Board Members

Karen lives near Diss and is a partner in a local business providing training for parents of children with disabilities and the practitioners who work with their families, Quality Standard Assessment Services are also provided for a range of organisations. She is also a Trustee for the National Autistic Society and BREAK.

Karen has extensive experience of effective partnership development and working across the private, public & voluntary sectors.  She is keen that  Saffron continues to develop partnerships to achieve maximum benefit for our current and future residents and our communities.

 

Michael has a Norfolk background and is married with three children. He has many years of senior level commercial experience from within the banking and financial/insurance sectors and also a thorough knowledge and extensive experience of public and voluntary sector organisations.

Michael strongly believes that Saffron Housing should aim to radically improve the living conditions and life opportunities of all its tenants and demonstrate a clear determination to work in partnership with relevant and like-minded organisations, for the creation of sustainable communities throughout the South Norfolk area in particular.

 

David lives near Diss and is a construction training professional with many years' experience managing and delivering training programmes from Craft to Degree level. He currently specialises in providing training about low energy buildings and heads up the UK Training & Education Package for the Build with CaRe European Low Energy Building project. He is the Secretary of the East Anglian Branch of the Association of Environmentally Conscious Builders.

Until recently David held the position of Head of School for Construction and Built Environment at University Campus Suffolk Bury St Edmunds and West Suffolk College. David now works as a Construction Training Consultant specialising in Low Energy Building and in particular those needs associated with the construction of Passive Houses.

Graham lives in Diss with his wife and young son and has over 17 years experience as a social housing tenant. His interests include tenant participation and the repairs/maintenance service.

Graham is enjoying the challenge of developing the housing service within South Norfolk and is looking forward to more challenges ahead.

Graham is also Deputy Town Mayor of Diss in South Norfolk.

John has worked in the oil industry for 18 years selling equipment all over the world from Gt Yarmouth to Saudi Arabia. Following 21 years as a Parish Councillor John is now District Councillor for Poringland and the Framinghams. His portfolio consists of being a member of main planning, chairman of Eastern Rivers Neighbourhood Area Snaps Team, Member of Eastern Area Planning Committee and part of the Phosc Economic Task Group. John states that ‘his biggest achievement to date’ is being involved in the new community centre, the Police beat and the Library which are based on Overtons Way in Poringland.

Tony Palmer was born in Kent and experienced a long career in construction industry management starting with the building of the London County Council, Abbey Wood Estate, in the 1960s. He moved with his family to Southern Africa in 1966, where he was employed building large scale housing, building and civil engineering projects in Southern and Central Africa for a multinational construction group.

The family moved to Diss in 2001 where in 2003 he became a member of Diss Town Council, Mayor in 2005 and in 2006 a member of South Norfolk Council. He has a keen interest in preserving the character of our market towns, promoting local business and tourism.

Peggie is married with one daughter and lives with her husband Frederick in Wortwell. She has been a tenant since 2001 and is currently Chair of the Customer Advisory Panel (CAP). Peggie has been a Tenant Board Member since 2010 and is very keen to be involved in the decision making process and, as a tenant, feels she is best placed to comment on the services Saffron provide. She is passionate about improving housing services in order to deliver better outcomes for local residents and their communities and is particularly interested in finding new ways for residents to influence the service they receive. Peggie also looks forward to the continuing growth of CAP, welcoming new members, encouraging participation and representing tenants at Board level.

Derek worked in local government, the voluntary sector and two central government departments in the first half of his career. Since 1988 he has been involved in the social housing sector, firstly as a senior manager of a "top ten" Housing Association and latterly as head of a homelessness charity in Norwich.

Derek's ambition for Saffron is to enhance the organisation's reputation as a responsive, professional and caring landlord, alongside promoting the Trust as an ambitious developer of good quality, affordable homes in South Norfolk. He was the first Chair of the Governing Board of Saffron Housing Trust from 2003 to 2008.

Linda has been a Board Member of Saffron Housing Trust since transfer in 2004.  Prior to that she was a Tenant Representative for South Norfolk Council and was on the Environmental Improvements Panel. Linda brings a wide range of skills as well as experience of tenants' issues to the Board and makes a positive and useful contribution.  She is currently involved in the Tenants' Question Time events.

Linda is also a Trustee of Saffron Community Foundation which awards grants to local community groups and projects in South Norfolk.

Arley, who is retired and lives in Long Stratton, has been a tenant for forty years and a member of the Tenants' Federation for the past eight. This has included involvement in all aspects of the housing service and promoting the needs and the wishes of the tenants.

Previously Arley worked in the Employment Service helping to re-establish people with disabilities into the workplace. Arley is not only a member of the Independent Living Forum, which helps set the standards for Saffron's Sheltered Housing, but she also has a seat on the Health Improvement Forum. Arley brings a broad range of skills and grass roots knowledge of the tenants' needs to the Board.

Ken is a Chartered Chemical Engineer retired after a career spanning 40 years in the food industry. He was Leader and Chair during his twenty years as a South Norfolk Councillor and a director of Norwich and District Citizens' Advice Bureau. He is currently a parish councillor for Brooke and a governor at Framingham Earl High School.

Ken is married with a son and daughter and five grandchildren. His senior management and local government experience has enabled him to make a positive contribution to the Board.

Terry has been a tenant in South Norfolk for more than 30 years, he lives in Old Costessey with his wife and family.

Terry has a strong commitment to customer services and an understanding of customer expectations through work as an installer of security. He has a particular interest in services for tenants and ensuring that repairs and maintenance works are carried out to a high standard and on time.