What does the Byker Community Trust Board do?
The Board has responsibility to ensure strong control and management is in place to protect BCT’s assets (properties, land etc).
With this in mind the Board consistently monitors and challenges management practice and service delivery because it must ensure that the organisation is operating to the best possible standards and achieving value for money. These same principles apply equally to the Board itself.
BCT is a Registered Provider of Housing (Housing Association) and must comply with a range of regulatory and legal requirements, covering governance and management. The BCT Board sets an annual governance and management timetable to ensure all of BCT’s obligations are carried out, we test our standards of Governance annually against the National Housing Code of Governance 2015
We aim to make sure that the skills and experience of our Board are relevant to BCT’s business needs. Each Board member has an annual appraisal and skills audit, to make sure that we can identify any additional training needs which may be required.
The BCT Board presently comprises 11 people. All Board members are committed to working with you and for you to make Byker a better place to live.
Some are tenants, others are independent professionals who have a range of skills and two are representatives of Newcastle City Council.
Board Members give their time, skills and expertise to help BCT achieve its mission in accordance with its vision and values.
The BCT Board is;
Jim Coulter
Chair of the BCT Board
Chair since April 2013. His housing experience included local government as a councillor and working in the housing association sector. Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation till 2005, Jim was subsequently a Board Member of three national public bodies. He chaired Bridging NewcastleGateshead, the housing regeneration partnership of the two Councils, until 2011.
Anthony Itiat
Tenant Board Member since November 2017. Anthony graduated from University College Cork in Ireland with BA (Hons) in Psychology and Sociology and went on to gain a Post Graduate Higher Diploma (Hons) in People Management and Development (HR).
Anthony is the founder and owner of IDARA, a business consulting firm whose focus is on employer branding, involving people management and development to enhance companies to build and project a strong company reputation.
Anthony can use his professional background as an employer brand strategist in BCT to distinguish its image and reputation through effective marketing, advertising and communications.
Annette Patten
Tenant Board Member since November 2011. Annette lives in the Dunn Terrace area of the Byker Estate and works as a Wise Steps Coach on the Meadow Well Estate. Working previously at Mental Health Concerns, the National Children’s Society and Changing Lives. Annette is able to contribute a wealth of community development and support experience to the Board. Annette holds a BSc in Social Policy and Criminology.
Nigel Emmerson
Independent Member since November 2015 (previously a co-optee from July 2013). Nigel is Head of Residential and Housing for Womble Bond Dickinson, based in the Newcastle office. He works with many organisations in the residential world, including several housing associations. He is able to use this experience and expertise to help BCT in any legal aspects. Nigel is very proud to be a board member, and passionately believes in creating a better Byker.
Gordon Bell
Independent member since November 2011. Gordon’s professional background is in planning and regeneration. In addition to BCT Board, he is also the Chair of the Governance & Remuneration Committee and a member of the Audit and Risk Committee. Gordon is a governor of Hotspur School and a board member of the Ouseburn Learning Trust.
Christine Stobbs
Independent member since September 2016. Christine is a qualified chartered accountant and spent 13 years working with KPMG before moving into Industry. From March 2007, Christine worked at senior management level in private companies as Finance Direct/Group Financial Controller, responsible for all Statutory Financial reporting requirements.
Nick Kemp
Local Authority member since November 2011. Nick Kemp is a Labour Party councillor representing the Byker ward since 2002. Nick worked with local residents and the local MP to start the whole process which led to the creation of the BCT. Nick is passionate about helping make Byker a great place to live and work. He runs his own business which is based in Byker.
Amanda Senior
Local Authority member since September 2014. Amanda is Head of the Fairer Housing Unit at Newcastle City Council.
Andrew Taylor
Independent member since September 2018. In addition to BCT Board, he is also a member of the Audit & Risk Committee. Andrew is a qualified accountant by profession. He spent more than a decade as Group Finance Director and Group Board Member at a large North East housing association, and more recently as a Corporate Finance Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he provided financial advisory services to the housing and real estate sector.
Victoria Beattie
Independent Board member since July 2018 and a member of the Audit & Risk Committee. Victoria is a retired Property and Assets Director from a large housing organisation in the North East; a Chartered Quantity Surveyor with over 30 years experience in Construction. She is delighted to be part of the Byker Community Trust Board.
Geraldine Kay
Independent Board member since June 2018 and a member of the Governance & Remuneration Committee. Geraldine has wide ranging Housing Sector experience. She was the former Chief Executive of Derwentside Homes until 2017 and more recently has been supporting Housing Associations recover from Regulatory downgrades. She is passionate about housing and has been actively involved as a Board member of a number of partnerships across the sector.
Upcoming Board Meetings (all held at BCT Office)
| Date | Time |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, 13 February 2019 | 6pm - 8pm |
| Wednesday, 27 March 2019 | 6pm - 8pm |
You can read the Board’s documents here: