Belgrave Neighbourhood Co-operative Housing Association recently celebrated 50 years of providing homes, building relationships and bringing people together, marking five decades of tenant-led housing and community action in Leicester.
Established in 1976, Belgrave Neighbourhood Co-operative Housing Association (BNCHA) celebrated its golden anniversary by recognising the tenant members who built and shaped the co-operative, alongside the neighbours, volunteers, community members and partners who had contributed to its journey.
The milestone was celebrated alongside BNCHA’s Annual General Meeting and Good Neighbour Awards on Friday 25 September 2026 at the Platinum Suite in Leicester.
While providing and managing homes had always been at the heart of BNCHA’s work, its role in the community has grown considerably over the years. The co-operative supports local people through initiatives including the Belgrave Community Food Hub, EKTA health and wellbeing sessions, its Community Garden, community events and partnerships.
Its commitment to co-operative housing was recognised in 2022, when BNCHA received a CCH Award for Active Membership, celebrating the importance of tenant participation and the contribution of members to the co-operative movement. The award reflected a central part of BNCHA’s identity: a belief that housing co-operatives were about more than bricks and mortar, creating opportunities for people to shape their homes, influence their organisation and build stronger communities.
BNCHA also marked its anniversary through its Good Neighbour Awards which recognised neighbourly kindness, community service and the achievements of young people across the community, and with Belgrave Stories, an initiative that invites local people to share photographs, newspaper cuttings and personal memories of their homes, streets and community.
Jaimini Bharakhada, Chair and CEO of BNCHA, said:
“Fifty years is an incredible milestone for BNCHA, but this celebration really belongs to the people.
“It belongs to the tenant members who built and shaped our co-operative, but also to the neighbours, volunteers, community members, partners and friends who have become part of the BNCHA journey along the way.
“One of the things I am most proud of is that BNCHA has grown to mean more than the homes we provide. We opened our doors to the wider community and, somewhere along the way, they became part of us, and we became part of them.
“#DoItWithLove is something I gave to BNCHA because, for me, it says everything about who we should be. It isn’t just a hashtag. It’s about putting people at the heart of what we do, caring about the difference we make and remembering that sometimes the smallest act of kindness can mean everything to someone.
“That is the BNCHA I believe in. A place where people feel welcome, valued and that they belong. And that is what I hope we carry with us into the next 50 years.”
Blase Lambert, CEO of CCH, who spoke at the anniversary ceremony, said:
“Reaching 50 years is a remarkable achievement for Belgrave Neighbourhood Co-operative Housing Association. For five decades, BNCHA has demonstrated how co-operative housing could be about so much more than providing a home. It is about giving people a voice, encouraging active membership and creating a genuine sense of community.
“BNCHA’s 50th anniversary is a celebration of its members, its community and everyone who has contributed to its journey. It is also an opportunity to recognise the lasting difference a tenant-led organisation can make and to look ahead to the next 50 years of co-operation, community and belonging.”
The 50th anniversary offered an opportunity to reflect on how far BNCHA has come while celebrating the relationships and shared values that continued to shape its work.
