EOA) Annual Conference.

The UK’s first tenant and employee co-owned mutual housing society scooped the Employee Ownership Stories 2022 Partner’s Pick award at the event in Liverpool.

RBH was picked as the winner of the Partner’s Pick award out of the 28 entries from the EOA’s competition by a panel of judges from dinner sponsors and fellow employee owned-organisations GLIDE and Gripple.

In its entry in the good governance category, RBH showcased how its ownership model places tenants, employees and communities at the heart of its mutual society.

The RBH Representative Body, made up of elected tenant and employee representatives, sits at the apex of its governance and means it gets “true bottom-up decision making”.

Chair of GLIDE Michael Hodgson, who also sits on the EOA membership council, said: “Rochdale Boroughwide Housing stood out to us for many reasons. We talk about EO being a force for good and this organisation is exactly that. It’s bringing people together in a meaningful way and in a sector where stakeholders don’t always get the support they deserve.

Its governance has allowed for positive representation of voices which has delivered eye-catching and hugely important benefit at a time when it’s really needed. The words passion, focus, collaboration and pride struck a chord for us and are clearly central to this organisation’s fantastic success.”

Nicola Taylor, head of people and culture at Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, said: “It was a great surprise to be a winner. It is a testament to us being part of a community and doing the best for that community as an employee and tenant owned business. It is great to see our pioneering model acknowledged in this way.”

In total, six businesses were crowned as EO stories award winners at the EOA conference celebration dinner. The accolades highlighted best practice in ways in which businesses develop an effective employee ownership culture that leverages the benefits from employees having a stake and a say in the business.

The EO Stories 2022 competition celebrated the stories of employee-owned businesses and the impacts they are having on employees, the performance of the business, and on the economy and society.

The 28 insightful and inspiring stories submitted were put live for the public vote on EO Day, 24 June, and thousands of votes were cast to establish a winner in each of the four categories – good leadership, good engagement, good governance or an outstanding EO culture.

Additionally, there were also two special prizes judged by EOA trustee member and celebration dinner sponsors GLIDE and Gripple, and the President’s Pick award chosen by EOA president Patrick Lewis.

James de le Vingne, chief executive of the EOA, said: “The growth of the employee-owned sector in size and impact during such turbulent social and economic times highlights its relevance as a model for the future for the benefit of employees, business and communities.

“The impact of the sector is greatly strengthened by the stories people are willing to share, which aids the learning and development of businesses looking to activate their employee ownership.

“I’d like to congratulate Rochdale Boroughwide Housing on its Partner’s Pick award and for the exceptional insight it has provided into one of the key pillars of good employee ownership – good governance – which help to unlock the potential of future employee-owners and businesses.”