MBE for the Northern Housing Consortium’s longest serving colleague

Northern Housing Consortium (NHC) Executive Assistant Lynda Redshaw, who lives County Durham, was presented with an MBE for services to social housing in the North of England by Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal at Windsor Castle. She attended the ceremony with her two sons and granddaughter.

Lynda, has worked at the NHC for 34 years, continuing beyond retirement age and demonstrating a courageous commitment to her role despite difficult personal circumstances. She has mentored colleagues throughout her career and has helped the NHC grow from a team of three to an organisation with over 40 staff. Lynda is a prolific fundraiser, generating over £60,000 for good causes while working at the NHC.

Lynda Redshaw MBE, Executive Assistant at the Northern Housing Consortium said:

“When I found out I’d been honoured in the Kings Birthday’s Honours List in June last year, I was completely shocked and surprised. Receiving my MBE at Windsor Castle was a very special day which will be a treasured memory for me and my family. It was an honour to meet the Princess Royal, and all the staff were fantastic, really putting me and the other honours recipients at ease.

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“It is very gratifying to be honoured and recognised for the dedicated hard work I have done for the NHC over the last 34 years.  My family, friends and work colleagues are so proud of me, and to be honest I feel a little bit special and proud of myself too.”

Northern Housing Consortium Chief Executive Tracy Harrison said:

“I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this recognition than Lynda. Everyone at the NHC is over the moon for her. She is a well-loved colleague and someone who has made a tremendous contribution to the NHC and the social housing sector in the North. This was reflected in the number of supportive letters her honours nomination received. She is a fountain of knowledge and has for many years been the backbone of the NHC.”

Lynda was instrumental in setting up the NHC’s Unlocking Success Bursary which offers £500 grants to people living in social housing to help them access training or employment opportunities, or to start their own business. For fifteen years she organised the Hitex Summit, which connected social housing providers and IT suppliers, helping the sector in the North go digital. She well known amongst NHC members for her impeccable organisational skills and helpful attitude.

Lynda’s first job was at Lumley Castle working in the office and taking banquet bookings. She went on to the English Industrial Estates Partnership as a secretary (now Homes England) followed by working at Chester Le Street District Council where she was a shorthand typist and secretary for the Chief Technical Officer. She then took a short career break to look after her young children and joined the Northern Housing Consortium in 1991.

The NHC is a membership organisation for housing associations, local authorities, ALMOs and combined authorities in the North of England. Nine out of ten socially rented homes in the North of England are owned or managed by NHC members. 

The NHC brings together housing in the North to develop insight, influence and solutions to create better homes and places. We work to support members to deliver our vision that everyone in the North has a safe, warm home that’s affordable to them, in a place they’re proud of.

Find out more at northernhousingconsortium.org.uk