Welcome to WISH North East

I currently work at First Choice Homes Oldham as Executive Director of Customer Experience.  It's an excitibg and massively rewarding job where I feel like I'm making a real difference in our approach to customers and the communities in which we operate. I’ve spent my career working in social housing from working as a generic housing officer, to anti-social behaviour, through to setting up bespoke housing services for customers that need a little more support to live independently. My passions from a work perspective are developing new services, developing people and providing great customer experiences. I’m an accredited Customer Experience professional (CCXP) and an accredited coach. Learning is another of my passions! I’m excited to be part of WISH, promoting the housing sector as a career of choice and, as a mum of 2 girls (and 2 sons), I feel I’m duty bound to make sure the world of work is one that welcomes them, embraces their talents and encourages them to be the best they can. Lots of people ‘fell’ into housing, I know I did, it was never discussed as a career, and platforms like WISH are a brilliant way to show how working in social housing, having a rewarding role that makes a real difference in communities, is achievable and a career path of choice

I am delighted to join the WISH NE Board and I’m really excited to work with other inspiring women in the region.

A little about me … I’m a dynamic and results-driven leader with over 15 years of experience in motivating teams to achieve strategic business objectives. As the Group Head of Partnership Integrations at Places for People, I excel in leading the operational and technical onboarding of merging Housing Associations, ensuring seamless integration and fostering collaboration across matrix teams.

In my previous roles, including Partner Onboarding & Integration Manager and Contracts Delivery Manager, I managed large-scale projects and oversaw the delivery of services to extensive affordable housing portfolios. I also have significant experience as a Community Relations Manager at The Banks Group, where I built and maintained relationships with communities surrounding property, mining, and wind farm developments. Prior to that I was a Parliamentary Assistant to the Member of Parliament for Gateshead.

I love to learn and have a Diploma in Public Relations, an MA in Politics, and a BA in Government and European Union Studies. My achievements include being elected as a Local Authority Councillor (2016-2021) and being shortlisted for the National Aviva Women of the Future Award. My passions include netball, walking my two gorgeous sprocker spaniels and my absolute guilty pleasure is reading fantasy romance novels!

I am a Solicitor at Ward Hadaway LLP working in the Housing Management Team specialising in Social Housing Litigation.  I work with a variety of clients, most of which are WISH members, including local authorities and social housing providers and mainly deal with housing disrepair; possessions and Anti-Social behaviour.  I spend a lot of time attending Court and undertaking my own advocacy on behalf of clients which is something I really enjoy.

I qualified as a Solicitor in September 2020 and joined the housing sector in March 2021 working for an international firm in Newcastle working in Real Estate for social housing providers before joining Ward Hadaway LLP in December 2021. 

Part of my role at Ward Hadaway LLP is to help grow our presence in the social housing sector in the North East having already become established in the Yorkshire area from work carried out in our Leeds office.

I am passionate about not only empowering women in the workplace but also living and working in the North East and I am grateful to WISH for encompassing all of these ideals.

I am really excited to be joining the WISH board and I am looking forward to developing my social housing network in the North East.   

Karen is an assurance and internal audit professional who has worked in the housing sector for more than 20 years.   She began her career qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte, then became Head of Internal Audit at Sunderland Housing Group (which later became Gentoo Group).  Karen progressed to become an Assistant Director at Gentoo before moving to Places for People to become their Director of Assurance. Karen’s career has given her extensive experience in all aspects of assurance, risk management, governance and internal control in various sectors including development; real estate; finance and manufacturing as well as social housing.  Karen works at Executive and Board level, having both reported to Boards and Committees but also having been appointed as a Non-Executive Director, chairing the Audit Committee, then subsequently appointed as Chair of the Board at Derwentside Homes which later became part of Karbon Group.  Karen was also Chair of the Housing Internal Audit Forum (HIAF) for a number of years.  HIAF sought to share best practice in assurance and internal audit across the housing sector.

I'm an Area Manager at Anchor covering the Tees Valley Area.   I have amalgamated colleagues into my team from two legacy organisations, ensuring relationships are built to create a strong and high performing team. My goal is creating a team that I have a good relationship with and someone they can trust to support, guide, and empower.

I have worked in housing for around 25 years. 18 1/2 were spent in social housing at Thirteen Group, gaining experience from different roles in repairs, lettings and leasehold. I have worked on bespoke projects and services within the business, including setting up and leading a Letting Agent service.

I completed my Foundation Degree in Housing and completed other Level 2 courses. I enjoy being part of projects and creating new ways of working.

I’m grateful to be part of WISH and work alongside inspirational women and leaders. I have progressed from the Ambassador role within WISH to a full board member. I joined WISH due to its aims and ambitions to support and encourage women in the sector and to increase my network.

Outside of work I am a proud mam of 3. My daughters have their own careers and are doing amazingly well, I love encouraging them to be the best versions of themselves. My son enjoys playing basketball and plays nationally. I love to share the sport with him; I play in a women basketball team and am a basketball table official.

I am Affordable Homes Director for Galliford Try Construction based out of our Gateshead office.  I have a national role as a sector lead setting up our affordable homes offer and engaging with Housing Associations, Local Authorities and others to help them deliver their housing delivery programmes. 

I worked in the public sector for over 20 years, mainly in local authorities delivering economic development projects and programmes creating new retail, leisure, education, health and of course, housing projects.  I then joined Thirteen Housing Group as their Head of New Business and Growth helping them to establish new partnerships in order to deliver their ambitious affordable homes programme as a Homes England Strategic Partner.   I have always been passionate about housing and the role it plays in creating economic growth and healthy, thriving communities and my current role has given me a much wider, in depth understanding of the issues around social housing nationally.

I was drawn to working with WISH due to its aims and ambitions to support and encourage women in the sector.  Through WISH we can hopefully inspire positive change in the culture of organisations and show how they can better support and nurture their fantastic female talent!   I am also very keen to ensure that those early on in their careers get the best start they can in housing, whichever route they decide to take.

Home life for me is with my partner of 35 years (somehow never managed to tie the knot!) and our two children Erin, 21 and Luke 17.  I am very lucky to live in a beautiful part of the world with access to the coast and country and I try and spend my spare time walking and enjoying the benefits of residing in the north east!

I lead on the Domestic Abuse and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) agenda at Sunderland City Council. My role sits at the intersection of health, housing and integrated commissioning and I lead strategic work to improve responses to domestic abuse and promote gender equality across systems and services.

With extensive experience in strategic housing, service improvement, policy implementation, and safeguarding vulnerable people, I’ve driven significant systems change and support for vulnerable households. My career in housing began over 20 years ago at Easington District Council, where a personal experience led me to volunteer with the Housing Solutions Team. That decision sparked a deep commitment to the sector and laid the foundation for a career that has spanned senior roles in homelessness, housing strategy, regeneration, and now public health and integrated commissioning.

I hold a strong belief in the power of collaboration and the importance of challenging inequality. I’m proud to be part of WISH North-East, an organisation whose values align with my own. Joining the Board is a chance to work alongside driven, like-minded women to create opportunities, amplify voices, and support others in the sector.

Outside of work, I’m a proud mother to Laura, and grandmother to Delilah not forgetting my grand-dog, Flo. Also, I’m fortunate enough to live on the coast and enjoy walks along the seafront. My switch-off is DIY, I love tapping into creativity and seeing what it brings. I’m pleased to say it usually turns out well, no major disasters so far! I also love a bit of yoga and meditation to help calm the chaos of everyday life!

I’m deeply committed to guiding the next generation with confidence and compassion. I believe in leading with integrity, supporting others to grow, and using my experience to influence positive change.

Claire has a 25-year career in the Housing Sector spanning front line housing and support delivery, contract management and more recently heading up Innovation and Asset Sustainability at the UK’s largest Social Enterprise, Places for People. As Head of Asset Sustainability and Innovation Claire’s role involves strategic oversight of decarbonisation of over 70,000 homes and testing emerging approaches and technology that deliver a better service, improve homes and create Thriving Communities. Claire is a Market President for the North-East, taking a leading role in engagement, a Chartered Member of the CIH, and a Board Member of Women in Social Housing (WISH) North-East. Claire is passionate about the vital role Social Housing plays in helping communities and people thrive, and finds joy in creative solutions to the challenges we all face.

I’m delighted to be joining the WISH North East Board and excited to work alongside such an inspiring network of women across the region. I currently work at Thirteen Group as a Learning and Organisational Development Business Partner, where I lead organisation-wide learning and cultural development strategies that support people to grow, thrive, and feel genuinely included at work.

I’ve built my career within the housing sector, with experience spanning neighbourhood services, supported housing, governance, and learning and development. My passion sits firmly at the intersection of people, culture, and inclusion. I design and deliver learning programmes that build confidence, strengthen inclusive behaviours, and create psychologically safe environments where individuals and teams can perform at their best. One of my proudest achievements has been developing and delivering our Equity and Respect programme, which supported cultural transformation across the organisation and led to me being awarded Diversity Champion in 2024.

Alongside my learning and development role, I’ve supported governance frameworks and partnered with senior leaders through organisational change. Being neurodivergent has shaped my approach to work. I lead with creativity, empathy, and openness, and I’m passionate about creating environments where people feel psychologically safe to think differently, show up authentically, and do their best work.

I’m excited to support WISH NE’s mission of empowering women in housing by helping to create spaces for connection, learning, and representation. I truly believe that when women are supported to find their voice and confidence, organisations and communities are stronger for it.

Outside of work, I’m a mam to a very energetic four-year-old, run a national online book club called The Chaotic Coven, and am currently writing my debut novel. When I’m not doing any of that, you’ll most likely find me reading fantasy romance or squeezing in a walk to clear my head.

I am Assistant Director of Asset Strategy and Data at Gentoo Group, with over 16 years’ experience in the social housing sector. Throughout my career, I have specialised in strategic asset management, investment planning and data-driven decision-making, helping organisations optimise their homes and deliver better outcomes for communities. I am passionate about using insight to drive meaningful change and have led on key initiatives focused on sustainability, asset performance and long-term planning.

As a WISH North East Board Member, I am committed to supporting and empowering women across the sector, championing diversity, confidence and career progression. I am a strong advocate for creating inclusive workplaces where women can thrive, develop and lead, and I am proud to contribute to building a supportive network for women in social housing.

I am delighted to join the WISH NE Board having been a corporate plus member and attending several fabulous WISH events in recent years. The WISH mission to empower and support women in the social housing sector sits close to my heart and offers a fantastic opportunity to promote careers in the housing sector as a platinum career choice.

Following positions in a variety of architectural practices over the past 20 years I joined P+HS Architects in 2017 and have become increasingly involved in Social Housing schemes across the country. This exposure has sparked a passion for good quality design and developing best value principles when considering the needs of others given the impact housing has on local communities. As an architect and urban designer with an infectious enthusiasm for creating spaces such as garden villages and urban environments that enhance peoples lives I was appointed Associate Director in 2022, giving me the opportunity and privileged position to lead a talented team of masterplanners, residential designers and technical staff across the four locations of the P+HS business including Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Stokesley.

In my professional life I have a real passion for mentoring, which in part is driven by my responsibility for Social Impact. Helping to guide people through their careers in construction and regularly volunteer my time both internally and externally - winning the Women in Construction Award for Mentor of the Year in 2017. Outside the workplace I have a young family and enjoy a variety of activities that entertain a 6 year old including dancing, Rainbows volunteering and currently watching K Pop Demon Hunters on repeat (I know others will have Takedown running on repeat in their heads at present!). I also enjoy the great outdoors, good food and a good pub particularly after a long walk.

I am a Sustainability Officer at Anchor, a role I find both exciting and deeply rewarding as it allows me to contribute to meaningful environmental and social change. After completing my Environmental Biology degree, I went on to work in various Environmental Sustainability roles within housing. Working in sustainability means that no two days are the same. One day I may be delivering climate change training, then next I am liaising with suppliers about how to reduce the environmental impact of their operations, and then the following day I am writing reports about our net zero progress for our stakeholders. I love my job as I get to work with colleagues across the organisation, to develop creative solutions that empower them to induce positive change in their service areas.

I enjoy working in housing as it's uniquely placed to support our residents and communities in a way that meets their specific location-based needs. Driving healthy, resilient communities where people thrive is something I’m passionate about.

I am excited to represent the NE as a WISH Board Member, as my personal values align with WISH’s vision. Empowering women and giving them a platform to network, learn and share is key to empowering the next generation of talent, whilst improving equality for all, stronger communities and more inclusive decision-making. I believe that change and growth is achieved through compassionate conversations and meeting others where they are at. My experience with WISH so far has been incredibly positive. Women from all walks of life, and all seniorities within their career are able to work alongside each other to professionally encourage and support one another.

Outside of work, I enjoy walks along the beach with my husband. The seaside is where I feel most at peace so it’s where I go whenever the rush of life starts to sweep me up. I also enjoy getting stuck-in to a new art project, and I am a total foodie so you will always find me trying out the newest restaurant in town.