Guests at Young Norwood's property awards dinner got a taste of the charity's work with some of the most vulnerable members of the community.

Addressing the 450 diners at London's Park Lane Hilton, Wayne Chodosh, spoke about his son Jake, who has autism and lives in a Norwood property.

“I realised that I wouldn’t be around forever, so I got in touch with Norwood to make plans for when me and my wife were no longer here,” he said. “And that was the start of what I call the ‘magic carpet ride’. When [Norwood} came on board they dealt with social services – nobody trains you to deal with social services and we were drowning.”

 “Now Jake is a success story. He’s living in a wonderful house in Edgware and he has a great life. Jake, who can’t talk, goes to work in an estate agent for three hours a week. That’s all because of Norwood and the support of all of you here tonight.”

YN Property Committee co-chair David Jacobsen drew a parallel between the property world and the charity's work. "Just as building personal relationships and integration into a community are important to be a success in our industry, they also sit at the core of all that Norwood does.

"Having grown up with family members that struggle daily with severe learning disabilities, I have seen first-hand the enhancements that an organisation such as Norwood can bring to their lives through personal relationships and community.”

The dinner raised £155,000.