Insight into being a Board Member
Derby Homes Board consists of four tenant, one leaseholder, five councillor and five independent Board Members. Here, some of our Board Members tell us a little bit about themselves and their aspirations for Derby Homes.
Tony Holme Leaseholder Board Member
I’ve been a leaseholder for over 25 years and was a tenant prior to that, so I have longstanding experience of both the good and bad service provided by Derby Homes. I am a semi-retired engineer and, as such, I’m trained to use data to measure the performance of processes and resolve problems. I use these skills to influence Derby Homes’ strategies and make sure the company has rigorous and improving processes to provide a quality and value for money service to all residents of Derby Homes estates, recognising any particular issues for leaseholders.
Dennis Rees Tenant Board Member and Vice Chair of Derby Homes
I was first elected to the shadow Board of Derby Homes and was the Chair for seven years to October 2009. I first became interested in tenant participation when Derby Homes began setting up Customer Panels all over the city. I attended a meeting at Max Road community room with a small group of tenants. At the time, the manager was Maria Murphy (who is now Derby Homes’ Director of Housing and Customer Service). She told the tenants that getting involved would only take up a small amount of our time and all tenants of Derby Homes would benefit from us looking at policies and procedures of Derby City Council. I’m still involved, and I think it’s important to get as many tenants involved as possible. You can have your say on services and can improve the standard of service you receive. If it’s not good enough, then tell us. You can make a difference.
Brian Perry Tenant Board Member
As a Tenant Board Member I bring a ‘grass roots’ approach to the business management of the Housing Service, one in which I can put forward my own experiences and those of my tenant neighbours as users of the service. To do this, I sit down with the other Board Members as part of the decision making team. I have an engineering background, which means I want the job to be done: right first time; to the highest standards, with no short cuts; no compromises; and I want customer satisfaction.
Derby Homes has come a long way since becoming an ALMO and my wish is that it will continue to do so, that we can build on our strengths in the changing times ahead.
Ken Whitehead Tenant Board Member
As a Panel Member then later, as Panel Chair, my aim was to work to improve the environment for both tenants and residents of Osmaston. When I decided to stand for election to the Board of Derby Homes my main reason was not only to help the tenants and residents of Osmaston but for all residents of Derby. Now, being a Board Member of Derby Homes means that I can help people and also take part in important decisions that affect both tenants and staff. I feel that, as a Board Member, I’m part of a team working with all of Derby Homes staff to make a difference, and my contribution does matter.
