Social housing charity appoints planner as board chair

Habitat for Humanity Great Britain, the global charity that aims to alleviate poverty through affordable social housing, has appointed a planner to take over as chair of its board of trustees.

Chartered planner Nicola Barclay, who joined the US-based Habitat for Humanity board of trustees in 2020, will succeed Ian Whitehead who has served as chairman since 1991.

Barclay has been the chief executive of housebuilder membership organisation Homes for Scotland, which works with the government and other bodies to get more homes built in Scotland, for more than six years. She was also previously its director of planning.

With more than 25 years of experience in the home building industry, Barclay also sits on the board of Norton Park, a charity providing shared office premises for third sector organisations in Edinburgh.

Barclay said: “Habitat for Humanity GB is uniquely qualified to build homes and support community projects, helping to break the cycle of poverty and making a real, tangible difference to the lives of people most in need.

“The CEO, Tum Kazunga, and his team have worked tirelessly over the last few years to support those in need of safe, secure housing, and I intend to ensure that the board is there to support and guide them through the continual challenges that the charitable sector is facing.”