Board Members And Responsibilities

The role of the Board includes:

• Scrutinising the effectiveness of Poole Housing Partnership
• Monitoring the performance of Poole Housing Partnership
• Drafting the constitution for Poole Housing Partnership
• Agreeing the Annual Delivery Plan with the Council
• Approving the budgets
• Agreeing policies and make decisions on financial matters
• Making sure that Poole Housing Partnership is run lawfully and ethically

It is the Board's job to ensure that Poole Housing Partnership runs independently from Poole Borough Council and is effective in delivering excellent services.

Bill Constance, Chairman

After his initial training and education in mechanical engineering, Bill progressed into commercial management through various sales and marketing roles within the highly competitive manufacturing industry.

Bill's business career includes over 20 years of achievement and experience at Board level within multinational companies. For 13 years, and up to his retirement from full time employment, Bill was a Board member of NSK Europe Limited.

Bill is Chairman of the Board, and is also a member of the Housing Strategy Panel and Stronger Neighbourhoods Committee.

Sara Hobbs, Vice Chair

Sara has been a Poole resident all her life and is married with children. She was the Community Representative for Bourne Valley prior to becoming a Board member.

She is keen to provide facilities and activities for local residents and children. Sara feels that she understands and represents the community and wants to ensure that their voice is heard at the highest level within PHP.

Sara was elected as Vice Chair in 2010.

Anne Keogh, Chair of Finance Sub Committee

Anne is an experienced Head of Department for a multinational company. Anne brings with her a dynamic approach and a wealth of business and finance knowledge.

 Anne is Chair of the Finance Sub-Committee.

Derek Johnson, Chair of Personnel Sub Committee

Derek brings previous experience of an ALMO in which he was the Group Company Secretary/Personnel Manager of a transport operator, owned by Southampton City Council. 

With a background in both public and private sectors, Derek brings a wealth of experience in managing change and improving performance. Currently, he is self employed as an Investors in People Assessor and as a consultant in business performance improvement.

Derek chairs the Personnel Sub-Committee.

Lou Knight

Former Mayor of Poole, Lou was elected to the Board by fellow residents. 

Lou is incredibly active in Turlin Moor, being a member of Turlin Moor Action group and involved with the newly set up Youth Club. 

Lou wants to ensure that residents from across the town are represented and heard, putting them in the driving seat of service improvement and delivery of excellence.

Carol Elliott

Carol is a Solicitor and Head of the Commercial Property Department at a long established Dorset firm of Solicitors, and has worked at their Poole office for the last 14 years. Carol specialises in all aspects of commercial property for a broad range of corporate and private clients, including acting for a local housing association.

Carol is married with two sons and in her spare time she likes to swim and play tennis.  Carol joined the Board of Poole Housing Partnership in June 2009.

Mike Wilkins

Mike was elected as a Councillor for Hamworthy West in 2007 and joined the PHP Board at that time. Mike was subsequently re-elected as a Councillor in 2011 and retained his position on the Board.

Mike has lived in Turlin Moor for 34 years, and his children and grandchildren have all attended the local school.

He is a member of St Michael's Parochial Church Council, is on the Management Committee of Turlin Moor Youth Club, and is also a Trustee of Owen Carter Alms Houses.

Until his retirement, Mike worked at the local docks for Brittany Ferries.

Stephen Dunhill

Stephen has lived in Dorset all his life and is a chartered surveyor, with both private and public sector experience.

He has worked in the housing sector for the past 9 years and is currently a divisional director for a local housing association and is responsible for developing new affordable housing across the South West.  He has experience of housing development, management, maintenance, supported housing, finance and governance.  

Stephen really enjoys his work on the Board and hopes that his experience will continue to help Poole Housing Partnership retain its place as a leading ALMO.

Angeline Knott

Angie grew up in Poole and now works as a staff nurse in a local hospital.  She has two teenage children and knows how important it is to live in a community where everyone is listened to. 

Angie is committed in helping to make Poole a better place for all of its residents.

Maureen Churchill

Maureen was elected to the Board by her fellow residents in September 2009. 

Maureen was born in Poole and attended Parkstone Grammar School.  She served as a Governor and Chair of Governors at Seldown School for 12 years and also was a Speech and Drama Teacher at local schools. 

Maureen currently volunteers at Upton Country Park and also at "Just Friends" which helps people through bereavement and beyond.

Les Burden

Les is a local man, whose father was born in Hamworthy, and he has lived in and around Poole for almost 60 years. 

Les has been involved with local communities for over 30 years, and is currently Chair of Broadstone Horticultural Society, Chair of the Waterloo Youth Club and also Chair of Poole Old Grams.  A retired International Football Referee, Les is also President of the Local Society.  Les was elected to Council in 1999 to represent Creekmoor, Hillbourne and Waterloo and represented Poole as Mayor in 2004/5.

Les has been appointed as Deputy Mayor for 2011/12.

Adele Kitson

Adele was elected to the Board by her fellow leaseholders in September 2010.

She has been a PHP leaseholder for 4 years, and has also been a member of the Leaseholders' Committee.

Adele has lived in Dorset all her life and has been a Poole resident for the last 20 years. She feels that Poole, as well as being one of the most beautiful areas in the country, is a wonderful town to live in. 

Mark Howell

Mark has lived in Poole Town for seven years and is an active member of the local community. He was elected as a Borough of Poole Councillor in 2011 and established "The Arts Poole", which is an arts development organisation promoting arts and music in Poole.

Mark has 15 years experience of working as a lawyer in London, Cairo and Dorset, and also runs Nutmeg Communications, which specialises in communications and employee engagement. He has a degree in History and a Masters in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography. He has had a photo-journalistic book published on the troubles in the Middle East.

Peter Maiden

Peter served in the Royal Signals for 22 years, being a Chief Engineer in Communications. He joined Plessey in 1980 as Software Quality Assurance Manager, and then became Project Manager with Marconi during the Business Improvement era.

Peter has lived in Merley with his wife Susan (from Singapore), since leaving the Forces and became a Ward Councillor in 2007 as a Liberal Democrat. He has a daughter, Vivien, who is a Paediatric Senior Nurse in Poole Hospital and training tutor for paediatric nursing at Bournemouth University. Peter also has a son, Laurence, who is a Consulting Doctor of Gastroenterology at Royal Tunbridge Wells Hospital.

Peter brings a varied selection of skills, together with a mind set of effectiveness and fairness.

Chris Matthews

Chris is married with two daughters and has represented Canford Heath West ward on Poole Council since 2003. He is also a school governor at Ashdown Technology College.

Chris is an associate lecturer in the social sciences and in his spare time is an avid cricket fan. He joined the PHP board in May 2011.