YHN’s Tina Drury to hand over leadership reins

Tina, has helped to guide the business through a number of difficult and testing times since taking up her role at the Arms-Length Management Organisation (ALMO) responsible for managing council homes on behalf of Newcastle City Council, in 2016.  She was also at the helm for a number of celebrations, awards and service improvements which have made living easier for YHN customers.

Tina, a local girl, started her career in 1982 as a repairs clerk at the City Council's housing department before developing her career at a number of housing associations, helping to transform homes and housing services in the region.

Tina said: “When I joined YHN, I wanted to lead a business that could not only help to bring together local communities and help them to build resilience and become stronger but also to create opportunities to give our customers a bigger voice, so they felt heard and able to influence our decision making and I’m proud of what’s been achieved.

“YHN has been on an incredible journey - we are so much more than just a landlord – and I feel like now is the right time to hand the reins to someone else to help to take the business in a new direction.  Due to the support of some incredible staff, stakeholders, and partners, we’ve accomplished what I had always hoped, and I leave feeling proud of what we’ve achieved.

Some of the highlights of Tina’s career at YHN include; being able to use the turnover of the Group’s commercial activities to invest £10 million per year into the services YHN is able to offer to its customers; supporting over 10,000 customers nationwide with furniture packages to enable them to successfully sustain their tenancies; assisting over 600 customers into employment or an apprenticeship; providing over £350,000 of Community funding, specifically created to have a positive impact on the communities where YHN customers live, by investing in community projects and partners that are already doing great work on the ground and helping them to achieve more; becoming the first employer in Newcastle to be awarded Ambassador status under a scheme for improving the health and wellbeing of staff and generating over £4.5million of additional income for YHN customers by offering advice and support to enable them to claim benefits they were entitled to.
Newcastle City Council is in the process of completing a Housing Review which has identified a number of recommendations and options for the future delivery of housing services.  Their preferred option, agreed by Cabinet in July, was to take YHN back in-house and integrate with other housing-related services within the Council but they have committed to consult with tenants before any decision is made. 

Anne Parker, Acting Chair of the YHN Board said: “Tina and the whole YHN team have achieved so much over the last 7 years and the Board are grateful for everything that has been done.  Tina has provided a strong, tenant focused leadership throughout the organisation and we wish her well. 
“As for the day-to-day management of YHN, we will have Rachel Taylor, the previous Group Director of Finance ICT and Risk acting as Interim Group Managing Director, supported by the rest of our Executive Team.  We’ll continue to put our customers at the heart of everything that we do until the Housing Review is concluded and an outcome is reached.”  

Pam Smith, Chief Executive of Newcastle City Council said: “I’d like to congratulate Tina for leading YHN for many years and her fantastic contribution to the city. I wish her the very best in whatever she chooses to do next.”

Tina added: “I’d like to say a very special thank you to everyone that I have worked with during my time at YHN who have continued to amaze me with their passion, enthusiasm and determination to do their best for our residents.  I’d also like to wish the City Council every success with their ongoing housing review and future plans for the city.”