Orbit is celebrating after an employee was announced Professional Woman of the Year at the national Women in Housing Awards 2019.
Orbit is celebrating after an employee was announced Professional Woman of the Year at the national Women in Housing Awards 2019.
Laura Tutton, who works as Area Maintenance Manager at Orbit’s Stratford upon Avon office, was presented with the award at a ceremony in Manchester.
Organised by Inside Housing trade magazine in conjunction with the Chartered Institute of Housing, the national Women in Housing awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of outstanding women who work in the housing sector.
“I was absolutely shocked when I heard my name called out,” Laura said. “I was up against some very tough competition, including some who were director level. I am really pleased to have won this award though, it means a lot.”
As Area Maintenance Manager at Orbit, Laura is responsible for the turnaround of empty properties ready to be re-let to new customers. Her team of seven are responsible for in excess of 100 properties at any one time across the Midlands and she is always looking at ways to improve the lives of customers and give them homes they can be proud of.
Laura has been with Orbit for 11 years, since leaving Nottingham Trent University. She started as a temp, but as a Real Estate Management graduate, it wasn’t long before she was taken on as an Area Surveyor. She then became a Team Leader before becoming Area Maintenance Manager.
She won the award for always looking at ways to improve the lives of Orbit’s customers through the implementation of new business practices.
Laura has transformed the way customer inspections take place at Orbit and has also been involved in the trial of its ‘carpets and curtains’ project, which offered new customers the chance to keep certain existing soft furnishings, in order to reduce their moving-in costs. Laura is now involved in a similar trial, this time re-using furniture to ease the costs associated with moving to a new home for Orbit customers
“Sometimes our most vulnerable customers can arrive at their new home with little more than the clothes they are wearing, so anything we can do to help them is worthwhile. Furniture poverty is a real issue for a lot of people, so this is the next thing we want to change to help support our customers,” she added.