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When and why did you first start working within the housing sector?

I have always had an interest in people and community development which is one reason for working in the public sector (Home Office) for 30 years. I left to join the private sector as an HR consultant with Insight and it is through them that I first started working in the housing sector. But I suppose the biggest link was being used by Insight as an interim Director of Corporate Services for Wandle Housing Association, located in Clapham for six months followed by a new interim role as Group Director of Organisational Development at the Orbit Group. I now have worked permanently in that role for the last three years.

What is the BEST part of working within the sector?

The Orbit ambition is to Build Brighter Futures for People and Communities and that is the best part! Even though I work in a support function what we do has a direct effect on our front line services and therefore our residents. For example, through the Orbit Academy we are now looking to provide ‘joined up’ development opportunities for our staff, Board members and our residents. We are also developing a new approach to customer training by creating an experience based on stories and case-studies, which is run from within our communities and involves the residents themselves.

What is it about Orbit Group that makes it such a great place to work?

The commitment of the people within it and the fact they are prepared to change and develop. Orbit also invests in the development of its people, even during these tough economic times, and that says a lot about Orbit’s own values as an organisation.

What is your biggest frustration with working within the sector?

The sector can be seen by Government as ‘being part of the problem’ rather than ‘being part of the solution’. But the solution to this is, in my view, in the hands of the sector and we need to change ourselves to better match where localism and the Big Society is taking us. We must look to other funding schemes and business models to take us forward in the future, and must be prepared to innovate and change the way we work in order to provide excellent value for money and great services.

Who, within the sector, do you find most inspiring?

Our Chief Executive, Paul Tennant, who is leading change and transformation from the front.

Externally it would have to be Bob Geldof!

What is the most exciting project that you are working on at the moment?

Internally, the development of the Orbit Academy.

Externally, Project4Africa, which I founded and chair. Basically, we have worked in partnership with a local charity in Surbiton called the Landirani Trust to build a school at Namanyanga in Malawi. The Project4Africa team has raised £40,000 in 18 months to build four classrooms, a teacher’s house, pre-school and a feeding station. The opening ceremony was last October and was followed by a football match against the school team – we lost 2-0! The next project starts on 1 April and aims to raise £20,000 in 18 months to build a maternity unit in the same sector. If you are interested in helping to raise funds then look us up on our website.

If you would like to find out more about Project4Africa, please click here.

Thank you Tony!