Plymouth Community Homes (PCH) is delighted to announce the appointment of Valerie Lee as the organisation’s new Chair of the Board, starting her role this winter.
PCH is the city’s largest social housing landlord, with more than 16,000 properties which are home to over 35,000 people.
Valerie has been an integral part of the Board at PCH since joining in September 2020, a role she took on after leaving a full-time executive position in London to return to the South West region, where she grew up.
Following a career in the retail sector spanning 30 years, Valerie trained as a non-executive director, obtaining an accredited diploma qualification from the Financial Times in 2018, and began to build a new career supporting organisations which strive to improve the health and wellbeing of people across the South West region.
PCH Chair Valerie Lee said: “I am delighted, privileged, and humbled to be appointed as Chair of Plymouth Community Homes.
“The position offers a fantastic opportunity for me to make a real difference to the lives of people across Plymouth, an area I know really well, and there is a lot that I want to contribute, as well as continuing the great work carried out by the team to date.
“I do want to bring an even bigger external perspective to the organisation, as sometimes it is easy for the social housing sector to be inward looking, when the solutions to some of the bigger issues will require us to look outwards as a sector, and to join hands with our partners across Plymouth, which is crucial.
“Some of the priority areas I hope we can look to address include housing need, homelessness in the local area, and supporting our residents living with the cost-of-living crisis, which is going to be really tough for some time to come.
“I also have a passion to do everything we can to help play our part in moving to a net zero carbon world, and for PCH to be more sustainable in all of its work.”
In addition to her time on the Board of PCH, Valerie has served on numerous public and voluntary sector boards across the South West region, including having served as Chair of the Circadian Trust and Associate Non-Executive Director at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP). She is also the Chair of the Future Hospital Committee at UHP and the new Integrated Care Partnership between the NHS Trust and Livewell Southwest.
Valerie takes over as Chair of PCH Board from Nick Lewis, who has stepped down following the completion of a five-year term.
“I believe my non-executive positions will add significant benefit and synergy to each other, enabling me to stay heavily involved and aware of issues and connections across Plymouth.
“In the housing sector, I welcome the Social Housing White Paper, ensuring as it will that all social housing landlords are encouraged to do their very best to engage with and listen to the voices of tenants, and ensure that they are safe within their homes.
“There is always room for continuous improvement in the sector, and we are all working hard to do better and establish more for our city and residents, but this guidance is completely consistent with the direction of travel that PCH has had for some time, and continues to have today.”
PCH Chair Valerie Lee
