A team behind a project which aims to unlock the potential of future leaders by championing diversity has been put forward for two prestigious industry awards.

The Achieving and Harnessing Board Diversity team, which is pioneered by the Together Housing Group and Progress Housing Group, was awarded a Highly Commended in the 24 Housing Diversity Awards.

The same team have also been shortlisted for the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team of the Year Award in the Housing Heroes Awards, which showcase the people that help housing organisations do the vital work they do.

Between them, Together Housing and Progress Housing have appointed 11 candidates to the diversity programme, seven of whom are female and five identify as being from a Black and Minority Ethnic group.

Together Housing's equality and diversity manager, Tahir Idris, said: "As a provider of homes and a major employer, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that recognises the diverse needs of our customers and colleagues.

"As such, we're delighted that our work to bring together different experiences to best represent the communities we serve has been acknowledged by independent experts in the sector."

Together Housing's board diversity champion, Michelle Park, said: "We deliver services in diverse communities so it is only right that our board reflects this to enable us to become more rooted and representative of our tenants.

"We believe that diversity is important for strong and successful governance and can bring real business benefits so we are delighted that this programme has been highly commended."