WDH welcomes four new board members – including a tenant and a local councillor

Gareth Mann-Tighe, Councillor Michael Graham, Liz Cook and Antony Nelson have joined the board, which is responsible for making sure the housing provider is a well-run business and meets the needs of its customers.

They will work alongside the existing board members and under the leadership of newly appointed chair, Andrew McConnell OBE.

Gareth Mann-Tighe is a tenant who lives in Kinsley with his wife and two children and has been a WDH customer for more than 11 years, and brings both his professional skills and lived experience as a tenant to the board.

Gareth said: “I’ve joined the board to help to change the perception of social housing tenants and give customers like me a voice at the highest level of WDH.

"I’m looking forward to continuing to get the word out there into our communities about all the fantastic services WDH offers. To be involved with an organisation that is changing lives and empowering people is fantastic.”

Labour councillor Michael Graham represents the Wakefield West ward and is a former secondary school teacher.

He said: “As a former teacher and a current councillor I’ve got experience of helping to shape the communities I serve.

"Being on the WDH board is another opportunity to utilise my skills to shape and improve those communities.”

Liz Cook has more than 30 years’ experience in social housing working with various local authorities and will act as senior independent director on the WDH board.

She said: “Having lived in Wakefield for 20 years, I was really drawn to WDH and the chance to give back to my community as well as working to ensure there is access to housing for everyone.”

Antony Nelson is the former managing director of Conexus Healthcare, the confederation of GP practices in Wakefield and an experienced independent consultant on public sector change management and organisational development.

Antony said: “In my previous role I worked alongside colleagues from WDH and admired the organisation’s strong, person-centred approach to making the world a better place.

"I’m keen to support WDH to continue to grow and continue to have a positive impact on people’s lives.”

New chair of the board of directors, Andrew McConnell OBE, is a chartered accountant and the current chair of governors at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group.

He added: “It is fantastic that we have four very skilled new board members, each with their own areas of expertise.

"I am particularly pleased that we have tenant representation on the board, and I look forward to working alongside Gareth, Michael, Liz and Antony, and our existing board members, to continue to make a real difference to our customers and communities in Wakefield and beyond.”

WDH chief executive Andy Wallhead said: “It’s vital we have board members with the right expertise and knowledge to ensure WDH continues to be a well-run business.

"Meeting the needs of our customers and creating confident communities is our priority and I know that the skills and experience of our new board members will complement those of our existing board, helping us to achieve that.”