Chair NFA
Colchester Borough Homes
Independent Chair
Alison is Chair of Colchester Borough Homes, having been an independent Board member since January 2007, and elected Chair in 2008. A law graduate, Alison worked in the welfare rights field for a number of years and has extensive local government and voluntary sector experience. She is passionate about the provision of high quality and accessible services for all.
Alison sits as a magistrate in the local adult and family courts and is a member of the selection committee that recommends appointments to the magistracy. She is also Chair of Governors of a Fresh Start Primary School in Colchester, steering the school from special measures to what is now a successful and vibrant community asset.
Alison has sat on the NFA Board since 2008 and has promoted the NFA’s national influence. Alison has also chaired the Communications Sub-committee. “The NFA needs to maintain its high profile” she says. “We represent a quarter of the nation’s social housing tenants and their needs and aspirations must be afforded national attention.”
Board Director NFA
Gateshead Housing Company
Independent Chair
Barbara was appointed to the Board in January 2004 following establishment of the company. She was appointed as Chair of the Board in May 2006.
Barbara currently runs her own training company, P3 Coaching. She is a Board member of One NorthEast, as well as a member of the National Housing Federation's Care and Support committee.
Barbara was previously Chief Executive of Norcare Housing.
Board Director NFA
Homes for Islington
Tenant Chair
Theresa was elected as Chair of HFI's Board in November 2009. She joined the Board in 2003 and has been re-elected to it twice. She has been very active in determining HFI's decent homes policy and delivery, having been the Chair of the Asset Management Committee since 2005.
Theresa is a secure council tenant who has lived in Islington all her life and works full-time managing a multi-use community centre in the borough. For over ten years, Theresa has been involved in tenant consultation and participation, chairing the Tenants' Association and the local Area Housing Panel. Over the years, she has increasingly taken on more roles including being an Islington Strategic Partnership tenant representative. She also has extensive experience of managing and distributing budgets. Theresa was previously a director of FITA (Federation of Islington’s Tenants Associations) and has also worked for the Audit Commission as a resident inspector.
Board Director NFA
Kensington & Chelsea TMO
Tenant Chair
Reg was elected the Chair of the Kensington & Chelsea TMO in March 2010. He has served on all committees within the TMO, and chaired the finance and audit committee for several years prior to stepping up to chairing the Board.
He is an energetic campaigner for tenants as a voice in housing, and fully supports the move to localised management of housing services, with residents at the centre of the debate.
He looks forward to his time on the NFA Board.
Vice Chair NFA
Newark and Sherwood Homes
Independent Chair
Ginette has been on the Board of the National Federation of ALMOs since 2009 and is a member of the Communications sub-committee. She is the Chair of Newark and Sherwood Homes and has been involved with that organisation since 2004. Her day job is Managing Director of a firm of architects and civil and structural engineers. She has 16 years’ experience as a magistrate, is a Fellow of the RSA and a Member of the Institute of Directors.
Ginette understands the importance social housing plays in building communities and creating life chances. Having lived her formative years in social housing in Garthamlock, Glasgow and Waltham Abbey, Essex, she knows from personal experience the impact that housing services and their success or failure can have on tenants and communities.
Ginette is committed to ensuring that tenants have the opportunity to contribute and influence the communities in which they live. Through their involvement they can assist in creating safe, secure, adaptable, and comfortable accommodation that promotes and enhances the community. Her desire to succeed and to develop herself extends to those she comes into contact with. It is through this drive that she seeks to improve the life experience of tenants.
Board Director NFA
Poole Housing Partnership
Independent Chair
Bill has been Chair of Poole Housing Partnership since its inception in 2003.
Prior to being involved with PHP, he was the marketing director for a multinational company.
Poole Housing Partnership has twice been assessed by the Audit Commission as a three-star excellent organisation, most recently with ‘excellent prospects’.
The Audit Commission said “the quality of leadership by the Board and Chief Executive is strong”.
Board Director NFA
Sheffield Homes
Independent Chair
Janet is Director of a regeneration consultancy which provides strategic advice to national agencies and interim resourcing for organisations and partnerships. She is also a board member of Sheffield Hallam University and Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Health Authority. During a successful career in the public sector, Janet established a national reputation for partnership working and neighbourhood renewal, and pioneered work on developing community strategies through local strategic partnerships.
Board Director NFA
Stockport Homes
Independent Chair
Roger has been the Chair of Stockport Homes' Board since it was established in 2005. He was Group MD and Chief Executive of a major North West Housing Association for over 20 years until he took early retirement in 2006 following a merger. Roger is also a member of the Certification Committee of Quality Housing Services, and until recently was a member of a stock transfer Housing Association. He has been involved in private and public sector housing most of his working life and has lived in Stockport since 1979.
Vice Chair NFA
Wolverhampton Homes
Tenant Chair
Sue has been a Wolverhampton Council tenant since 1976 and a tenant activist in the city for five years. Prior to becoming a tenant board member, she was a member of the Tenants’ Federation and Chair of her local tenant and resident association.
She has been a powerful champion of the Wolverhampton ALMO since the idea was initially considered in 2003/04 and served on the shadow Board for two years. Sue says: “I decided that instead of going on about housing issues, I would get involved in the ALMO movement, as I believed, and still do, that it was the only way the organisation would make Wolverhampton’s council homes decent.”
She was selected for the Board in October 2005 when Wolverhampton Homes went live and is now Chair.
Not content with encouraging and supporting Wolverhampton, Sue is increasingly asked to talk to ALMO Boards facing inspection or grappling with procurement issues.
Sue says: ”Now we are delivering Decent Homes my vision is to see more tenants getting involved through tenant participation, as, although it can be frustrating at times, it really has been an enjoyable experience”.