A woman who set up a community food pantry in Paulsgrove has been honoured in a national award ceremony this week.
Mandy Buxey, a tenant of Portsmouth City Council housing, was named as Tenant of the Year in the Housing Heroes awards, which took place on Monday 24 June. She was nominated due to her work in the community, including setting up a food pantry in Paulsgrove in 2019 that went on to be a great help to people during the Covid pandemic, and is still going strong.
In 2022 she then went on to set up Paulsgrove Bathroom Bank alongside Father Hugo from St Michael and All Angels Church and one other local resident – its aim is to tackle hygiene poverty. People can go to the church on Thursday afternoons 2 – 4 and Friday and Saturday mornings 9 – 12 to choose essential bathroom items, free and without any need for a voucher or a referral.
Jo Bennett, assistant director for housing need and supply at Portsmouth City Council, was also nominated for the Women in Housing awards, held in partnership with the Housing Hero awards. She was shortlisted as Woman of the Year – housing association/council, for her leadership and contribution to the council’s long-term plan to provide housing and reduce occurrences of homelessness. Recently, she led the purchase of 818 council homes from Clarion Housing, the largest purchase of its kind by a local authority.
The award judges said: “Mandy should win tenant of the year because of her extensive involvement in various community programs beyond just housing, such as Mandy’s Food Cupboard and the Paulsgrove Bathroom Bank, that have had a significant impact on improving the lives of local residents. Additionally, her role as a vital link between the community and Portsmouth City Council, serving as a resident representative at housing decision meetings and actively participating in various focus groups and committees, showcases her innovative approach and deep understanding of what her community needs.”
Mandy said: “This award reminds me of why I do what I do. I was shocked and pleasantly surprised that I won as I think everyone in Paulsgrove does a good job in making a good local community, I’m fortunate to be surrounded by amazing people. I’d say to anyone that wanted to set something up that they should, just remember to stay humble and always do it for the right reasons!”
There are so many ways council tenants can get involved with decision making, including communications groups, scrutiny panels and coffee mornings. To find out more, interested people should contact the resident engagement team by email housing.engagement@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or by phone 023 9283 4835
Natalie Brahma-Pearl, chief executive of Portsmouth City Council, said: “Well done to Mandy and Jo. I’m so pleased that Mandy won, receiving the recognition she deserves for all the hard work she does for the local community, and that two of our amazing women were shortlisted for these awards. I understand there were over 300 entries for this year’s awards, so it really is a fabulous achievement and a great example of how our senior officers work closely with our tenants to get the best results.”
The Women in Housing awards took place alongside the Housing Heroes awards in Manchester on Monday 24 June. They celebrated the leaders, innovators and changemakers across the sector, championing the successes of women and sharing learning from teams and individuals within the housing sector. Both awards recognised achievements at all levels, from apprentice to tenant to chief executive.