Peoples peer appointed to Places for People

Edited by the Buildingtalk editorial team Nov 14, 2006

Places for People - the UK's largest regeneration and housing organisation - has announced the appointment of people's peer Lord Victor Adebowale.

Places for People - the UK's largest regeneration and housing organisation - has announced the appointment of people's peer Lord Victor Adebowale, chief executive of national drugs charity Turning Point and Chris Phillips, a senior financial consultant to its group board.

Lord Adebowale has extensive experience of the housing sector having worked for Patchwork Community Housing Association and Ujima Housing Association, Britain's largest black-led housing association.

In 2000, he was awarded the CBE in the Queen's New Year's honour list for services to unemployed and homeless young people.

In 2001 he became one of the first to be appointed as a 'people's peers'.

Chris Phillips has nearly 30 years of financial experience and consultancy, having worked for a range of organisations including Sir Robert McAlpine, Allied Breweries, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Housing Investment Group, Pinnacle, Northern Rock Plc and Birmingham City Council.

Zenna Atkins, chairman at Places for People, said the new board members would help the organisation to better understand its customer base, and provide more effective and efficient housing-related services.

"I am delighted to welcome both Victor and Chris to the Places for People board.

They bring with them a wealth of voluntary sector experience, which when combined with the skills our existing board members possess, will enable us to give a more strategic direction to the organisation resulting in an improved service for our customers".

Lord Adebowale CBE said: ''I'm looking forward to working with a talented executive and governance leadership.

I have long admired Places for People's vision, and can do approach to the delivery of sustainable communities.

It has a vision that is about doing more than being a landlord, which puts it at the forefront of the new kind agencies capable of meeting the challenge of creating inclusive communities.".