Since starting as a graduate at a G15 housing association in October 2019, my career in social housing has spanned varied finance functions across Treasury, Development Finance, Investment, and FP&A. In September 2024, I will join Accent Group as their Financial Planning Manager. Accent provide over 21,000 homes in the North, South, and East of the UK.
For fun, I enjoy running and have completed dozens of marathons across the UK and Europe. I finished my first (and last) ultramarathon in 2024. Aside from running, I used to play e-sports to a relatively decent level. I qualified for and was invited to play at the 2024 Pokémon World Championships in Honolulu, Hawaii.
My main attraction to Chartford, and by extension Horton, is because despite their relatively modest size, their ambition to deliver a range of critical services whilst managing an active development programme is rare. Another appealing factor is that Chartford’s geographical footprint is concentrated. This facilitates being able to work closely with stakeholders to drive positive change in the community.
I wanted to join the Board because I am a firm believer in the organisation’s mission. Furthermore, it is my long-term ambition to lead a similar sized housing association – ideally one where I know the name of each person we serve. Joining the Chartford Board is a unique opportunity to learn what it takes to do this.
Beyond being a qualified accountant, my empathy with the people we serve is my greatest asset having experienced first-hand what good (and not so good) social housing is like. As my skills and experience continue their growth trajectory I will in turn be adding greater value to the Board.
In addition, I completed a six-month internship at the United Nations Refugee Agency in London. I have an appreciation of the hardships that refugees endure so am delighted that Chartford is part of Horton Housing Group that provides services to help address this. More recently, I am a trustee of The Drop-In Portland. The Drop-In Portland is an independent youth service committed to improving lives and outcomes, supporting personal development and community cohesion. Given Horton works with young people I hope this experience adds further insight.
Being a Chartford Board member gives me the privilege of working alongside high calibre people as we strive to challenge the organisation to continue improving what it delivers to the communities it serves.