Welcome on board to Pritti and Mike

Welcome on board to Pritti and Mike

HDN is delighted to announce the appointment of two new board members, following the arrival of Pritti Allen and Mike Gaskell.

Our newest members bring a wealth of experience and adaptable skills which are sure to help us meet our growth objectives as we move into 2021. Pritti, a communications specialist and Mike, a legal professional, are already on board and ready to give their all as we continue to fight for Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity throughout the housing sector and beyond.

Mike was a practicing solicitor for 39 years before retiring in March 2019. From 1984 his legal practice was centred on advice for social housing landlords, and for the last 15 years he was the managing partner of the international law firm Trowers & Hamlins’ Manchester office.

Since retirement from legal practice, Mike has become involved with a number of non executive director and trustee roles in addition to HDN. He is chair of the board of Leeds & Yorkshire Housing Association and of the board of trustees at TLC: Talk, Listen, Change (a relationships counselling and support charity). TLC is the only provider of integrated relationship support in Greater Manchester, and its ethos stems from a belief that difficulties in life may arise, but if people have a strong and safe circle of support around them – they are happier. Last year TLC provided over 13,000 sessions to help people have safe, healthy, happy relationships.

“I have been aware of HDN for many years,” says Mike, “but more recently in my role at Leeds & Yorkshire HA I have seen, at first hand, the excellent work which it does. Mushtaq asked me if I was prepared to join the board and I was delighted to agree, because inclusion and diversity issues have always been important to me.

Head of communications at East Midlands Housing Group (EMH), Pritti is passionate about social housing, as a strategic communications specialist with more than 20 years experience in the sector covering regulation, policy, research and communications. As well as being a senior consultant with a leading public sector PR firm, Pritti is already known to HDN, serving as a mentor for our Notting Hill Genesis programme in 2019, and she continues to coach at EMH.

“I’m really pleased to be joining the HDN board at a very exciting time, as it strengthens its position as a key partner for the sector in promoting opportunities for greater diversity and inclusion,” says Pritti. “I believe that HDN has a unique offer and I hope to contribute to an increase in engagement, as well as building strong partnerships based on a shared vision”

Mike adds: “Recent events mean that there is a significant opportunity for HDN to contribute to making this country, and the world of social housing, a much more inclusive place.”

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