Lewes-based lettings specialist Karen Stanley has a double celebration lined up.

As a member of the choir Lewes Sings Gospel she was a winner of the BBC Gospel Choir of the Year competition, and as a joint owner of Stanley & Partners she is celebrating 40 years in business.

The firm was started in Lewes by Robin Stanley in 1974 when current owners James and Karen Stanley were only four years old. James and Karen took over Stanley & Partners in 1999 after pursuing careers in law and continue to develop and provide excellent service to their clients.

Some 15 years later, they pride themselves on offering a full range of letting services whilst maintaining the personal care and attention that can be missing in larger firms. Stanley & Partners are a dedicated family of specialists who let out and manage landlords’ properties and in the finding of the right tenants for each landlord.

Karen said: “We are small enough to offer individual attention and services to our landlords and tenants, ensuring that we will not place a tenant in your home if we would not want them in ours! But, big enough to ensure we are fully compliant with all the latest changes in the law of letting.”

Karen’s involvement with Southover church has led to her four-year participation in Lewes Sings Gospel. She said: “After a journey of fun, laughter and probably a lot of hard work, our choir leader Karen Gibson had such faith in us that she put us forward for the BBC Gospel Choir of the Year competition. The following week we were recording our two pieces of music.

“The very next week we were informed we had been selected for the finals! Before we knew it we were off to the Hackney Empire to film the competition. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves as a family creating closer bonds with each other and meeting the other choirs too. We were there to do just what we most enjoy – singing from the heart.

“It was much to our delight and surprise that we won the competition!”

You can hear Lewes Sings Gospel on BBC Big Sing at the Royal Albert Hall – Sunday, October 28, on BBC One; BBC Christmas carol event on December 23, and at Southover Church on January 10, 2015 – tickets on sale soon with Eventbright.

For all your immediate family’s housing needs contact Stanley and Partners on 01273 480529 or 01444 235611.