The North of England housing association Castles & Coasts has appointed four new people onto its board.
The Carlisle-based landlord has welcomed Helen Forsyth, Amber Hill, Erica Morriss and David Williams onto its non-executive team.
The four new additions will work alongside Castles & Coasts’ current board members to create a new vision for the organisation as it nears the end of its current corporate strategy.
The appointments come after recent change at the top of Castles & Coasts, as Chris Lewis replaced the retiring Fiona Moore as its chair last year.
Stephanie Murphy, chief executive at Castles & Coasts, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Helen, Amber, Erica and David to Castles & Coasts’ non-executive team.
“Our search to bolster the skills on our board, following the retirement of some highly experienced members, was national in scope, and attracted a lot of interest from exceptional candidates. We’re thrilled to have appointed four fantastic new members who will each bring a wealth of knowledge, diversity of thought and a fresh perspective.”
Forsyth will bring 40 years’ of third, public and housing experience to Castles & Coasts, having recently spent 13 years as the chief executive of a rural housing association in Scotland. She currently serves as chair of the Scottish Federtion of Housing Associations and vice chair of the South of Scotland Enterprise Agency.
Hill is a chartered accountant who provides audit and accounting services to the North East SME market, advising clients on how to use technology to achieve efficiencies. She is also a trustee of Newcastle Carers and Groundwork North East.
Morriss has over 30 years’ experience in corporate banking and will aid Castles & Coasts with its commercial strategy and financial oversight. She is an existing board member of Healthwatch Cheshire, Vivo Care Choices Ltd, a trustee of Citizens Advice Chesire and a partner governor of Mid Cheshire Foundation Trust.
Williams, meanwhile, has held a number of senior executive positions in the housing sector over the last 25 years. He is an experienced property professional and a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors who has delivered major development programmes. His experience includes mergers, acquisitions, regeneration and setting up maintenance teams.
Castles & Coasts owns and manages 7,000 homes across Cumbria and the North of England. Around 75% of its homes are located in Cumbria.
