OBE for former North Star Chief Executive, Angela Lockwood

Original article from the Northern Echo at King's Birthday Honours: OBE for Angela Lockwood of North Star | The Northern Echo

Words by Peter Barron

A pitman's daughter has dedicated her OBE to colleagues carrying out “fantastic, life-changing work” in the social housing sector.

Angela Lockwood, who stepped down last year as Chief Executive of award-winning North Star Housing, was honoured in the King’s Birthday Honours list “for services to disadvantaged people in the North East”.

Angela was first moved by the impact of poverty while growing up in the County Durham mining village of Murton.

She started her career by landing a temporary contract as Sunderland City Council’s first female rent collector before climbing the ladder to become a nationally respected figure in social housing.

After 11 years with Home Group, she became housing manager with Endeavour Housing Association in 1996. That organisation grew into North Star Housing, with Angela becoming Chief Executive in 2009.

“Although I’m personally thrilled, the honour really belongs to the social housing sector and, in particular, North Star Housing, which does such fantastic, life-changing work in North East communities,” said Angela.

“I don’t think people fully appreciate half of what the social housing sector contributes to helping disadvantaged people in this country. It does so much more than provide bricks and mortar – it’s about investing in vital services that help people fulfil their potential.

“It has been a privilege to work alongside so many great people at North Star and to be involved in social housing, having come from a small council house in Murton with an upbringing that gave me strong values for life.”

Angela admitted that she initially dismissed the official letter, informing her of the OBE, when it came through the letterbox: “I thought it was either a tax request, a parking fine, or a scam of some kind,” she said.

Under her leadership, in 2017, North Star became the first housing association in England to achieve Investors in People platinum status, which is awarded to only 0.5 per cent of companies in the UK.

North Star went on to maintain its platinum status for three consecutive assessments, being praised for its outstanding commitment to tenants, staff and the community.

James Walder, Angela’s successor as North Star CEO, is among many to pay tribute to her since the honours list was announced.

“It is typical of Angela to give credit to others, but she has made an enormous difference to the lives of countless people through her strong sense of social purpose and the values that come from her mining roots.

“She brought those values to life every single day while working at North Star, always focusing passionately on what was best for customers and staff. This is an honour that is richly deserved.”