NEW CHAIRMAN FOR TREES GROUP
12 JANUARY 2008
Leicester-based TREES (Training, Regeneration, Education,
Employment, Sustainability Services Limited), the largest social
enterprise group in the east midlands, has appointed Ian Kennedy as
Group Chair.
Since 2003, Ian has been Chair of both Newlife Regeneration and Construction and Thorpete Gas Services, part of the TREES Group. He will be replaced as Chair by Bob Hingston, previously Development Director with Leicester Housing Association.
"I will continue to work very closely with TREES Chief Executive, John Montague to ensure that, as a leading social enterprise, we continue to deliver on our core principles in these challenging times," said Ian.
"Whilst securing employment and training opportunities for local people remains fundamental to what we do, we will also look forward to expand the principles of TREES onto a national platform."
TREES was founded in 1995 with the aim of creating jobs, skills training, local services and wealth in deprived communities across the midlands, supporting community regeneration.
The TREES Group supports four self-contained social enterprises: Newlife, Thorpete, conference venue Highpoint, and landscaping firm, Ground Control.
David Seviour, previously Group Chief Executive of the LHA-ASRA housing and regeneration group, also joins the TREES board.
Commenting on his appointment, David added:
"Social enterprises like TREES, and the contribution that they can make to the regeneration of neighbourhoods and the transformational life-chances of individuals, have yet to have their day. However, government is slowly recognising that transformational change, sustainability, mixed communities, and worklessness are inter-related, with local employment turning the key."
"The task now is to instruct more innovative local procurement policies in order to further drive change and mitigate the recessionary effects of the Credit Crunch."
