Ferry Project has been recognised on a national stage, receiving an Inside Housing - Housing Heroes Award in acknowledgement of its work supporting homeless people across rural East Anglia. They were finalists in four award categories and were delighted to have won the ‘Best Company Health and Wellbeing Initiative’ award.

The awards took place on Monday 22nd June 2026 in Manchester. They are run and organised by Inside Housing, which is the leading subscription-based trade magazine for housing professionals in the UK.

Ferry Project is a homelessness charity serving rural East Anglia, supporting more than 300 people each year through trauma-informed accommodation, 24/7 personalised keyworker support, and a holistic approach to health and well-being. Across 53 beds spanning a range of housing types, the charity empowers individuals to rebuild their lives with dignity — creating clear pathways into stable housing, meaningful employment, and improved physical and emotional well-being.

But Ferry Project's impact extends far beyond providing a roof over someone's head. The charity also operates the Queen Mary Centre, a thriving community hub that hosts NHS services, well-being programmes, and social activities designed to prevent homelessness before it begins and strengthen cohesion across the wider community. A cookery school and gallery space, both housed within the project's hostel, further enrich the lives of residents and the local area alike.

Staff work in close collaboration with healthcare providers, local authorities, arts organisations, and specialist partners to deliver innovative, person-centred initiatives that directly address the complex health inequalities faced by people experiencing homelessness. Among these is a partnership with North Brink Surgery, a local GP surgery, which sends a nurse practitioner and a health and well-being coach into Ferry Project's premises each week to run a drop-in clinic for residents — removing one of the most significant barriers to healthcare that homeless people face. The charity also works alongside the East of England Cancer Alliance to improve access to specialist care, as well as supporting residents through smoking cessation programmes and creative well-being activities.

The category Ferry Project won was judged by Jess McCabe, deputy editor of Inside Housing and Tracy Round-Turner, assistant director of Peabody. The judges said: “This is an impressive, values-led initiative addressing severe health inequalities among people experiencing homelessness. The strength of the partnerships – particularly around GP access, cancer research and smoking cessation – is notable”.

Emma Webb, Deputy CEO of Ferry Project, who was at the awards ceremony, said, “We are extremely humbled to be the recipients of this national award. This was only made possible by the collaboration between our fantastic staff and our amazing partners and funders. This award further strengthens our belief that supporting someone out of homelessness means caring for the whole person – not just providing a roof and a bed. Ferry Project would like to say a big thank you to all our partners, funders and staff and we look forward to continuing to work together to improve further the health, well-being and housing security of those we work with.”