A2 an inspiration for Surrey's 2008 business awards

Oct 15 2008 By Adam Courtney, Surrey Herald

Firms considering entering the upcoming Surrey Business Awards should look no further than last year's winner, A2 Housing, for inspiration.

The Staines-based company, a housing association, took Surrey Company of the Year, the most hotly-contested, prestigious prize in the multi-award competition.

Decided by a panel of the county's leading business professionals, the top gong rewards innovation and commitment to excellence, qualities principal judge, Neil Harris, believes should not merely be the premise of private sector companies.

He said: "A2 Housing demonstrated operating in the public sector should place no restrictions on innovation. Its commitment to core objectives, clear understanding of the measures of success relevant to its business and a clear focus on delivering quality housing impressed the judges."

A2 Housing has a significant presence in Surrey, with a wide and diverse range of housing for thousands of people. Examples include key worker accommodation for health staff at St Peter's Hospital, Chertsey, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, and through sheltered accommodation schemes, which allow elderly residents to lead more independent lives.

Since winning the award, A2 Housing has merged with the Dominion Housing Group to become one of the country's largest providers of affordable housing.

The Housing Corporation officially approved the merger in July and A2Dominion Group was officially launched on October 1. It now manages more than 30,000 homes across London and southern England, with a further 6,000 properties in the development pipeline.

Group chief executive, Darrell Mercer, said: "The newly-merged organisation is ideally placed to meet the changing demands of the housing market. We now have the financial strength and resources to deliver more homes and improved services for our residents."

Surrey firms have until November 21 to lodge their application for the awards, which are supported by the Herald & News.

They can choose from 11 wide-ranging categories, including the Small Business Award, the Leisure and Tourism Award, the International Business Award and Surrey Business Person of the Year. n Entry is free and can be done online at www.surreybusinessawards.co.uk