LATEST NEWS
I Am a Housebuilder – Mentorship Programme
Our Director, Alice Maughan, is proud to support the I Am a Housebuilder campaign, an initiative aimed at increasing female representation within the housebuilding sector. Backed by the APPG for SME Housebuilders, the programme pairs women in the industry with experienced mentors from across the UK. Alice has been mentoring two participants, helping them progress in their careers within the construction and housebuilding industry.
First Female Founding Honouree Member
The VCC club—originally created 27 years ago by Edwin De Silva, Stewart Baseley and David Bryant—has grown from an informal gathering into a respected network of 100 housebuilders and developers from across the sector.
Alice was first invited to attend the VCC dinner in 2024 alongside fellow mentors from the I Am a Housebuilder group, marking the first time women participated in the annual event.
Three years later, she was honoured to become the club’s first female founding member. Alice said, “I am incredibly proud to represent minorities within this industry and to stand for female, SME and next-generation housebuilders.”
PROCON – Medium Development of the Year Finalists 2025
Stronghold Homes was proud to see The Kilns shortlisted for the PROCON Medium Development of the Year category in 2025.
The directors attended the awards evening alongside Hayward Architects, celebrating the collaborative work that brought the project to life.
We extend our congratulations to the category winner.
TDC – Member of the Year 2025 Award
Director Karl Maughan joined The Developers Club in early 2024, gaining valuable opportunities to share industry experience with other young developers. The club’s expert speaker sessions were particularly beneficial to him as a first-generation developer.
At the December 2025 end-of-year ball, Karl was surprised and honoured to receive the prestigious Member of the Year 2025 award. The TDC leadership team recognised his outstanding contribution, commitment and engagement throughout the year.
A Bed for a House
From 2026, for every house completion, Stronghold Homes pledges to donate a bed to a child, providing children in need with safe, comfortable beds to improve their sleep, health, and overall well-being.
At Stronghold Homes, we recognise that quality of sleep is essential for physical growth, cognitive development, emotional health and academic success. Often a hidden crisis where children lack a proper, safe, and clean bed of their own, affecting over 1 million children in the UK.
SME Housebuilder in Parliament
In October 2025, Director Alice joined SME housebuilders from across the UK at Parliament with Baroness Sharon Taylor of Stevenage, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State of Housing and Local Government, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government.
The Meeting – which was chaired by Sarah Edwards MP and Secretariat Edwin de Silva (chair of the APPG for SME Housebuilders) – explored the critical issues that SME Housebuilders face and potential solutions to these problems. \
Such issues included; Biodiversity net gain, market stimulus & sections 106 & 278. Alice had the opportunity to voice Stronghold’s concerns on these topics. These issues raised were based on insights from a survey carried out amongst135 housebuilders and backed by case studies.
The APPG stated “We look forward to continuing these vital conversations and ensuring SME voices shape future housing policy.”
Our recently completed development, The Kilns, demonstrates Stronghold Homes’ capability to deliver high-quality homes from the initial concept stage through to final completion. The site sold out quickly, reflecting both market confidence and the exceptional standard of the finished homes.
A key strength highlighted by many is the remarkable accuracy between the original CGI designs and the completed properties. This consistency showcases our commitment to detail—from the careful selection of building materials to the refined interior finishes.
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At Stronghold Homes, we take pride in delivering well-designed, thoughtfully crafted homes. As a local SME developer, we ensure every project is sensitive to its surroundings and tailored to the character of each site. No development is the same, and we approach each with the attention and care it deserves to create beautiful homes for our customers.
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SME Support from Jewson and Trade Partners
Household manufacturer names and department directors from Jewson joined Stronghold Homes around the board table at Hinckley Island Hotel this January.
This was a significant occasion for Stronghold, as Karl and Alice hosted site tours, shared the Stronghold journey, and plans for the future. The meeting was focused on how manufacturers and suppliers can better support the SME Housebuilders.
Stark commented:
“With UK Government ambitions to deliver more than 1.5 million new homes across Britain by 2029 - supporting our #SMEhousebuilders is arguably more important now that it has ever been.
The number of #UKhousebuilders who specialise in constructing fewer than 100 new homes a year has plummeted in the past two decades - and yet they play a vital role alongside the national housebuilders to deliver the volume and diversity of quality homes required.
Often family-run businesses, the complexity, lengthy delays and the significant costs involved in securing planning approvals - along with constantly evolving regulation changes in important areas like sustainability and net positive impact on biodiversity, remain a huge worry for our customers.
That's why at #STARK UK, we are committed and proud to support SME builders around the UK to help them deliver fantastic and much needed new houses.
We bring together financiers, suppliers and manufacturers to share knowledge and insights to help this sector survive and thrive in a tough market.
Together, we can help make a huge difference to people's lives.”
A special thanks to Jewson, Hansgrohe, Velux, Lumi-Plugin, Dulux, Worcester Bosch, Imperial Bricks, & Carlise Brass.