Claire Winfield | Our Board

Why did you become involved with Trent & Dove?

Through my research, I was hugely impressed with the work it does. I love that Trent & Dove is an active housing developer, building new social homes for more people. However, what sealed it for me was the work it does in the communities we serve.

People need a good home to have a good life, but they also need to feel safe and have a sense of belonging. Even in hard times, Trent & Dove is committed to supporting communities in many ways - ‘Transforming home, lives, and communities’ is more than just a strapline!

What experiences, both directly and indirectly, do you bring that make you an effective Board member?

My role as a charity CEO has allowed me to experience things ‘from the other side of the table’, where I am accountable to a Board of Trustees. This has helped me understand what a good Board member looks like, what work we should be doing, and what questions we should be asking. I’ve also got experience of sitting on the Board of other charities and before I came to Trent & Dove another Housing Association.

I’m a good listener and interested in what other people do and say. As Chair of the Board, I ensure that everyone can contribute and that we’ve carefully considered the best options available before making any decisions. 

What impact does Trent & Dove have on people?

It is massive. When you look at the way people talk within the Customer Committee, the feedback is usually fantastic. That’s not to say that there is always more to be done, but our customer feedback is good, and satisfaction generally high. Our community focus has a big impact on people’s lives. The fact that in a really challenging environment we can provide an opportunity for people to have a warm meal, collect food from a community fridge, or get a warm drink and have a chat is a big deal. 

What has been your proudest moment on the Board?

The Impact on the Community Awards. Seeing the support within the community is a real lump-in-the-throat moment.

With the Board, we worked really well together to ensure that despite financial pressures we could continue to build more homes. Even though we knew it could mean we were regraded by The Regulator of Social Housing, we all opted to stick to our housing targets in the corporate plan. We had carefully considered the risks, and our financial plans, and it was a unanimous decision to stick to our plan of developing new homes. 

What are the biggest issues facing Trent & Dove and housing associations, in general?

There are lots of issues and challenges, but one of the biggest is funding and resources.  To ensure we can continue to maintain and invest in our current properties, and also make sure that we build new and affordable homes.

I am a real believer in social housing. Not everyone can afford to buy a property, or afford private rents. We need to make social housing more available and continue to invest in our communities.

How does the Board ensure that Trent & Dove is embracing ED&I?

In addition to Board training on the subject, we have also had focus sessions, where we examine policies and practice in recruitment, assess our work, and consider the ED&I implications of everything we do. When a paper comes to the Board, we ask what ED&I impact this will have on our customers, staff, and communities.

Do you have a favourite quote or philosophy that inspires your work?

From Paul Coelho: “The world is changed by your example, not your opinion.” People can tell you their opinion and what they think should happen, but the key thing is the people who have been and done it. Get on and do it, don’t just talk about it.