WORCESTERSHIRE’S Festival Housing has been celebrating following its win at the UK National Housing Awards.

Festival, which is based in Malvern and Droitwich, beat stiff competition from housing associations across the country to win an award for its groundbreaking Skills for Life project with Droitwich High School.

The project started as a management training opportunity for staff at Festival but has gone on to create an imaginative link with the spa town’s high school.

The project has provided employment and training opportunities in property maintenance for pupils of years 10 and11.

Students learn a range of property maintenance skills as part of their curriculum and this two-year course includes one day a week with Festival Housing Group.

Clare Huyton, executive director at Festival said: “We are delighted to have this project recognised on a national stage. To win this award is not only a tribute to my colleagues here at Festival but also to the pupils and staff at Droitwich High School who have worked so hard to help make this project work.

“We look forward to continuing this success for many years to come.” Learning in the workplace, pupils from the school are taught various practical trades – plumbing, electrics – and gain a recognised vocational course leading to a City and Guilds Qualification. Workers from Festival’s maintenance company also visited Droitwich’s twin school in Kenya and trained pupils and teachers in maintenance of their school building.