Sanctuary’s Blackberry Court retirement community in Streethay, Lichfield, has received national recognition after winning the Best Partnership (100+ Homes) category at the 2025 Inside Housing Development Awards.
The awards celebrate excellence in residential housing development across the UK, and this achievement is a testament to the hard work, innovation and dedication of everyone involved in bringing Blackberry Court to life.
From the initial planning stages to the completion, the project has been a true collaboration, bringing together expertise from our teams in development and supported living, alongside project partners.
The development was also further recognised with a highly commended award in the Best Supported Housing Development – Rural/Suburban category.
Blackberry Court is more than just bricks and mortar – it represents our vision of building homes that make a real difference to people’s lives. Each home and shared spaces are designed to encourage interaction, independence and a true sense of belonging.
Supported by funding from Homes England, we worked with our development partner Keon Homes to successfully deliver this new scheme for the over 55s – setting an exceptional standard in retirement communities.
Operated by Sanctuary Supported Living, Blackberry Court offers 78 extra care apartments, with access to a range of facilities for residents to enjoy, including a gym, a spa bathroom, beauty salon, lounge library, and a public restaurant. In addition, the surrounding Maples retirement village offers a mix of 60 shared ownership and social rent bungalows - each with private outdoor space and full access to wider facilities.
Dave Soothill, Development Director – National, said: “Blackberry Court is a fantastic example of what can be achieved through fantastic collaboration across our teams and strong partnership working.
“It has delivered much-needed new homes in a vibrant, sustainable community, and we should all be extremely proud of this well-deserved national recognition.”
A huge thank you to everyone who played a part in making Blackberry Court a reality. Your hard work has not only delivered an outstanding development which has positioned us as leaders in the sector, but more importantly it has created beautiful homes and provides comfortable living with care and support when required.