About Us

Independent:




Carl Dickinson (Vice Chair)

Carl is Managing Partner for Yorkshire Bank across East Midlands (part of the National Australia Banking Group) running a team of 60 banking professionals.

A highly motivated, focused and professionally qualified finance professional.  Carl has a broad experience in a varied range of financial and banking disciplines gained through 30 years of working for the National Australia Bank. Roles have included – Internal Auditor, Regional Credit Manager, Marketing Manager and Finance & Risk.

Carl has a proven record of building highly successful and motivated performance focused teams of top quartile bank professionals.

Educated to degree level at Sheffield (2.1 Financial Services) and qualified banker through Chartered Institute of Bankers.  As well as being an independent board member of Three Valley Housing, Carl sits on the leadership team of Business in the Community.

Errol St. John-Smith

Errol has been a senior manager in Social Housing for the last 14 years. He has worked for major housing associations as well as voluntary organisations, and local authorities. For the last 4 years Errol has undertaken interim management and consultancy assignments.

Will Wakefield

Will Wakefield born in 1955 on the edge of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana. Will grew up and went to school in Ian Smith's Rhodesia during the period of the illegal declaration of Independence. With a mere handful of 'O' Levels he came across to the UK and completed a Hotel management degree with a　year in Switzerland and time at Gleneagles and Turnberry.

After meeting his wife Juliet, Will joined the YMCA Housing Association in Hornsey North London, which was a probation hostel during the 1980 Tottenham riots.

Will has now been in Nottingham with the YMCA for the last 14 years, being appointed CEO in 1995 and now oversees five branches across Nottinghamshire, turning over £4 million per year.

Colin Ball

Colin has worked in housing and regeneration for over 35 years, pretty much all his working life, since he joined Govanhill Housing Association (GHA) in 1974/5. His present role, as Project Director at Pride in Camp Hill (PinCH) in Nuneaton, is very much at the centre of delivering on the Sustainable Communities’ agenda and involves close working with a range of housing associations.

Colin has also had Senior Management and Leadership experience at Coventry Churches Housing Association (CCHA), Charnwood Forest Housing Association (CFHA) and Friendship and Charnwood Housing and Care (fch). Colin has also worked at the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations.

Since December 2009, he has had a new part-time role (3 days a week) coordinating a range of social and economic programmes to address poverty and deprivation in the most disadvantaged communities across Warwickshire, for WCC, on behalf of the Warwickshire Public Service Board.

Married to Nicola, with two newly adopted boys, he lives in Lichfield and worships at St Michael's on Greenhill fairly regularly. Colin is a member and volunteer for the local Credit Union and a member of the North Lichfield Initiative Board. Colin also have 3 grown up children (and two grandchildren) from a previous marriage.  Colin is a keen cyclist and enjoys reading, the cinema and theatre, as well as dabbling in politics and oil painting from time to time.



Gary Kirk

Gary started his working life as a social worker for Leicestershire County Council, setting up a family placement scheme for elderly people and going on to manage care and support services for vulnerable adults. He moved to Leicester Housing Association (now LHA-ASRA) in 1995, first as Special Services Manager and then as Regional Manager before becoming Assistant Director in 2001 with lead responsibility for a range of regeneration initiatives.

In 2006 he became Chief Executive of Meden Valley Making Places, helping to drive forward the housing regeneration of a number of settlements across former coal mining communities in north Derbyshire and north Nottinghamshire. Large areas of previously run down and derelict settlements are now being transformed into thriving mixed communities in partnership with HCA, emda and the district councils of Bolsover and Mansfield.

Gary was a Lay Member for the Harborough and Rutland Primary Care Group and has acted as a member of the Assessment Panel for the annual BURA Awards for Best Practice in Regeneration. He currently chairs the Stronger Communities sub-group of the Mansfield Area Strategic Partnership. Married with 4 children, Gary enjoys watching football and playing tennis in his spare time.




Anita Pathak Mould 

Anita is married with two children (aged 18 and 16) and arrived in the UK as a teenager from Uganda as a refugee.  Her life in the UK has been shaped by three significant services, namely, Housing, Education, and Health. It is for these extraordinary services that she wants to continue to use her skills, knowledge and experience in areas that have the potential to change individuals’ life experiences.

Anita has worked in the National Health Service and been a participant in the education system, which influences many of her beliefs in social justice based on working in partnerships.　

Her career thus far has centred on the voluntary Housing Sector where Anita worked her way up through the organisation and group structure working in various aspects and disciplines of the Housing Sector with special interests in Community Development, Customer Services, Resident involvement and Equality and Diversity.

Anita’s roles in mutual Co-operatives and Tenant Management Co-operatives have given her an insight into how well organisations can deliver good services through involvement.　 Anita wishes to support more involvement by people who are directly involved in service provision.　

Anita believes that there is a better understanding of Equality issues within the housing movement and that Diversity is an area that needs a better understanding to enable organisations to tailor services to the needs of their customers. Anita also hopes to influence this agenda in the coming months at Three Valleys.

Sarah Troman

Sarah Troman is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Housing and currently works as Development Manager for urban regeneration company: Derby Cityscape. Prior to this Sarah has worked in housing throughout her career, leading the Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder Team in Doncaster and within the Housing Policy and Research Team in Nottingham.

Statutory Appointees

Val Hammond

Val has 30 years experience in Banking. As a Senior Corporate Manager, this experience included the management of corporate client relationships and National credit control, with responsibility for lending to the Housing Association Sector.

Upon taking early retirement from her banking career, she adapted her skills to a regulatory role with The Housing Corporation. Val also has previous experience of being a board member and is currently Chair of the Acclaim Housing Group.

With her background in financial, regulatory and governance aspects of the housing association sector, Val believes she can effectively contribute to the governance of Three Valleys Housing.

Lakhbir Jaspal

Lakhbir has over 15 year’s experience of social housing. He moved to Accord Group in 2001, initially as Director of Resources and then Chief Executive of Accord Housing Association. He previously spent 7 years at Orbit Housing Group, as Assistant Director of Finance. His experience also spans working for two local authorities in the Midlands and South East, helping manage their extensive loan and investment portfolios.

Lakhbir is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy and is member of its Registered Social Landlord Panel. He is also currently Board member at Hexagon Housing Association and Chairs the Audit & Risk Committee. Lakhbir has previously occupied board positions at a number of other housing associations over the past 8 years.

Tenants and Leaseholders:



Brenda Straw

I am a Tenant Leaseholder and my landlord is Three Valleys Housing and they give me the opportunity to contribute.Through my networks I am able to reach out to people across all Three Valleys Housing homes.

I have been a Board Member for 2 years so I have brought the perspective of residents to the decisions made by the Board. I am very comfortable working with staff and fellow Board Members. I am currently involved with the review of Resident Involvement which concludes at the end of this year.




Jenny Howe

I work at a local school and have been a resident of Three Valleys Housing for about 11 years. I am a very active community volunteer.

I returned to education and have been studying for about two and a half years at college. As a result of my studies I now have Accredited Qualifications.