Belong village pioneer nominated for national award

15 September 2011

One of the leading figures in the development of Wigan’s community village for older people has been nominated for a national healthcare award.

Tracy Paine, Operations Director at Belong, is one of just three people in the country to get through to the finals of the Building Better Healthcare Awards. She has been nominated in the category Healthcare Design Champion of the Year.

The awards reflect the need for healthcare buildings and spaces to be well-designed, therapeutic places which aid recovery and recuperation.

Belong Wigan is one of four villages completed since 2007 and Tracy has taken the lead on all of these projects, described by the judges as “a new lifestyle concept where older people can feel at home in their own private space while being in close proximity to a range of facilities and activities.”

She is also chair of the National Care Forum's Older People and Dementia Committee, giving her the opportunity to link health and social care experiences with other providers and help to spread good practice.

Damian Utton, Partner here at Pozzoni Architects Manchester office who nominated her, said: "Tracy leads the team with innovative design, development and operation of the villages. Her tenacity in striving for the best care and built environments for older people challenges convention and has led to new ways of thinking.”

All three nominees will now go through to the finals, with the winner announced at the awards ceremony in central London on November 10th.

Tracy and colleagues David Hughes and Damian Utton from Pozzoni, will be speaking at a global ageing conference in Washington DC in October alongside other speakers which include Mary Robinson, the former President of Ireland, and Maya Angelou, the American author and poet.

Contact us on architects@pozzoni.co.uk or call 0161 928 7848