Article: Our Board
Berneslai Homes board members are company directors and are responsible for providing strategic direction and ensuring the company is well run. They attend board meetings and also represent the board at its committees which have delegated powers.
Our Board comprise of ten members: a Chair; three Tenants; three Independents; and three Councillors. You can read more about our board members below.
Berneslai Homes has three sub-committees that report to the Board. These are the Customer Services committee, Human Resources committee and the Audit committee.
We hold regular board meetings which you are welcome to attend. Visit the sections to the right for the Board timetable, minutes and reports.
Meet our Board
Berneslai Homes Chair of the Board, Suzy Brain England OBE (Appointed December 2007) - holds senior positions in public sector organisations. She received an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2009, for her public service. She is Chair of: Derwent Living (housing association), the Department of Work and Pensions Decision-making Standards Committee; Kirklees Community Healthcare Services, and Acting Chair of Bradford's Strategic Partnering Board. She is a non-executive director of Avanta (Enterprise and Welfare to Work specialists), of "LIFT" health partnerships in Barnsley, Bradford, Hull, Doncaster, Oldham, East Lancashire and Bury, Tameside and Glossop. She mentors executives, is Lay Chair for the recruitment of doctors to specialist training and is involved in training and exams at the Institute of Directors leading to Chartered Director. She is the former Chair of Connexions West Yorkshire, of Ofcom’s Advisory Committee for England and interim Chair of the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals She is a former Non-Executive Director with the Melton Mowbray Building Society. She was named Non-executive Director of the Year in the IoD Yorkshire and Humber Awards 2009 and is a finalist in the Public Sector Director of the Year 2010.
Tony Alcock (Appointed September 2002) - is a tenant member. He has been a member of the Board since the inception in 2002, and was a member of the team that assisted Barnsley Council to set up the ALMO. Tony has served as Vice Chair for two years, chaired many Committees and Board meetings, and has represented Berneslai Homes on many occasions. He sits as a Magistrate on the Barnsley Bench and also serves on the Bench Committee. He is one of only a handful of specially trained “Dedicated Drugs Court” Magistrates in the country. Tony is also the Chair of his local Neighbourhood Association; a former board member of TAROE; is Vice Chair of the South Yorkshire Credit Union; and is a public governor of Barnsley NHS Hospital Trust. Tony is formerly a member of the South Yorkshire Police Authority Standards Committee and also sat on the Yorkshire and Humberside Independent Members’ Forum. He is married and has a son and a daughter. Tony is self employed and enjoys most sports and has supported Barnsley Football Club for many years. Tony sits on the Audit Committee.
Pam Gee (Appointed in November 2009) - is a tenant member. Her interests include voluntary work, campaigning for women's equality and disabled peoples rights. She was the secretary of the Spina Bifida Association for many years and Parent Governor at Rockley Mount Disabled School. Sha has more recently been involved in quality reviews of General Practices for the NHS Primary Care Trust. Pam considers good quality housing, including efficient repairs, a strong priority. Pam sits on the Human Resources Committee.
Joan Whittaker (Appointed January 2005) - is a tenant member and is the Customer Champion for Berneslai Homes. Joan has been a member of the Board since 2004 and has recently completed a course of study at Northern College attaining the National Certificate in Tenant Participation and Neighbourhood Renewal awarded by The Chartered Institute of Housing. She is also Chair of her local Housing Management Team Steering Group covering the Hoyland, Birdwell, Elsecar, Hemingfield and Jump areas. Her hobbies include reading (anything and everything), embroidery and music – although she freely admits to still preferring the music of the 70’s. Joan is Chair of the Customer Services Committee.
Phil Chambers (Appointed December 2007) - is an independent member and runs a countryside and heritage consultancy promoting inclusive design in the outdoors. He formerly worked in education in Barnsley and also has experience as a Director of a national environmental charity. He is a Trustee of the Safe Anchor Trust, which enables everyone to enjoy and learn from having access to inland waterways and canal boating experiences. His main interests are sport, natural history and enabling everyone to enjoy the British countryside. Phil sits on the Customer Services Committee.
Melvyn Lunn (Appointed December 2007) - is an independent member and is a lifelong resident of Barnsley. He was educated at Barnsley Holgate Grammar School and is a Chartered Accountant with experience in both the public and private sector. Melvyn spent 17 years as a Finance Director in clothing manufacture and retailing and now runs his own accountancy practice. He is also a non-executive director of Barnsley Primary Care Trust and Chair of the Audit Committee, a co-opted member of Barnsley MBC Audit Committee, Treasurer of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Scouts and Treasurer and Trustee of Silverwood Scout Camp, and a Trustee and board member of Barnsley Community Build. He also holds the Chartered Institute of Housing National Certificate in Tenant Participation and Neighbourhood Renewal. Melvyn is the Chair of the Audit Committee.
Clair Wright (Appointed December 2007) - is an independent member and has worked in housing for over thirteen years, in five different organisations, in a range of different roles. Until 2007 she worked for Sheffield Homes, specialising in customer service and equality and diversity. Clair won Board Member of the Year in the 2011 NFA Awards ‘which celebrates inspirational ALMO board members. Clair was nominated for her role as Equality and Diversity Champion and her approach in embracing the values and demonstrating them to residents, officers and fellow board members. Currently she is a full time mum to her two sons, William aged four and Oliver aged two, and lives in Denby Dale with her husband Richard. In addition to her work with Berneslai Homes Board, Clair is a governor for Denby Dale Nursery School. In her spare time Clair enjoys reading and is a member of a reading group and in 2005 completed a Masters Degree in English Literature with the Open University. She also enjoys walking in the countryside. Clair is the Equality and Diversity Champion and sits on the Human Resources Committtee.
Councillor Joe Hayward (Appointed May 2004) - has been a Councillor in the Cudworth Ward since 1999. Joe retired from Rexam Glass works in 1998 after 33 years, working in various engineering departments. He had the honour to be the Mayor of Barnsley 2005/6. He has completed a Postgraduate Diploma. When taking time out Joe’s hobbies include: playing chess; walking and has completed a 42 mile walk over the North Yorkshire Moors and more recently a 64 mile walk including the Three Peaks completed for Oxfam Trail Trekker, raising money for Barnsley Hospice. Joe is the Chair of the Human Resources Committee.
Councillor Denise Wilde (Appointed December 2007) - has been a Councillor for the Wombwell ward since 2003 and has worked hard to see improvements and investment into both Wombwell and Barnsley. She is the Chair of Planning and a Member of the Peak Park Authority and Planning Committee. She recognises that planning can make a big difference for people to live in pleasant, easily maintained and safe environments. It is also very important to incorporate new “green technology” where possible. Denise’s previous job was Property and Estate Manager with Royal Mail where she was responsible for large commercial buildings in Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham and Hull. Prior to this she was a Customer Services Manager with Royal Mail dealing with complaints enquiries. She worked for many years on the post office counter at Barnsley and Wombwell when she transferred from the Department of Employment. At the Department of Employment she worked finding jobs for both able bodied and disabled people which she found very rewarding. Denise studied as a mature student at Barnsley college and gained A level passes in Psychology, Economics, Sociology and Politics and at Sheffield Business School and Open University for business qualifications. Denise sits on the Customer Services Committee.
We currently have one Councillor Board member vacancy.
