Board and leadership

Siobhan Trice works for Norfolk Constabulary. She has previous experience in ecological, engineering, brewing and retail sectors.

Siobhan has recently gained qualifications in housing, as well as adult and children’s mental health concerns, all of which are of particular interest to her.

Siobhan been a Broadland Housing Association tenant since May 2016, when she and her husband and family moved into one of our  intermediate scheme homes. Siobhan and her family are delighted with her new home.

Keen to give something back to Broadland, she joined the Board as a tenant member in March 2017.

Gavin Tempest spent the first 30 years of his career working as a Police Officer. He worked as a Chief Inspector, Head of Community Safety in Norfolk, specialising in partnership working and operations management.

Gavin has a long track record bringing together housing-sector specific and non-housing related community agencies, helping to tackle broader local community issues through collaboration. He won a prestigious Home Office Tilley Award for partnership problem solving alcohol-related crime and disorder, and he has been part of national and local influence on policing responses to licensing, street prostitution and anti-social behaviour. Gavin was Project Director for the development of Neighbourhood Policing in Norfolk, and has a thorough understanding of operational issues facing housing providers.

Why did Gavin apply to become a board member?

I was coming to the end of a career as a police officer. I knew a little about social housing (mainly from an operational perspective) and wanted to find out more. I thought it would be interesting and help me to think more widely about things. I am pleased to say – it is and it has!

I enjoy learning new things and testing my (ageing) brain. I like the process of decision making and there is plenty of opportunity for that. I also like meeting people with different outlooks from different walks of life. Taking part in the board offers that.

Paul Slyfield has had a varied career, working within both private industry and not-for-profit organisations. He worked at director level with Thyssen Krupp Mannex and more recently with NORCAS, where he was Finance Director. Paul currently runs his own accountancy services business and is a part time Finance Director at Independence Matters, a community interest company.

His decision to run his own accountancy business and his voluntary sector interests have given him an opportunity to support local social enterprises. Paul’s positive motivational management style, coupled with his calm personality and accountancy skills, will undoubtedly add a great deal to the board of Broadland Housing.

Why did Paul apply to join the board?

Through my work with the charity NORCAS, I felt that I wanted to get involved with an organisation with strong values that helped people access quality, affordable housing,
 
I enjoy working at a strategic level with people with different skills but common aims.
 
I’ve learnt a lot about the sector, the problems faced by both the organisation and those we aspire to help.

Kate Slack, MA, joined the Board of Broadland Housing in 2011, initially as a tenant Board member, before being appointed as an independent Board member in 2012. Kate is working towards a PhD in Politics at the University of East Anglia, where she specialises in women, motherhood, and their relationship to the state.

During her time on the Board, Kate chaired the Funding panel (2012-2013) and the Asset Management and Maintenance panel. She was a member of the Housing Management panel. Kate has a particular interest in environmental issues and sustainable development in housing.

Why did Kate first apply to join the board?

I wanted to get involved with the organisation that helped transform my life. With my Broadland house I was secure and could bring up my little boy and go back to university. That house in Norwich kick-started a lot of positive things for me, and I was interested in giving a bit back to the community where I thought I could get involved in positive change.

I also wanted to challenge the stigma that some people hold about social housing and the diverse people who need social landlords in the UK.
 
I really enjoy meeting staff from across the organisation. Everyone I’ve ever met has been really engaged with their job, really interesting to talk to, generous with their time and happy to answer any questions I’ve had.

I also really like going out to visit Broadland properties, see how varied they are and meet the people that live in them. It gives me a grounded understanding in the scale of Norfolk and how vital social housing properties are to their tenants and the communities that they are in.