Orwell cares for the environment as well as its tenants and staff. The housing association manages not just 4,000 properties but 70 acres of outside space, including 5,000-plus trees and six miles of hedging.

All green waste is now recycled into mulch and compost for use across Orwell's gardens and open spaces, rather than going to landfill, saving time and money.

The idea came from staff – reflecting the collaborative culture encouraged by the association's leadership. That was also on display during the pandemic, when senior and operational management teams volunteered to assist with Orwell's care services.

They cooked, cleaned, made beds and cups of tea, watered plants, shopped for and chatted with residents and also colleagues, supporting them practically and showing solidarity.

Ipswich-based Orwell provides homes for more than 7,500 people in East Anglia. It supplies care services for older people, adults with learning disabilities, people facing homelessness and those in or leaving abusive relationships.

When the government's Everybody In initiative to take rough sleepers off the streets during the first lockdown ended, the association worked directly with local authorities to offer space in its properties to those in need.

Like the senior leadership, Orwell staff lent a hand with caring for residents during the pandemic, shopping, chatting and so on. They also offered hundreds of hours of support for organisations such as Ipswich Night Shelter and Lowestoft Foodbank.