L&Q Board member and resident receives OBE

Chair of L&Q’s Resident Services Board, L&Q Senior Independent Director and resident, Fayann Simpson, received an OBE at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.

The OBE – Order of the British Empire – was awarded for her services to people who live in social housing.

Fayann has devoted over 20 years to working as an involved resident, working tirelessly with L&Q and the wider sector to drive continuous improvement in the quality of homes and services.

One such example of this was the new, improved “void standard” she introduced for the homes that L&Q re-lets.

As Chair of L&Q’s Resident Services Group, she championed a change in the approach to fixed-term tenancies, arguing that five-year agreements didn’t encourage people to put roots down locally.

In response, L&Q moved all residents with fixed-term tenancies onto lifetime assured tenancies.

Other housing associations have now said they are following this lead, meaning her work will benefit tens of thousands of tenants across the country.

Over the years she has been a member of the Resident Involvement Group, a chair of a Neighbourhood Committee, Chair of L&Q’s Complaints Panel and has been involved in the planning and delivery of L&Q’s annual Resident Conference.

Following the Grenfell tragedy, she has also taken a place on Dame Judith Hackitt’s Industry Safety Steering Group, setting standards that will ensure residents of high-rise buildings are safe.

In July 2021, Fayann became a board member for a new ESG reporting group, joining seven other leading figures in finance and housing to help oversee the rollout of the Sustainability Reporting Standard for Social Housing.

Following in her footsteps, other residents have been encouraged by Fayann to take a more active role in their community. This has led to a larger pool of engaged residents working with L&Q to improve their services, including the recently formed Resident Services Board.

Fayann said:

“I’m very pleased to have been recognised with an OBE, an honour that symbolises the critical importance of resident involvement in delivering homes and services that people deserve and feel proud of.

Resident safety is a top priority and a responsibility that can never be taken lightly. I’m pleased to be playing a part in this and will continue to strive to improve safety through my work with the ISSG.”

Fiona Fletcher Smith, L&Q’s CEO said:

“Fayann is a leading light in the sector, and this OBE is testament to the extraordinary contribution she has made to communities across the country.

In the two decades since Fayann became an involved resident, she has been a committed, consistent and unwavering voice in the world of social housing. Guided by her lived experience, it is fitting that her drive and determination have blazed the trail for other residents to affect positive change.

All in all, this is a fantastic honour and I hope that Fayann and her family feel proud that her hard work and dedication has been rightly recognised.”