Colleagues from across MHA came together on Tuesday, 7th July for Innovation Day, a dedicated event designed to celebrate new ideas, challenge the norm across the business and help shape the future of how we work, with the ultimate goal of improving services and experiences for our tenants.
The day brought together teams from across the business for a series of interactive sessions focused on collaboration, problem-solving and continuous improvement. From spotlight sessions showcasing innovation already taking place across the organisation to hands-on workshops designed to generate new ideas, colleagues were encouraged to share their experiences and explore new ways of working that can deliver better outcomes for tenants and communities.
The event was opened by CEO, Gwyndaf Tobias, who spoke about the importance of innovation in delivering better outcomes for customers and colleagues, and how creating space for ideas is essential to building a stronger organisation for the future.
External organisations were invited to showcase innovative products, services and technologies through interactive market stalls and lightning pitches, giving colleagues the chance to discover new approaches being used across the housing sector. The market also welcomed representatives from other housing associations, creating opportunities to share learning, spark new conversations and strengthen sector-wide collaboration.
A key focus of the day was giving colleagues the opportunity to influence the design and functionality of the future Innovation Hub. The Innovation Hub will be introduced as a physical space in our HQ in Autumn this year and will be a place where colleagues can bring ideas and challenges, develop solutions and collaborate on improvements. Through a series of co-design activities, staff shared their views on what they would like both the physical and digital spaces to offer, helping to create a hub that works for everyone.
Speaking after the event, Gwyndaf said:
Innovation isn’t just about big ideas. The small improvements and everyday challenges raised by colleagues often create the biggest difference. Innovation Day proved that, with start‑ups pitching fresh solutions and staff pinpointing practical changes that will shape our future. It was fantastic to see so many people getting involved and the energy in the room showed a real drive to make services better for our residents.
Event organiser and Assistant Director of Innovation and Business Change, Cheryl Tracy, said:
It was fantastic to see so many ideas being shared and such positive conversations taking place throughout the day. Innovation Day would not have been possible without the support of our suppliers, partners and colleagues from other housing associations, and we’d like to thank everyone who took the time to get involved. We’re excited to build on this momentum as we continue developing our Innovation Hub.
