Julie Crook | Our Board

Why did you want to get involved with Trent & Dove?

I have worked in the social housing sector for 30 years and, despite being retired from my day job, I wanted to continue my involvement in the sector and started to look for Non-Executive Director.  I saw the advert for the role at Trent & Dove and I thought the role matched my skill set - I did a lot of research into the organisation and liked what I found!  

Since joining, I’ve found everyone to be so welcoming and supportive. I’m keen to meet T&D’s customers and staff and I’m looking forward to visiting T&D’s communities, speaking to residents and contributing my skills and experience to add value to T&D’s work and the services it provides. 

What skills and experience do you have which you feel make you an effective Board member?

I’m a qualified accountant and have a wide knowledge of the sector, gained by working with a range of housing organisations across the country.  I’ve been a member of the senior leadership team at housing associations and local authorities and as a result I’ve gained a broad understanding of many of the key issues facing the sector and the needs of customers and communities. 

Within social housing, the work we do makes a real difference to people’s lives – and as someone with experience of the financial challenges faced by the sector, I know how important it is to demonstrate to customers that we’re using our income from rents responsibly and are able to demonstrate strong financial governance. 

What do you hope to achieve on the T&D Board?

Hopefully, I can contribute my skills and expertise to the Board to make sure that T&D can continue to improve homes, lives and communities for all of our customers, and continue to be an employer of choice for our staff.

What do you feel the biggest issues facing the social housing sector to be at the moment?

There is more demand for housing than we can supply. We also need to balance resources between maintaining and improving the existing stock and delivering the development programme to increase the supply of homes. There are also changing regulations and difficult economic circumstances, so it is about how we can use our experience to achieve what we need to and understand the issues.

What does Equality, Diversity and Inclusion mean to you – and why do you feel it’s important?

The Board needs to ensure that it is listening to its customers, staff and stakeholders and that we ‘leading by example’ to demonstrate the core values of the organisation. All Board reports include an assessment of ED&I implications and as Board members we must carefully consider these when making decisions. My previous organisation was a disability accredited employer, so I’m also able to bring this knowledge to my role with T&D.

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

‘Fail to prepare and prepare to fail’. It feel it emphasises the importance of considering and planning for things carefully – to achieve the best outcomes you can.