Our people

Guy Millichamp

Guy has worked in the social housing sector for 25 years in a variety of senior positions, including as a chief financial officer, board member and audit committee chair.  He is currently Director of Finance for Connect Housing. He is passionate about delivering a great service to people who need good quality, affordable homes. Guy brings significant skills and experience to the Board including leadership, strategic financial & treasury management, residential property development, performance management and a strong knowledge and understanding of good governance in the social housing sector. 

Paul Belbin

Paul Belbin has over 30 years of experience in the social housing sector, and is currently Head of Development & Enterprise at GIPSIL. He has extensive experience managing services for offenders, the homeless, young people and other vulnerable groups across northern England.

Rachel Vernelle

Rachel Vernelle has 28 years of community involvement and empowerment experience. Supporting people in communities to come together, build on their strengths, influence decision-makers and achieve their visions. With extensive experience of working with tenant-led housing organisations.

Martin Hawthorne

Having spent over 30 years in social housing Martin believes passionately that he has a lot to offer and has a wide range of experience in setting up teams and partnerships with an outstanding record of delivery. Expert in the construction and  development  process Martin  can bring together people with the right skills and motivations to deliver fantastic outcomes .

David Nugent

Having trained as an architect, David has worked in housing for more than twenty years. Following spells at Equity Housing and People First, he is now the Director of Canopy Housing. He helped Calder Valley CLT become an RP and recently gained an MSc in Sustainability and Adaptation.

Beverley Brown

Beverley is a local businesswoman from Leeds, operating two successful businesses: retail and business development.  She has a wide range of experience across social housing and built environment sectors, from project and business development, grant funding , social enterprises and consultancy.  Beverley is passionate about social investment and its role to empower local communities. 

James Hartley

James Hartley is the CEO of Leeds Action to Create Homes, (Latch). He has been involved with Leeds Community Homes from its inception and is keen and excited about seeing the group grow and assist others to achieve their housing aspirations.

Lou Cunningham

Lou is a nurse by trade and has worked extensively in health, social care, education and the third sector.She has a keen interest in community engagement and involvement, regularly facilitating and supporting community and residents groups to bring ideas to life. She is a home educator who lives in Armley with her son and their menagerie, and is currently an Armley Ward councillor for Leeds City Council. 

Peg Alexander

After over 25 years at a senior level running charities and working in senior policy/ development roles the public sector , Peg has worked in community led housing for the last 2 years. She combines this with another career as a presenter and journalist on TV, radio, podcasts and live events including zooms.

Claude Hendrickson

Claude is the lead on our Cohesive Communities work.

He was the project manager on the Frontline community self build scheme in Leeds, which saw 12 unemployed African Caribbean men and their families build new homes for themselves. He has remained a passionate advocate for BAME & minority groups in terms of Community Led housing, and training/employment. 

Claude brings knowledge and experience of working with BAME groups across the city as well as research and publication skills to help with this project. 

He was commissioned in 2016/17 to produce a 10 year strategy for Leeds City Council (LCC) around self-build, custom build and community led housing. That report informed LCC’s housing strategy. 

James Neward

James runs designdwell, a design studio specialising in low carbon architecture and community led projects.. He is an Accredited CLH enabler who works as an Associate with Leeds Community Homes. As Co-founding Director of YorSpace, James has first hand experience of CLTs, Co-operatives and Co-housing. James likes running, cycling, climbing and long walks with his dog, Barney.

Josh Lawson

Josh is a Community Led Housing Advisor at Leeds Community Homes. He completed his CLH Adviser accreditation in 2019 and has lived and worked within housing and worker co-operatives over the last 5 years, and qualified as a registered community share practitioner in 2020. Outside of work Josh enjoys working with wood, fermenting food, and being outdoors.

Andy Lloyd

Andy Lloyd is a CIH Accredited Community Led Housing Adviser affiliated to the Community Land Trust Network. Andy works as an advisor for Leeds Community Homes as well as supporting other hubs in the north of England.

Imelda Havers

Imelda has worked with local communities for twenty years developing and delivering mixed-use regeneration in neighbourhoods across the UK. Based in York, she has a strong interest in community-owned assets and how they can drive the revival of local communities. Imelda is a Community Led Homes Accredited Adviser.