Our Board
Meet the Board
Chris Skelton | Our Board
Trent & Dove is run by a Management Board, made up of 10 members, including Trent & Dove customers. The board drives our strategy, ensuring we make the best business decisions.
The board is ultimately responsible for the overall control of the business and steers and directs the business to achieve its key targets set out in our Strategic Plan
The regulator monitors how well we do this; you’ll find our latest reports by clicking here. In November 2025, the regulator confirmed Trent & Dove retains its top grading of G1 for governance and V2 for financial viability – the second highest grading, following its annual stability check.
We also listen and learn from complaint feedback. Find out more in our Annual Complaints and Service Improvement report and from our latest Complaint Handling Code Self Assessment
Trent & Dove also has an Executive Team who are responsible for the day-to-day running of the organisation.
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Chris Skelton
What attracted you to Trent & Dove?
Following my executive career, I was looking for an opportunity to give back in non-executive roles. I'm passionate about making a difference in people’s lives. At The ExtraCare Charitable Trust, we do some incredible things for older people in the UK. The more you get to know Trent & Dove, the more you know it has a caring staff who really have the residents at heart.
What is it like to be part of Trent & Dove?
It is very enjoyable and rewarding. Hopefully, I've helped in a small way. I'm getting from it what I hoped I would. The other Board members are great to work with as well.
What are the biggest issues facing Trent & Dove and housing associations generally?
It is having enough money to do everything you want to do. There is a lot going on around maintenance and carbon reduction and being greener. All of that comes at a cost and we haven’t got bottomless pockets, so we have to balance that with what we do for our customers.
What are you hoping to achieve during your Board term?
Making a difference in people's lives by encouraging the executives to do the right thing. For me, I am quite aligned with the organisation in that I want to help the communities in which Trent & Dove operates. You can see they are doing that with things like the Warm Spaces Cafes, the coffee van and the Community Fridge.
What has been your proudest moment as a Board member?
We have always tried to do our best and to be as generous as we can. We have a good Board. I'm proud that we can conduct business and get through the day's business collaboratively and in agreement, which is in the best interests of the customers and colleagues alike.
How does the Board ensure that Trent & Dove is embracing ED&I?
We had a session recently where we debated on what we wanted from ED&I and we wanted more information in the executive reports. This is not always done as a separate thing, but lots of issues come to the Board that has a minority interest, such as residents with a disability or poorer residents, so it is on the agenda a lot. It is not always about gender or ethnic minority. We just generally accept it and do it instinctively in our reports. So, if we're talking about rent increases, we ask how they will affect those who are disproportionately poorer than the average resident. We look at what we're doing about disability aids and adaptations for residents.
Do you have a favourite quote or philosophy that you live by or inspires you?
I am a real optimist so I say: ‘It's always darkest before the dawn’ so it highlights that when times are tough, that's probably at the point where it will start to turn for the better. There will always be challenges in life but keep thinking of the future where it will improve.
