Key Points
- First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) scooped three prizes at the Oldham Business Awards on Friday, 2 October 2026.
- The housing association picked up the Business of the Year (£5m+), the Supporting Young People award and the Workforce Health & Well-being Award.
- The awards ceremony took place at The Loom, Oldham’s newest venue for events.
- FCHO chief executive Mark Gifford thanked his colleagues and pointed out that the awards were particularly significant as the majority of FCHO’s properties and customers are based in Oldham.
- According to FCHO, the awards come after a week when the housing association was awarded top grades by the Regulator of Social Housing for governance and financial stability.
- The organisation added that permission was granted in late September for 147 affordable homes at Southlink, which is the biggest development yet by FCHO.
- FCHO had been nominated along with Heyside Group and Future Directions CIC for Business of the Year (£5m+), and along with Spark Oldham and Future Directions CIC for the other two awards.
- The Oldham Business Awards have now been running for 18 years and recognise local businesses, entrepreneurs and community leaders.
Oldham (Manchester Mirror) October 3, 2026 — First Choice Homes Oldham won three honours at the 2026 Oldham Business Awards, taking the top Business of the Year prize in the £5m+ category as well as awards for supporting young people and workforce wellbeing.
As reported by the Oldham Chronicle, FCHO received Business of the Year in the £5m+ category, the Supporting Young People award and the Workforce Health & Well-being Award at the ceremony held at The Loom on Friday evening.
The awards recognise organisations across Oldham for business performance, leadership, innovation and community contribution. The 2026 programme included 12 award categories and more than 30 shortlisted businesses and individuals.
Why did FCHO receive three awards?
The Oldham Business Awards steering group, made up of volunteers from locally based businesses, selects winners alongside category sponsors.
FCHO was shortlisted in three categories in July: Business of the Year (£5m+), Supporting Young People and Workforce Health & Well-being.
In the £5m+ Business of the Year category, FCHO competed against Heyside Group and Future Directions CIC. In the Supporting Young People category, its fellow finalists were Spark Oldham and VPS UK Ltd, while Spark Oldham and Future Directions CIC were also shortlisted for Workforce Health & Well-being.
The Supporting Young People category is intended to recognise an ongoing programme providing opportunities for young people up to the age of 30. The Workforce Health & Well-being category seeks to recognise organisations creating a supportive working environment.
What did FCHO’s chief executive say?
FCHO chief executive Mark Gifford thanked staff for their work and said recognition in Oldham carried particular significance because the town is home to most of the association’s properties and customers.
As reported by the Oldham Chronicle, Mr Gifford said:
“Everyone at FCHO is buzzing at the moment and these three awards are really the icing on the cake of a great two weeks.”
He added:
“I would like to thank all my colleagues for the tremendous work they are doing to make FCHO a good housing provider, a great place to work and an integral part of Oldham.”
Mr Gifford also congratulated the other businesses recognised at the ceremony.
“So, it’s back to work on Monday with a spring in our step but also with a desire to do even better,” he said.
What other recent developments affected FCHO?
The awards came after what FCHO described as a strong fortnight for the housing association. According to the Oldham Chronicle, FCHO said it received top marks from the Regulator of Social Housing during the week for governance and financial stability.
Separately, the UK government’s Regulator of Social Housing published a regulatory judgement for First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) Limited on 30 September 2026, recording a C2 consumer grade following inspection, alongside a G1 grade for governance and V1 for financial viability.
FCHO also said planning permission was granted in late September for 147 affordable homes at Southlink in Oldham, which the organisation described as its biggest development to date.
How were the 2026 Oldham Business Awards organised?
The 2026 Oldham Business Awards were held on Friday, 2 October at The Loom in Oldham. The awards are in their 18th year and celebrate local businesses, entrepreneurs and community leaders who have made an impact in the borough.
The 2026 programme introduced three new categories: Sustainable Innovation, Heart of the High Street and Community Impact. The awards also raised funds for Mahdlo Youth Zone and Dr Kershaw’s Hospice, with the business community donating more than £4,600 to each cause, according to the awards organisers.
Oldham Business Awards chair David Wadworth, managing director and founder of Lees-based Cornerstone Design and Marketing, said the awards were established to recognise excellence, acumen and entrepreneurial spirit among Oldham’s business community.
Background of the development
First Choice Homes Oldham is a housing association based in Oldham, Greater Manchester. It was shortlisted in July for three categories at the 2026 Oldham Business Awards, with the organisation saying at the time that it was “delighted” to be recognised in three important categories.
The Oldham Business Awards were launched in 2008 and are supported by sponsors including Albion House Wealth Management, Oldham Council and The Casey Group. The awards’ stated purpose is to celebrate excellence, innovation, growth, leadership and community impact among organisations in the borough.
FCHO’s latest recognition followed recent regulatory and planning developments. The Regulator of Social Housing issued its judgement for FCHO Limited on 30 September 2026, while the housing association said permission had been granted for its 147-home Southlink scheme in late September.
Prediction: How can this development affect Oldham residents and local businesses?
For Oldham residents, FCHO’s awards may reinforce confidence in the housing association’s local role, particularly among tenants and customers in the borough. The recognition for Supporting Young People may also draw attention to FCHO’s work with people aged up to 30, a group the awards category specifically highlights.
For local businesses, FCHO’s three wins could increase its visibility within Oldham’s business community and may encourage other organisations to participate in future award cycles. The awards organisers position the programme as a way to celebrate local achievement and highlight businesses’ contribution to the borough’s social fabric.
For FCHO employees and prospective employees, the Workforce Health & Well-being Award may support the organisation’s efforts to present itself as a good place to work. Mr Gifford’s comments linked the award success directly to colleagues’ work in making FCHO “a good housing provider” and “a great place to work”.
For the wider housing sector, the combination of award recognition, a recent regulatory judgement and the planned Southlink development may place further attention on FCHO’s delivery of affordable housing in Oldham. The association has described the 147-home Southlink scheme as its biggest development to date.
