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TPAS Cymru hold an awards ceremony every year to recognise the work that tenants and social landlords achieve in Tenant Participation.

This year's Award Ceremony took place at the Angel Hotel in Cardiff on Thursday 15th May where tenants and representatives of social landlords gathered to learn who the judges had been impressed with from the 55 entries in 9 different categories.

The Community Group at Pembrokeshire Housing's estate in Vineyard Vale Rd Saundersfoot had entries in 2 categories:

• Tenant Participation Projects
• Successful Participation in Rural Areas

Two judges in each category (experienced and reputable figures in the Housing World in Wales) independently of each other produced their winning entries using a complex scoring system that would have done justice to the Eurovision Song Contest, producing their results some weeks before the event and passed their 1, 2, and 3 placings to TPAS Cymru.

The event opened at 11.30am with some fun items, including a housing version of Mastermind and an audience participation quiz, leading up to Lunch and a chance to view exhibits from housing organisations and contractors.

2pm saw the big "Oscars" moments arrive and a packed and hushed anticipatory audience gathered to listen to the category definition, the nominations for that particular category and the judge's decisions with a short description of the winning entries.

Vineyard Vale's first big moment came with the results of the Tenant Participation Project Category and their entry of the Play Park Project which had taken some two years to fulfil with fund raising of £80000. The tension rose as the 3rd place and then 2nd place entries were read out and a cheer went up from the Pembrokeshire contingent as the Judge announced Vineyard Vale as the Winner. The Chair of the Community Group, Colin Andrews and his wife, Dee, took centre stage to receive their award.

The second big moment occurred a little later in the programme when Vineyard Vale came 1st in the Tenant Participation in a Rural Area Category.

This is the 3rd time that Vineyard Vale Community Group has entered the TPAS Cymru Awards and the 3rd time they have won 1st Prize. Well done to the Vineyard Vale Community Group, the Committee and all their helpers and supporters, for all the hard work over the past 6 years.

Pembrokeshire Housing are aware that other Groups are doing sterling work in their communities and estates and we would urge them to think about contacting the staff at Pembrokeshire Housing and consider entering the awards next year in May when the ceremony will be held in Llandudno in North Wales.