A North-East building society’s outstanding customer service and support for innovation in the new-build housing market have been recognised with two national awards.

Darlington Building Society lifted the ‘Customer Service Champion’ title at the British Bank Awards, organised by Smart Money People, in London.

And, days later, the Society was named New-Build Mortgage Lender of the Year at the MoneyAge Mortgage Awards, which were also held in the capital.

The British Bank Awards are in their tenth year and have become widely recognised as the pinnacle of the bank industry.

During a 13-week voting period, 156,000 votes were cast, with financial services companies being recognised for the increasingly crucial role they have played in supporting customers during the cost-of-living crisis.

Andrew Craddock, the Society’s Chief Executive, said: “We’re thrilled to be presented with this accolade, which was received on behalf of the whole team. It’s a testament to their hard work and dedication in giving an outstanding level of service to our members and broker partners.

“We passionately believe that delivering outstanding service is the foundation to building lasting relationships with members and partners, so it is embedded into our culture. The fact that this award comes at a challenging time for many, and was based solely on feedback and reviews from customers, makes it even more special.”

Darlington Building Society also triumphed in the New-Build Mortgage Lender of the Year category at the MoneyAge Mortgage Awards, having been up against Nationwide and Newcastle building societies as finalists.

Darlington Building Society has supported a range of forward-thinking schemes to support the purchase of new-build properties, including Help To Build, First Homes, and OwnNew.

The Society was the first lender to support the Government’s Help To Build scheme in partnership with BuildLoan. The scheme marked a significant milestone for the self and custom housebuilding sector, making it a more accessible option for thousands of people in the UK.

The Society also launched a partnership with Homes by Esh, offering a new mortgage exclusively for customers purchasing a Homes by Esh property at any of the North-East homebuilder’s regional developments.

With £500 cashback available, the Society created a 90% LTV, three-year fixed rate mortgage in the first agreement of its kind to be offered by Homes by Esh in partnership with a building society.

In another innovation, the Society partnered with OwnNew to make 95% mortgages more readily available to people buying new homes, helping to plug the gap left by the closure of the Government’s Help To Buy scheme, which had supported low-deposit lending.

Andrew, said: “We are delighted to win this award because supporting new-build lending is an integral part of our strategy to help first-time buyers to get a foot on the property ladder.”