Waifs and Strays Brighton 2026

Hello Waifs and Strays,

It’s time to look ahead to Housing Brighton: People and Place 2026.

Some of you will remember how this all started. Around ten years ago Chris Cheshire (Chesh), Peter O’Toole and Chris Ewart gathered a small group of about 15 Waifs and Strays in a pub in Brighton for a few hours between conference events. Fast forward to today, add Colin Farrell and FFT to the mix, and the gathering has grown into something quite remarkable, regularly welcoming hundreds of familiar faces from across the sector.

Despite that growth, the spirit of it has never really changed. There are still no rules. There will be no sales talk, no presentations, and no speeches — just a bar, a drink, and an opportunity to pause for a while between the bustle of the conference and the evening events. Drop in for five minutes or stay for five hours, catch up with old friends and colleagues, and enjoy a relaxed afternoon together.

This year perhaps more than most, we recognise that it has been a tough year for many across the sector and beyond. The pace, pressure and challenges that many people are dealing with are very real. So this gathering is also a chance simply to take a moment, appreciate the community around us, and reflect on the good fortune many of us have to be here and able to share a drink together.

As always, Build Recruitment, Laker BMS and FFT will be organising and sponsoring the drinks in Brighton.

For this event, we are celebrating with a 4th partner and are delighted to welcome Travis Perkins Managed Services, represented by Catherine Castillo-Soto, their Business Development Director.

So please do come along and enjoy the hospitality. All we need you to do, is register your place (for free!) here on Eventbrite.

It’s very much a case of the more the merrier, so feel free to pass this invitation on, bring a Housing Sector colleague or invite a friend.

And finally, in keeping with the spirit of the gathering, after the event we will be announcing a small social initiative that we will be supporting, as a way of giving something back beyond the afternoon itself. More on that soon.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Cheers,

Chris, Chris, Colin & Catherine

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