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The six winners of Homeless Link’s Excellence Awards 2020, which pay tribute to the best of the homelessness and supported housing sector, were announced at an online celebratory event on the evening of 10 December.

This year, the awards recognised the contributions made by homelessness services during the Covid-19 pandemic. 2020 has been a difficult year for many, but particularly for people who have no place to call home. Homelessness services have risen to each new challenge, adapting and innovating to ensure that the people they work with have been kept safe and supported at this unprecedented time.

We were overwhelmed by the quality of the 100 plus awards entries received across the six categories, all of which demonstrated high levels of innovation and showcased the impactful work that is being carried out across the homelessness sector.

Our Homeless Link Excellence Awards 2020 winners are:

• The Jacqui McCluskey communicating for change award – akt
• Excellence in co-production award – Shelter
• Innovation in housing award – Stonewater
• Promoting partnerships and collaborative working award – Cornwall Housing Ltd
• Social enterprise of the year award – Handcrafted Projects
• Excellence in supporting people award – The Magpie Project

The six winners will each have a short film produced about their service, enabling them to showcase their exemplary work with funders, strategic partners and supporters. They also received a trophy and certificate, with runners up receiving a certificate.

Our Homelessness in 2020 event was a chance to reflect on the last nine months and celebrate the exceptional contribution of the homelessness and supported housing sectors.

We shared some of the excellent practice taking place, and spoke about Homeless Link’s work over the last year, which prioritised supporting our members through the pandemic, adapting our ways of working and delivering grants, projects and events we hadn’t originally planned for. The event audience also heard from several special guest speakers including Dame Helen Mirren and Kelly Tolhurst MP, Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing.

As we move into the New Year, it will be important that the work of our members continues as a crucial element of the pandemic response and beyond. Homeless Link will, as ever, offer our support in these efforts, providing practical guidance and learning and campaigning for a policy landscape that will help to end homelessness for good.

Click here for the full press release