Founders of the National Leasehold Campaign awarded OBEs in King’s birthday honors list. – TNT

The three co-founders of the National Leasehold Campaign, Katie Kendrick, Cath Williams and Joanne Darbyshire, are to receive OBEs in the king’s birthday honours.

The trio founded the the NLC in 2017 after they found themselves trapped in unfair and extortionate leasehold arrangements. The campaign now has more than 32,000 members and has become a leading voice in the fight for leasehold reform.

The NLC has successfully shed light on a wide range of issues faced by leaseholders, with their efforts contributing to significant legislative changes, including the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022: This Act ended ground rent for most new long residential leases.

Meanwhile, the Leasehold Freehold Reform Act 2024 established an immediate ban on most new leasehold houses and continues to be rolled out with 14 sections enacted so far.

IN a joint statement, the trio said: “We are honoured and very proud to be recognised on the King’s Birthday Honours list to each receive an OBE for our services to Housing and Leaseholders, which recognises the vital work of the National Leasehold Campaign (NLC).  This honour is not just ours; it belongs to everyone who has contributed to this critical movement for change.

“First and foremost, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the committee members and those who nominated us for this prestigious award. We would also like to extend huge gratitude to our family and friends, who have given us unwavering support and encouragement throughout this journey.  Our commitment to this campaign has meant many hours away from our families and we recognise the sacrifices they have made too.  We are three Northern Mums that have taken on the ugly face of corporate greed and ensured that others will not have to go through the nightmare that we have.

“We are grateful to fellow campaigners, NLC members, Leasehold Knowledge Partnership (LKP) and the numerous cross-party MPs who have supported us over the last eight years – thank you for your dedication, determination and resilience. Together, we have informed, empowered and united leaseholders who felt invisible.  Together, we have pushed boundaries and achieved milestones that we could never have accomplished alone.  

“Our journey has not been without challenges.  We faced opposition, scepticism, and at times, moments of doubt, but we persevered together. Our OBEs are recognition of our own personal contributions and the difference we have made to many  leaseholders.  We will keep pushing forward for leasehold reform and ultimately leasehold abolition, with Commonhold becoming the default tenure here, as it is in the rest of the World.

“We promise to use this recognition as a platform to ensure that the voices of leaseholders remain heard.

“This campaign demonstrates the power of collective action. We will continue to represent the 5.5million leaseholders in England and Wales, continuing to drive reform and giving them control of their own homes.”