We've only gone and won again! At this week's Property Week Student Accommodation Awards we scooped the trophies for:
- Best Covid Response
- Best Halls of Residence for The Lantern, Liverpool
- Unsung Hero for our very own Dorene McDavid, General Manager at Foundry Courtyard, Glasgow
This brings our award win tally to 12 in 2021. That’s an amazing achievement and one that no other student accommodation can beat. So why not book your new student home with Fresh today?
So why did we win? Here's what Property Week said:
Best Covid Response
With an objective to minimise infections and ensure student welfare was maintained, Fresh implemented a comprehensive Covid-19 response.
Action plans were formed for every property, self-isolating students received help with shopping and received welfare gift packs. Covid videos in English and Chinese were produced to help communicate safety measures. Healthy habits were encouraged and virtual events organised to build a community and make students feel supported. Refunds were also offered to students who could not move into their properties and flexible bookings were introduced. The results were low levels of infections, a soaring satisfaction rating and a well-deserved Property Week award.
Best Halls of Residence – The Lantern
Aiming to provide the ‘perfect student home’, The Lantern in Liverpool outdid itself during the pandemic. A bespoke Covid-19 safety plan was created to minimise infection, including signage with QR codes to allow students to report symptoms. The building was set up to support online learning and a bespoke video was created to communicate move-in and Covid-safety guidelines to reassure new students and their parents. Live music was performed by residents via Instagram Live for other residents. By going the extra mile, The Lantern should be commended for polling an enviable 96% satisfaction rate and being named Halls of Residence of the year.
Unsung Hero
Foundry Courtyard’s General Manager Dorene McDavid and her team work with Glasgow City Council to provide accommodation for young, unaccompanied asylum seekers. This year – Dorene’s first with Fresh – has seen their highest number of clients. Dorene and the team are described as having gone above and beyond. Most of the new arrivals had difficult experiences en route to the UK and have individual needs as they transition to independent living in Scotland. Support provided by the team includes settling people into their new homes, help with communication and education in basic housekeeping and budgeting.