The founders of the National Leasehold Campaign (NLC) have been awarded OBEs in the King’s Birthday Honours list in recognition of their services to housing and leaseholders.
Katie Kendrick, Cath Williams and Jo Darbyshire launched the NLC in 2017 after finding themselves ‘trapped by unfair and extortionate leasehold arrangements’. Frustrated by escalating ground rents, ‘onerous clauses’ and the difficulty in selling or remortgaging their properties, the trio united with leaseholders across England and Wales to raise awareness of the ‘inherent injustices’ within the leasehold system.
Although no longer leaseholders themselves, the three women continue to campaign against the system and the five million people in England and Wales still affected. The NLC has played a pivotal role in highlighting the issues faced by leaseholders and engaging with political parties in an attempt to bring about legislative changes.
The trio were invited to give evidence to the government’s select committee into leaseholds, which resulted in an investigation by the Competitions and Marketing Authority and a damning verdict on leasehold mis-selling in February 2020. They also took part in consultations on ground rent and leasehold reform, which led to the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rents) Act 2022 and Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 (LAFRA).
In a joint statement, Kendrick, Willliams and Darbyshire said of the accolades:
“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. 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 5.5 million leaseholders in England and Wales, continuing to drive reform and giving them control of their own homes.”
