One of the commitments in our Community Pledge was to establish a BCT Committee consisting of up to 12 members. The Committee includes a minimum of four customers and they are responsible for overseeing the quality of services delivered by Karbon and ensuring the Community Pledge is delivered.
Committee Members give their time, skills and expertise to help BCT achieve its strategic objectives.
The BCT Committee is;
Neil has over 40 years’ experience in the social care and housing sectors. He spent much of his early career with Durham County Council prior to moving to North Yorkshire County Council in 1998, subsequently becoming Executive Director of Health, Housing and Adult Services for Sunderland City Council in 2007. Since 2016 he has provided consultancy across Health, Housing, and Adult Services and the wider Local Government and Health sectors.
Neil is passionate about supporting the creation of strong communities and giving everyone the opportunity to live in a good quality home with a belief that a safe and secure home is a key component for a person to maximise their life chances. He is a strong advocate for the development of accessible homes to give the best possible independent living choices.
Nicola joined the Byker Community Trust Committee as a Resident Committee Member from 1 April 2021.
Nicola was a Tenant Board Member of the BCT Board from September 2019 and is a member of the BCT Customer Scrutiny Panel.
Nicola has lived in Byker for many years and has a BA (Hons) degree is Health and Social Care. She has shown commitment to the Byker Estate by volunteering as a Family Support Worker for Barnardos to support residents to improve their lives and empower them to achieve their goals. Nicola’s goal is to help with the future developments of the Estate and the community and to promote Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for all residents.
A resident of the estate for over 30 years, Steve studied as an architect at Newcastle University and has a deep passion for Byker undertaking tours of the estate focusing on Erskine and the development of the estate.
Having volunteered at the Community Centre, Steve has strong links to the neighbourhood and was a local councillor for the Byker Ward.
Neil has worked in housing and regeneration for more than 40 years, spending 19 of those years in South Bank, Middlesbrough delivering front-line services and managing a team delivering a wide range of government-funded initiatives.
He established a small housing consultancy in 2017, working with local authorities, housing organisations, community-led housing groups and house developers. He also joined the Homes and Communities Agency in 2018 as a senior specialist and until December 2021, Neil was the voluntary chair of South Bank Community Land Trust.
Neil is also a Board Member of a small registered provider based in the Tees Valley that specialises in dealing with homelessness.
Simon is a qualified accountant. He has worked in social housing finance for 35 years, including 25 years at Riverside Group – one of the leading housing and regeneration organisations in the country. He also worked at Newcastle City Council.
Caroline joined the Byker Community Trust Committee as an Independent Committee Member from 1 April 2021.
Caroline was an independent member of the BCT Board from September 2019 and is a member of the BCT Customer Scrutiny Panel.
Caroline lived in the Byker Wall for almost a decade and is passionate about the future of the estate and surrounding areas. She is particularly supportive of local independent and creative businesses. Caroline has developed a career in local government and now delivers transformational projects in Children’s Services to improve the lives of northeast children, young people and families in need of support.
Veronica is a resident of Byker and was elected as a Labour Councillor for the Byker Ward in 2007.
She worked at Newcastle City Council and is Chair of Newcastle City Unison Branch, She was also elected to Unison National Executive in 1989. She was named as Newcastle’s Lord Mayor in May 2023.
She is married to John and they have one daughter called Jacqueline.
