Who We Are
Staff
David Ireland - CEO
He has 20 years’ experience working in housing on local authorities and the third sector.
He was the originator of the idea of empty dwelling management orders that became law in the Housing Act 2004. He led the government’s Housing Act Training programme on empty homes, for which he organised a series of regional conferences attended by over three quarters of local authorities in the country.
His has written several publications including the definitive guidance booklet for local authorities on approaches to returning empty homes to use. His book "How to Rescue a House” was published by Penguin. He was also the advisor for the BBC TV series of the same name. He is a regular contributor to property magazines and has recently had features published in the Observer, Guardian and Times.
Henry Oliver - Policy Adviser
His role encompasses support and advice to local authorities, regional empty homes forums and the National Association of Empty Property Practitioners; commissioning and managing research; media relations; policy and campaigning, including contributions to policy consultations and select committee inquiries; and liaising with civil servants, professional and industry bodies and other NGOs.
A chartered town planner, he has extensive experience of local authority planning, ranging from economic development at the then Hereford City Council through development control and conservation at Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council on Merseyside to forward planning at Shetland Islands Council. During a nine-year stint at the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), including five as Head of Planning and Local Government, he campaigned on planning, housing, minerals, energy, waste, water, sustainable construction and natural resources. He subsequently led on regeneration and localism for the New Economics Foundation before taking up his present role at the Empty Homes Agency. He chaired the National Planning Forum in 2005/6, and was (as a politically independent participant) principal planning advisor and author to the Quality of Life Commission (2005-7).
Shashi Ioannides - Communications Manager
Mary-Anne Taylor - Book-keeper
Management Board
Chair: Nick Aldridge
Nick is CEO of MissionFish, which helps charities raise funds online. We aim to make it possible for any charity to benefit from any gift from any donor. MissionFish’s major initiative is eBay for Charity, a unique programme that helps charities raise money on eBay. MissionFish is itself a registered charity (No. 1110538).
He joined MissionFish from acevo, where as director of strategy he led acevo’s policy and professional development teams for three years. He undertook a secondment to the Cabinet Office in 2006, working on an action plan for public service reform, and led acevo’s work on improving funding for the sector.
Nick is also a trustee of Global Giving (UK). He writes online for Social Enterprise Magazine (www.socialenterprisemag.co.uk).
His publications include Communities in Control (SMF 2005), Mind the Gap (Big Lottery Fund 2006), and Leadership and the Future of Commissioning (Futurebuilders 2007).
Treasurer: Nick Hughes
After a degree and PhD in Chemistry at Cambridge, and further research in the USA, Nick joined the Department of the Environment. Subsequently he was an Area Director at Notting Hill Housing Trust, Director at Toynbee Housing Association and Head of Development at the National Housing Federation. Heretired in 1999. A founding Board member of EHA and its honorary treasurer since 1999.
Peter Archer
Jon Fitzmaurice
Jon is a long-standing board member of Empty Homes Agency, who works as a freelance consultant and as a visiting research fellow for Cass Business School at City University.
He has worked for over 30 years in the voluntary sector, starting out on a short life housing project in Birmingham and moving on to hold senior positions in a number of housing organisations, which include the National Housing Federation, London & Quadrant Housing Trust and National Homeless Alliance (now Homeless link), where he was chief executive for nine years. He has also served as a non-executive director on Shelter, National Council for Voluntary Organisations, Hyde Housing Association, Look Ahead and St Mungo’s Housing Associations.
He's currently involved new project new which has just received funding and which aims to put self help housing back on the map in the coming months. .
Alan Collett
Alan joined Allsop & Co in 1972, he became an Equity Partner of the firm in 1980 initially leading the Residential Department. Since then he has worked in the development, investment and valuation sectors in both residential and commercial property. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in 1983 and has served as a member of International Governing Council and as Chairman of the Marketing Policy Committee of which he remains a member.
Gareth Hall
Rachel Massey
Nick Caprara
Volunteers
Alan Stratford
Camilla Collyer
Jackie Fraser
Peter Moore