Trustees

I have lived and worked in Suffolk for most of my life except for a 7 year sabbatical in Kent, moving back to Suffolk in 2011. I live with my partner and our rescued black Labrador. I love walking, gardening and anything that keeps me outdoors I also dabble in jewellery making and furniture restoration.

Work/Professional/Skills

I currently work as a project manager on a national community engagement project for Royal Voluntary Service focusing on asset based community development working to reduce health inequalities in communities. I am also the deputy chair of the organisation’s staff forum.

My previous career includes management of residential care homes, CEO of Age UK Medway in Kent and area management of hospital retail and volunteer led community services for a large national charity.

Whilst working in Kent I was a Trustee of CVS Medway, a role which I really enjoyed as I was able to give my time and share skills and experience. I also completed my City & Guilds Certificate in Training in the Life Long Learner Sector (CTLLS)

Why did I volunteer to become an ihAg Trustee?

Work and personal experiences in the last 5 years have given me more of an insight into homelessness and the complex circumstances that people face such as health inequalities, poor physical and mental health, poverty, debt and loneliness. I felt that it was time to stop talking about volunteering and start doing.

Personal Information

I was born and bred in Ipswich and have lived here for almost all of my 30 something years. I have an avid passion for almost all sports, more watching than playing, though I do enjoy playing badminton, tennis and squash. I will quite happily watch almost any sport on TV and can normally convince myself that I am interested! I also volunteer as an Enterprise Adviser in a local Pupil Referral Unit. Perhaps my proudest achievement was trekking the Inca Trail through the Andes as part of a fundraising expedition.

Work / Profession / Skills

I have spent almost all my career in retail, starting as a Saturday boy with Burtons, before working my way up to manage an assortment of different Dorothy Perkins stores. Finally I moved across to BHS and managed both the Ipswich and Colchester stores, responsible for a team of 250 people. Following the company’s sad demise, I moved across to Ipswich Building Society as a Customer Experience Manager, looking after our flagship branch in the town centre and the move across to our new building on the corner of Princes Street and King Street.

Why did I volunteer to be an ihAg Trustee?

I must confess I had absolutely no real knowledge of homelessness and no knowledge whatsoever of ihAg until joining Ipswich Building Society. There I was fortunate enough to encounter ihAg both as our branch’s nominated charity and also as a couple of my team volunteer with the Chapman Centre. I was incredibly impressed by everyone I encountered and the work they do, and therefore decided to try and get involved in helping out any way I could.

Personal Information

Entitled to state pension, lived in North Essex / South Suffolk for 37 years. Moved to East Bergholt in 2011. Married to Coral with three adult daughters, one of whom lives in Ipswich and whose job entails helping rough sleepers and the homeless. Naval Father and South African mother with family scattered around the globe. I enjoy fly fishing, reading, walking and “people”. I recently walked some of the Camino in northern Spain meeting diverse and interesting individuals.

Work / profession / skills

A retired construction director and management consultant. Previously MD of local companies for 30 years working with Housing Associations, Councils and private clients providing affordable homes. Worked in Africa and the UK on Major civil projects, was adviser to the Government on Health and Safety and established a National Occupational Health Scheme for the Construction Industry (CBH). Currently chair of East Bergholt Community Housing.

Why did I volunteer to be an ihAg trustee?

I am deeply upset about the lack of and poor state of housing. As a student I helped in the Simon community in Exeter, and more recently with the Soup Kitchen in Colchester. Construction employs diverse people and I have had some very distressing personal experiences, particularly involving ex-offenders and people with learning difficulties. I have a few years, post-full time work, during which I believe that my skills may be useful to an organisation like ihAg working at the front line in combatting homelessness.

Personal Information

Entitled to state pension, lived in North Essex / South Suffolk for 37 years. Moved to East Bergholt in 2011. Married to Coral with three adult daughters, one of whom lives in Ipswich and whose job entails helping rough sleepers and the homeless. Naval Father and South African mother with family scattered around the globe. I enjoy fly fishing, reading, walking and “people”. I recently walked some of the Camino in northern Spain meeting diverse and interesting individuals.

Work / profession / skills

A retired construction director and management consultant. Previously MD of local companies for 30 years working with Housing Associations, Councils and private clients providing affordable homes. Worked in Africa and the UK on Major civil projects, was adviser to the Government on Health and Safety and established a National Occupational Health Scheme for the Construction Industry (CBH). Currently chair of East Bergholt Community Housing.

Why did I volunteer to be an ihAg trustee?

I am deeply upset about the lack of and poor state of housing. As a student I helped in the Simon community in Exeter, and more recently with the Soup Kitchen in Colchester. Construction employs diverse people and I have had some very distressing personal experiences, particularly involving ex-offenders and people with learning difficulties. I have a few years, post-full time work, during which I believe that my skills may be useful to an organisation like ihAg working at the front line in combatting homelessness.