BNCHA’s 50th Anniversary & Good Neighbour Awards 2026 | 50 Years of Community & Belonging ❤️

When you build a community with enough love, somewhere along the way it becomes family. ♥️ On 25 September 2026, we celebrated 50 Years of BNCHA, and I’m still struggling to put into words just how special it felt. Every year our AGM and Good Neighbour Awards brings that wonderful feeling of community. But this year, somehow, it hit home even harder. Perhaps it was because we were celebrating 50 years. Perhaps it was because this was our first AGM since becoming independently managed. Or perhaps it was simply looking around a room filled with tenant members, residents, our team, distinguished guests, partners, old friends and new friends, all coming together to celebrate. Whatever it was, there was just so much love in that room. ♥️ It didn’t feel like an AGM or a formal anniversary event. It felt like a family celebration. Everywhere I looked, people were talking, laughing, reconnecting, making new friendships and simply enjoying being together. One of the loveliest things was watching people joining us for the first time. Seeing their smiles and reactions, and watching them become part of the evening, was incredibly special. There was amazing food, wonderful entertainment, laughter, emotion and, by the end of the evening, plenty of dancing! But underneath it all was something even more powerful. Belonging. For 50 years, BNCHA has provided homes. But somewhere along that journey, something much bigger grew around those homes. A community. And when a community is nurtured with kindness, friendship, respect and love, those lines between tenant, resident, colleague, volunteer, partner, guest and friend somehow begin to disappear. Somewhere along the way, community becomes family. ♥️ A very special thank you to the Lord Mayor of Leicester, Blaze Lambert, CEO of the Confederation of Co-operative Housing, and Nic Bliss for sharing such wonderful words with us. It meant so much to have you sharing this milestone. A huge thank you to Ali and the wonderful team at The Platinum Suite, and to Atul and everyone at Sanjay Foods for the incredible food. ♥️ To our Committee, team and volunteers who worked so hard behind the scenes, thank you. And to every tenant member, resident, partner, friend and guest who celebrated with us, thank you. You didn’t simply attend our celebration. You were what made it so special. I came away incredibly proud, emotional and grateful. My heart was very, very full. ♥️ 50 years of homes. 50 years of people. 50 years of community. 50 years of belonging. And an abundance of love. ♥️ Growing Stronger Together. #BNCHA50 #BNCHA #GrowingStrongerTogether #Community #Belonging #DoItWithLove Belgrave Neighbourhood Co-operative Housing Association (BNCHA)