Welcome to WISH Yorkshire & Humberside

Director of Property at Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing

Heidi is the Director of Property at Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing (KNH) with over 25 years of experience within the Social Housing sector and the construction industry. She has responsibility for managing and growing the KNH Property Directorate which currently has an annual turnover in excess of £60m and manages approximately 600 staff. Heidi is also a Member Director of Efficiency North.

Heidi is a Building Surveyor by profession and during her career in both the public and private sectors has successfully managed all aspects of asset management, including a comprehensive stock option appraisal, has led a Direct Labour Organisation through transformational change, implemented partnering contracts to deliver repairs, maintenance and capital planned programmes, and delivered major change management initiatives. Moving from a large Local Authority to the private sector in 2008, Heidi has managed diverse workforces on a regional and national basis, focussing on customer satisfaction and client relationships, whilst further developing her commercial awareness and skills.

She is a keen Ambassador for Women in Construction, and is co-founder and Chair of Women in Social Housing (WISH) Yorkshire and Humber branch. Heidi hopes to inspire future generations by encouraging young people to explore a career within the construction industry and is passionate about empowering women to be visible and confident to become the best they can be.

Email: [email protected]

Group Marketing & Communications Manager for Incommunities

Caroline is an experienced communications and marketing professional who likes to solve problems, put the world to rights and is always asking why!

Caroline is Group Marketing & Communications Manager for Incommunities where she has worked since March 2015.  Before joining the housing sector she worked in a wide range of roles across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors including fashion, further education, and freelancing. 

Caroline is a qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (ACIM) and the Chartered Institute of Housing and has a degree is Sociology & Social Psychology, with a particular interest in Organisation Psychology and gossip! 

Caroline is also far too interested in fairytales (please no more books) and is the proud owner of a (not so small) child and several cats. She can usually be identified on twitter by the cat gifs… 

Email: [email protected]

Epiphany is an experienced leader of dispersed operational teams and recognised for her ability to think strategically and translate this into clear service objectives. Epiphany excels at building engaged and motivated teams that understand the strategic aims of the business and how they can influence achieving these. Epiphany has over 20 years of experience in the Social Housing sector having worked in both England and Scotland.

When not working Epiphany likes being outside and active, so can be found fell running, mountain biking and rock climbing - however being a mum of an energetic 7 year old means that the opportunities for this kind of activity have to be grabbed when they are available.

Epiphany is currently Treasurer for WISH.

Email: [email protected]

Managing Director of NPS Barnsley

Karen is Managing Director of NPS Barnsley – a joint venture company between Barnsley Council and NPS Group delivering specially tailored property design, management and construction services to public and private sector clients in South Yorkshire and throughout the UK.

She has responsibility for managing and growing this property and construction company, which currently has an annual turnover in excess of £10 Million and employs over 100 staff.

Prior to joining NPS, Karen worked for nearly 30 years at Barnsley Council. Here she began her career as a Clerical Officer before being offered the chance to train as a Quantity Surveyor. She then steadily moved up through the ranks to become the Council’s Head of Design and Procurement in 2007.

Karen joined NPS in 2011 when her team was transferred over to the newly formed NPS Barnsley. At this time she led the design and procurement functions – maximising the use of resources to ensure the delivery of excellent services and the development of the team as a highly effective and efficient business unit. She was appointed Managing Director of NPS Barnsley in July 2013.

As a Chartered professional, Karen has extensive experience in the delivery and procurement of multimillion-pound housing programmes covering new build and improvement, as well as repairs and maintenance partnerships.

When she was initially offered the chance to train as a Quantity Surveyor, Karen was one of just a handful of woman in the country pursuing a career in construction. She saw this as a significant show of faith from employers at the time. Today Karen is passionate about carrying on that legacy by continuing to provide employment and career opportunities to talented local people, as well as encouraging women to pursue and develop careers in construction.

Email: [email protected]

Director of Housing Services at Yorkshire Housing

Michelle Gregg has been Director of Housing Services at Yorkshire Housing since June 2015 and has worked in housing for 30 years, the last 10 years in Executive positions for businesses with 18 thousand to 33 thousand homes and turnovers between £70 million to £150 million.

Michelle originally graduated from Newcastle University and subsequently obtained Postgraduate Diploma’s in housing and in leadership as well as working for several local authorities and housing associations.

In her current role at Yorkshire Housing her teams provide services to over 25 thousand customers, support to older people and adults with learning disabilities and community, employment and business enterprise development across Yorkshire.

Michelle was an Executive Board member for 10 years, has previously been Vice Chair of a stock transfer organisation in Manchester and is a member of the General Assembly at the University of Manchester and an Ambassador for Girls Out Loud.

Having worked in the North West until 2015, Michelle had experienced for herself the positive impact that WISH North West had made and was very keen to help launch a branch in Yorkshire and Humberside and ensure more women could benefit from the career development, networking and learning together that WISHcan provide.

Email: [email protected]

Megan Henderson has worked in housing since 2003 in a variety of customer facing and back office support roles. With a background initially in textile design, Megan returned to University to undertake a Post Graduate Diploma in HR Management qualifying in 2010 and has worked as HR Manager for Leeds Federated since. The role has a broad remit from day to day HR, payroll, Learning and Development, Organisational Development and Management Development. Megan has worked closely with staff and wider organisation to achieve IIP Gold in 2012 and to retain this in 2015. Megan has worked with Housing Diversity Network as a mentor since 2008 and chaired the NHF HR group for the Yorkshire and Humber and North East regions since 2011. She joined the WISH Yorkshire and Humber Board in 2016 and is also on the Board for Harrogate Housing Association.

Outside of work Megan enjoys the outdoors, especially the Lake District and performs with Leeds Gilbert and Sullivan Society (though thankfully they don’t just perform G&S shows!) the highlight of which was undertaking the role of Little Red in a production of Into The Woods.

Email: [email protected]

Lizzie joined Savills graduate scheme in September 2015 having graduated from Oxford Brookes University. She sits in the Leeds housing valuation team.

Lizzie specialises in valuing social housing stock, primarily for loan security purposes. Working for a range of lenders and registered providers, Lizzie is responsible for supporting the wider housing valuation team in all aspects of the valuation process. 

Lizzie’s interest in property, particularly residential, was first established during work placements at surveying and planning practices which prompted her decision to study planning and property development at University. She passed her professional qualification to become a qualified Chartered Surveyor in May 2018. 

Email: [email protected]

Housing Litigation Solicitor at Forbes Solicitors

Amy initially joined her firm as a Paralegal in 2014 and was awarded a Training Contract. Amy qualified into the Housing litigation team in September 2017, having completed the final 12 months of her training within the department, working exclusively for Registered Providers. Amy is a keen advocate and now regularly attends court in relation to cases she is instructed on.

Prior to joining Forbes, Amy obtained her law degree from Durham University and subsequently completed the Legal Practice Course with combined Masters Qualification at the University of Law, in York, where she grew up.

Outside of work Amy is happiest when in the great outdoors, enjoying and exploring the Yorkshire countryside by foot or by bike. She also enjoys keeping fit and healthy, regularly attending yoga, spinning or other gym classes.  She also confesses herself a bit of a “foodie” and lover of wining and dining out, in relation to which there are bountiful (perhaps even too many!) wonderful options available to her in her home city of Leeds. 

Amy first came across WISH when she was allocated to the Housing Litigation department as part of her solicitor’s training.  She feels she happily “fell” into the Housing Sector in this regard and instantly took a shine to the work and clients she was working with.  

Amy thoroughly enjoys attending WISH events for the encouraging messages she has taken away from sessions, the warm welcome she has always received, and for the opportunity the events have provided in being able to get to know like-minded, admirable and supportive women in the industry. 

Email: [email protected] 

Building Surveyor at Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing

Sue originally joined the organisation back in 2011 as an apprentice after embarking on a career change from a school secretary.   Sue successfully achieved her apprenticeship, secured a position within the asset team and has gone on to study further qualifications in Construction, Housing and Leadership to continue her professional development.  

Away from work Sue volunteers at her local Riding for the Disabled Association sessions, giving those with physical and learning disabilities the opportunity to enjoy something that has given her so much pleasure over the years.   Sue will openly admit to been an avid, boarding on obsessed, Huddersfield Town fan and travelled over 6000 miles to watch every game in their inaugural Premier League season. 

After attending her first WISH event out of curiosity, Sue has attended many more since, each time leaving with a positive vibe, upbeat and brimming with ideas to embed into her work life but most of all the knowledge that there is a supportive group of like-minded women who are more than happy to share their wealth of knowledge and expertise. 

Email: [email protected]

Communications Manager for Leeds Federated Housing Association

Hannah is an experienced communications professional who is passionate about working for organisations with a social purpose. As Communications Manager for Leeds Federated, she delivers strategic change communications and project management for its business transformation project and oversees communications across the organisation.

Before joining the housing sector in 2013, she worked in a wide range of roles across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors including local government and the NHS.

Hannah is an Accredited Practitioner and member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). She has a degree in Media Studies and recently completed a post-graduate level CIPR diploma in internal communications focusing on business change. She has mentored others through the Housing Diversity Network programme and has a coaching qualification from the Institute of Customer Service. As part of the WISH Yorks and Humber board, she wants to encourage other women to pursue a housing career and develop their skills and confidence.

Away from work she is a trail runner who loves exploring the great outdoors. 

Email: [email protected]

Sam runs her own management and technology consulting company, ISAY Consulting, is a non-executive director on the Board of Great Places Housing Group and lead Business Transformation Associate with the Housing Quality Network (HQN).

Sam has a wealth of technology experience gained in private, public and not for profit sectors and a track record in successfully leading large teams and large- scale changes. As well as digital expertise Sam is an accredited coach and SFIA (Skills for the Information Age) consultant.  She is passionate about developing talent, transforming teams and harnessing technology to deliver successful business outcomes working with people and organisations to make a positive difference.

Email: [email protected]