Chair - Stephen Trusler Expand Stephen, who brings over 40 years of experience in housing, development and regeneration, is a leading figure in UK housing & construction sector, having held senior positions at Lovell, Alfred McAlpine, Wates and Laing O’Rourke, where he was Residential Sector Leader. He is currently Senior Director at planning and development consultancy Turley. Stephen has over 12 years’ experience as a Non-Executive Director, including roles with Sage Housing and the Chartered Institute of Housing. He is currently a Non-Executive Director at Cavanna Group, the South West’s largest independent housebuilder. A long-standing ambassador for the housing sector, Stephen has regularly participated in industry think tanks and conferences. He is a fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and a chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Housing. Stephen, who took over as Chair from November 2023, previously served on the Group’s Board between 2014 and 2019, during which time he chaired its Remunerations and Nominations Committee.
Group CEO - Bjorn Howard Expand Bjorn became Aster’s Group CEO in 2009, Enham Trust's parent company, having previously been the chief executive of a smaller housing association. Since then, Aster’s housing business has doubled to more than 32,000 homes and has expanded its geographical footprint across southern England. Bjorn has worked in the independent housing, care and support sectors for more than 30 years and has extensive board-level experience in both executive and non-executive roles. He has served as a non-executive director for an NHS Trust, educational organisations, regeneration boards and as a government appointee to a housing association. Bjorn holds a master’s degree in management and is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing and Chartered Management Institute. He is also a member of the Institute of Directors.
Trustee - Chris Benn Expand Chris joined Aster in 2014, bringing with him extensive experience from the commercial sector. Chris has previously held senior finance positions at Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC and Regus PLC. At Euromoney he ensured the finance team were able to support the five-fold profit increase of the Group from both organic growth, and through acquisitions, including the acquisition of a fellow FTSE-250 listed Group. At Regus Chris was involved in the IPO and floatation of Regus’ shares on both the FTSE and NASDAQ indices. Chris qualified as a chartered accountant at Coopers & Lybrand (now PwC) in 1994.
Trustee - Clive Barnett Expand Clive retired from RBS/NatWest in 2016 having been head of the bank’s housing finance team for many years. He worked within the social housing finance market for over 20 years and was recognised as a leading figure in that sector. Clive represented RBS within Government circles, including HCA, DGLG and CML Housing Committee. In 2022 Clive was appointed as a trustee to the Aster Foundation charity. Clive also holds other non-executive positions and was also a consultant director with one of the sector’s leading treasury advisers for a short while.
Trustee - Mehul Desai Expand Mehul specialises in driving transformations by leveraging digitisation and optimising operating models to enable improved customer experience while achieving sustainable cost savings. His career began as a management consultant, advising financial services executives, followed by his current role as Chief of Staff to the UK COO at HSBC UK. During his ten-year tenure at HSBC, Mehul has assumed various roles, notably leading the transformation of HSBC US retail and wealth banking, resulting in digitising customer journeys and automating back office processes whilst also delivering over $100m in cost savings. In his current position, Mehul acts as a strategic advisor to the UK COO where he is accountable for delivering on priorities such as developing and implementing the firm’s technology strategy, improving operational resilience, prioritising investment areas, and engaging the Board on key technology and operational areas. Mehul holds a bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at Albany and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Cambridge. He resides in London with his wife and newborn son.
Trustee - Mike McCullen Expand Mike is an accomplished CEO, Chairman and technology entrepreneur with over 30-years’ leadership experience in private, public and venture backed businesses specialising in technology for the built environment. Mike was a co-founder and Managing Director of the UK’s most successful project management software business for the construction industry, which he grew and led to exit in 2006. He is a former Group Board Director of an AIM listed technology business and was CEO of its international construction software and services business for over eight years and he was EVP of the UK’s biggest independent construction software business for over 2 years. He has extensive overseas experience having led construction technology businesses in Sweden and Germany and established international distribution in Australia, Europe and the USA. He has completed a number of international acquisitions. Mike started his own consultancy practice in 2015 working as an independent director and consultant advising businesses and private equity firms on investment in technology. He holds a Computer Science degree (Manchester) and an MBA (Warwick).
Trustee - Tracey Peters Expand Tracey is an accomplished Human Resources professional. She has worked as an Executive Board HR Director and has experience in many industry sectors including Retail, Manufacturing and Electronic Banking. She also has twenty years of Non-Executive Director experience with organisations such as Housing Associations, Foundation Trust Hospitals, and a variety of Charitable Arts and Sports organisations. Tracey has an MSC in Organisational Design and Development and is an Accredited Member of the BACP. She runs a Consulting Practice specialising in Organisational and Personal Development to Senior Executives specialising in supporting new CEOs and Chairs to manage their business through significant change. Tracey also works as a volunteer with Relate working in schools with children who are suffering emotional difficulties.
Trustee - Caroline Wehrle Expand Caroline has spent more than 20 years working in the fields of risk management, audit, internal controls, compliance and ethics, finance and pensions. The first 8 years of Caroline’s career were spent working in the engineering sector for WS Atkins, providing technical and quantitative risk management services to public and private sector clients, largely in the rail industry. This included 4 years spent working in Hong Kong, China and Singapore. Caroline joined Diageo’s internal audit function in 2003 and during 16 years with the business undertook a number of senior finance positions with Diageo, culminating in her final role, as Global Risk & Compliance Director leading an integrated global risk, control, compliance and ethics function. Caroline is passionate about doing business the right way. Caroline has a BA Hons degree in Risk Management from Glasgow Caledonian University, and an MBA from Bayes Business School. Caroline is also a non executive director of NHS Property Services Ltd and a trustee director of a large UK pension scheme.
Trustee - Claire Whitaker OBE Expand Claire is currently CEO of Southampton’s Culture Trust, having led Southampton’s shortlisted bid to be UK City of Culture 2025. Her role, which spans culture, events and destination, involves working with Southampton’s communities, cultural organisations, businesses, and academic partners locally and in the wider region. Previously, Claire was an Owner/Director of live music producers, Serious, which was known for its high-quality work and engagement with a diverse range of artists and communities across the UK and internationally. Claire is also an advisor on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, working with organisations across a range of sectors. Claire has over 25 years of experience in executive and non-executive positions, including being a Trustee of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, a member of the Cultural Recovery Board, an Ambassador for the Mayor of London’s Cultural Leadership Board and a member of the Arts and Creative Industries Advisory Group for the British Council. Prior to Serious, Claire was a Director of Africa95, a cross art form celebration of the arts of Africa which took place across the UK and the African continent and which named President Nelson Mandela, President Leopoldo Senghor and Her Majesty the Queen as its patrons. After the first democratic elections in South Africa, Claire worked closely with the ANC on the country’s cultural strategy and helped establish Business Arts South Africa which had then Deputy President, Thabo Mbeki, as its inaugural Chair. Claire’s expertise ranges from the creation and delivery of ambitious arts events and programmes, advising companies and organisations on equality, diversity and inclusion and the development of strategic partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders. She is actively involved in policy development across culture, civil society and placemaking.
Trustee - Amanda Williams Expand Amanda has over 30 years’ experience in development, marketing and asset management for registered social landlords, joining Aster Group in 2012. She was previously director of business development at Synergy, prior to a merger with Aster and drove the strategic direction of the association’s new-build development activity, including becoming an independent preferred investment partner. Amanda was previously a head of development for Sanctuary Housing Group for London and the South East, and an associate director of Adams Integra, a consultancy specialising in housing development and planning. She was also director of development services for Apex Housing (now A2Dominion) for nine years where she was responsible for growing a mixed development programme from scratch to over 1,000 units per year. Amanda is a Board Director of Silva Homes and of Forest Future Homes which is a subsidiary of Silva Homes.
2021 (Our Centenary) Over the course of nearly 100 years, we have supported over 250,000 disabled people throughout the UK to live the lives they chose, as independently as possible. We are proud of our military heritage and our founding is still true today of providing three key services; care, housing and employment. Expand In 2021, Enham Trust celebrates 100 years since our incorporation. To mark the momentous occasion in our history in a COVID-secure way, there are a multitude of great ways our supporters can celebrate with us, including participating in our 100 Challenge, keeping your eyes peeled for our 100 Stories on Enham Trust’s website and social media channels throughout the year, and by posting about your experiences with us on social media using the hashtag #EnhamTrust100 accompanied by our library of FREE downloadable social images available on our Centenary page.
2020 Over the course of nearly 100 years, we have supported over 250,000 disabled people throughout the UK to live the lives they chose, as independently as possible. We are proud of our military heritage and our founding is still true today of providing three key services; care, housing and employment. Expand 2020 saw Enham Trust adapt in numerous ways in response to the coronavirus pandemic which rapidly spread around the world. Disabled people were hit hardest by the outbreak due to many having high-risk conditions that would force them to shield away from loved ones to keep safe. Not only would this impact their mental wellbeing but also their physical health. That’s why it became our top priority to find new ways to deliver the services we provide to the thousands of disabled people we support and enable them continued access to the care, support and guidance they need. Changes made to our provision of service included activities being delivered in-house to care home residents, PPE being supplied to and worn by all front line staff, regular testing carried out of staff and residents, remote learning, and of course, lots of virtual calls and consultations offering advice and guidance across all services. Our front line staff have been incredible throughout and we couldn’t praise them enough for their hard work fighting against the pandemic. We are very proud of the work we have done to continue supporting disabled people to live, work and enjoy life, and thank our supporters for staying by our side through it all.
Director of Operations - Sara Bradbury Meet our Associate Director of Employment Services, Sara Bradbury Expand A Member of the Institute of Employability Professionals (MIEP) Sara joined Enham Trust in 2017 but has worked with the charity since 2015 through a delivery partnership, working on a Department for Work and Pensions specialist employability contract. Sara brings over 20 years’ experience of working in further education and welfare to work sectors, in both private and charitable organisations. Throughout her career, Sara has managed large Education and Skills Funding Agency, Department for Work and Pensions and local authority commissioned contracts. At Enham Trust, Sara has led many tender opportunities, securing and delivering commissioned services from tender through to contract award, mobilisation, and delivery with local authority contracts. Sara and her team are influential in the disability employment arena, currently working with DWP to pilot the Access to Work Plus funding model, influencing and shaping the policy and funding decisions for supporting disabled adults in work. Sara is highly experienced in managing organisations through Ofsted inspections, DWP PAT Inspections and external quality standards such as Merlin and Matrix, in addition to large value funding audits. Outside of Enham Trust, Sara is Chair of Governors for a Wiltshire primary school and a Trustee of a children’s disability charity
Information for current tenants Expand I have a repair or maintenance request. How do I contact you? You can report a repair by telephone or e-mail. Phone - 01264 324917Text - 07921 452413Email - [email protected] Our offices are open 8am - 5pm Monday to Friday Out of Hours (for emergencies only): Call the Enham Maintenance Team phone number (01264 324917) and your call will then be diverted to Aster Group’s out-of-hoursresponse service provider, Deane Helpline; this team will assess the emergency repair in order to help resolve it for you. What is the Tenant Scrutiny Panel, and how do I get involved? The Tenant Scrutiny Panel provides the means for tenants to get involved in shaping and influencing how their homes are managed. It also provides the opportunity for Enham Trust to work in Partnership with its tenants to self-regulate service delivery. To get involved, please contact the Housing team by emailing [email protected] or calling 01264 345803. How do I make a complaint? In the first instance, please visit here to download our complaints policy and procedures and see how to submit your complaint. Where can I find out more information about housing? Please consult the Quarterly Review Housing newsletter, which has helpful contact details and information on the back cover. If you can't find what you are looking for, please contact the Housing team by emailing [email protected] or calling 01264 345803.
Director of Income Generation - Nicola Lowry Meet our Director of Income Generation, Nicola Lowry Expand A member of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising (MCIOF), Nic joined Enham at the end of October as Deputy Director of Income Generation. Approximately six months later after bringing such great energy and expertise, Nic was promoted to Director of Income Generation. She brings 15+ years’ experience of supporting charities and non-profits to deliver on their income generation ambitions, having led several highly successful strategies across a variety of fundraising areas. Up until 2000, Nic worked in the retail sector. At this point, she made the decision to go to university to study social care, and to take up her first role in the health and social care sector as an area manager for a well-known domiciliary and nursing agency. She’s since worked in the charity sector for a children’s home, and services in homelessness, complex needs, mental distress, and domestic violence and abuse.
2017 - 2019 Over the course of nearly 100 years, we have supported over 250,000 disabled people throughout the UK to live the lives they chose, as independently as possible. We are proud of our military heritage and our founding is still true today of providing three key services; care, housing and employment. Expand HRH The Duchess of Gloucester, our Patron, visits Enham Trust on 19th September 2017 following her last visit in 1984. The Duchess learns more about the charity’s future plans, current developments and meets clients and residents that we support. Enham Alamein commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein in September 2017. The Trustees of the Charity, the local Parish Council, current residents of the village and members of the public were joined by Sir Freddie Viggers, representing the Lord Lieutenant’s Office, The Worshipful the Mayor of Test Valley and local Counsellors came together at the annual Service of Thanksgiving at St George’s Church, Enham Alamein – the internationally recognised memorial church for the Battle of El Alamein. Enham Trust obtained Disability Confident Leader status under the Disability Confident scheme in December 2017. An initiative established by the Government in 2013, Disability Confident aims to challenge negative attitudes to disability employment, and promote equal opportunities for all individuals who can work. Achieving Disability Confident Leader status acknowledges our efforts to support people living with a disability to gain employment within the organisation, as well as its ongoing work with businesses to support and employ disabled people. The Enham Trust Café is the latest innovative project, officially opened by Sir Freddie Viggers, a former British Army Officer and Trustee of Enham Trust, on 9th February 2018. The Enham Trust Café provides an opportunity for disabled people to undertake café training supported by volunteers and staff. You can find out more about the project here.
2015 - 2016 Over the course of nearly 100 years, we have supported over 250,000 disabled people throughout the UK to live the lives they chose, as independently as possible. We are proud of our military heritage and our founding is still true today of providing three key services; care, housing and employment. Expand Enham Trust opens Bradbury Place, a development consisting of eight fully accessible one and two bedroom apartments in Andover town Centre on 27th August 2015. The apartments were officially opened by Hugh Inman of the Bradbury Foundation. Designed in collaboration with Winchester architects Design Engine and a panel of Enham Trust’s disabled clients, Bradbury Place won the Richard Feilden Award at the 2015 Housing Design Awards, recognising the development as the best example of housing enabled by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). In October 2015, Enham Alamein village was awarded joint winner of the Hampshire & Isle of Wight ‘Village of the Year’ Awards, sharing the honour with the largest village in England, Bembridge, on the Isle of Wight. The demolition of historic Cedar Park development began in December 2015. For more than two decades, Cedar Park stood empty due to asbestos fears and marks the start of a new long term development. Following the previous year’s success, the ‘Village of the Year’ Awards ceremony was held in Enham Alamein, receiving a further two awards for 2016; ‘Highly Commended’ in the ‘Village of the Year’ Award, and achieving 1st place in the ‘Excellence in Localism’ Award; recognising the village’s visionary work.
2000 - 2014 Over the course of nearly 100 years, we have supported over 250,000 disabled people throughout the UK to live the lives they chose, as independently as possible. We are proud of our military heritage and our founding is still true today of providing three key services; care, housing and employment. Expand Enham further expanded its choice of living and care options. Direct Payments Services were introduced and learning programmes put in place to offer support for people with disabilities or disadvantages into sustainable work. Enham officially becomes Enham Trust in 2013 and undergoes a complete rebranding, with new logo, website and goals. Design Engine win the contract in 2014 to design the next phases of Enham Trust, including a Café, more purpose-built bungalows and an acquired injuries unit. The first of a series of 5 Heritage Trails opens, giving an insight to the history of Enham Alamein, which has until now been relatively hidden. The trails are fully wheelchair accessible, and you can see the information boards placed throughout the village. You can also download the Heritage Trail here.
1980 - 2000's Over the course of nearly 100 years, we have supported over 250,000 disabled people throughout the UK to live the lives they chose, as independently as possible. We are proud of our military heritage and our founding is still true today of providing three key services; care, housing and employment. Expand In 1984, HRH the Duchess of Gloucester, GCVO became our Patron, and still remains our Patron today. The Resource Centre in Enham Alamein was opened in 1990 in order to improve facilities and services provided to Enham Trust clients. In 1995, 24-hour supported care homes were opened and still remain today. Throughout the 1990’s, Enham developed and launched the first scheme to support disabled people into self-employment, and introduced 'supported living contracts'.
1960's and 1970's Over the course of nearly 100 years, we have supported over 250,000 disabled people throughout the UK to live the lives they chose, as independently as possible. We are proud of our military heritage and our founding is still true today of providing three key services; care, housing and employment. Expand A new coach which had a ramp for wheelchairs was gifted to the charity by the Round Table of Andover in 1961. Other Andover social groups, including WVS and Toc H, provided very welcome voluntary assistance in transport and recreation activities. Enham continues to propser in 1962 with a healthy waiting list of people wishing to come to Enham. The continuing need for development and expansion saw plans made to further develop the main hostel by adding a new wing with 25 to 30 beds; existing houses were improved with 55 having new hot water systems installed. It was in 1966 that the Governing Body realised the need to make provision for the admission of disabled women to the centre. Also, more needed to be done for the centre's elderly people and retiring beneficiaries - there was a revenue problem with new capital urgently needed.
1950's Over the course of nearly 100 years, we have supported over 250,000 disabled people throughout the UK to live the lives they chose, as independently as possible. We are proud of our military heritage and our founding is still true today of providing three key services; care, housing and employment. Expand As Enham moved into the fifties, the proposed give-year-plan to transform Enham Alamein into a fully equipped village settlement became a reality. The first 50-bed stage of the new hostel came into operation and was officially opened by HRH The Princess Royal on Alamein Day on 23rd October 1950. Littlecote House was converted into a 21-bed hostel in 1953, to help ease the urgent need for bed places. It was re-emphasised that the workshops existed to provide training, work and wages for disabled people. By 1955, Enham was well into its third phase of development. Phase 1 had been focussed at the care and rehabilitation of disabled ex-servicemen. Phase 2 had seen the development of rehabilitation of those suffering from tuberculosis - both ex-service and civilian men and women. Phase 3 was to open Enham to those suffering from a much wider range of physical disabilities.
1940's Over the course of nearly 100 years, we have supported over 250,000 disabled people throughout the UK to live the lives they chose, as independently as possible. We are proud of our military heritage and our founding is still true today of providing three key services; care, housing and employment. Expand Continuous sustained industrial activity was happening in Enham in the mid 1940’s. In the main factory, single seat training gliders were being produced in quantity, and all workshops were fully employed in work of national importance. In many ways, 1945 was the ‘most eventful year in Enham's history’, according to V. Perks, author of Enham Village Centre 1918-1988. Plans for the future of Enham were drawn up, finalised and submitted to the Ministry of Health. And, of course, the devastating war came to an end. A public subscription in Egypt raised £225,000 to thank Britain for its part in ridding Egypt of Axis forces. It was on 22nd October 1945 that the first cheque of £100,000 from the Bank of Egypt was awarded to Enham Alamein, a gift to mark the gallantry of British forces at the Battle of El Alamein in WW2. The remainder was given later that year and a total sum in excess of £200,000 was given to Enham. In recognition, Enham appended the word 'Alamein' to its name, henceforth to be known as Enham Alamein. The Egyptian Government presented Enham Alamein with 3 pairs of wrought-iron gates, presented originally by the three services to the Alamein Club in Cairo. The gates bearing the crest of the RAF were sited at Phipps house; those of the Royal Navy at the entrance to the Industries' Headquarters; those representing the Army were sited at the entrance to the White House. All are still treasured and carefully kept at Enham Alamein today, with the gates to Montgomery House still in place. One of Enham's most distinguished Vice Presidents, Field Marshal Lord Montgomery, made his first visit to Enham Alamein in 1948 and was greatly impressed with the village. It was an informal visit, and he met a number of men who had served under him in the Desert. He said "I am deeply impressed by what I have seen today. I have seen a fine set of old soldiers doing a fine job of work. No one seems to have a job that he is not medically fit to do, and I must say they all look extremely happy and content."
1930's Over the course of nearly 100 years, we have supported over 250,000 disabled people throughout the UK to live the lives they chose, as independently as possible. We are proud of our military heritage and our founding is still true today of providing three key services; care, housing and employment. Expand In 1930, two grand balls were held as fundraisers, ‘The Wedgewood Ball’ on 27th May, and ‘The Jewels of the Empire Ball’ on 26th November at the Park Lane Hotel in London, the latter raising £1,500 profit on tickets alone. It attracted a wide range of publicity in national papers and magazines such as the Bystander, Tatler and Sketch. Following the death of Field Marshal Lord Plumer in 1932, Field Marshal Lord Allenby became President of Enham Village Centre. With the Enham Industries continuing to make progress with increasing mechanisation in the woodworking factory, the Bernhard Baron Basketry Department - a fine new purpose built workshop - was opened in 1935. There were now four industries - woodwork, basketry, upholstery and gardens. The Committee called a General Meeting on 10th July 1935 to consider a Special Resolution to extend Enham's sphere of help beyond the disabled servicemen. Enham extended its employment scheme to disabled people, but not through the result of war or conflict. With the passing of His Majesty King George V in 1936, Enham lost the services of their Royal Patron who had done so much for them. This was followed soon after with the deaths of the President of Enham and the Chairman of the Executive and Finance Committee. Sir Charles McLeod, a banker and merchant, had devoted not only money but time and energy to Enham throughout the 1930’s. He was responsible for saving the Enham Village Centre from collapse, when he personally advanced many thousands of pounds to save the Village, when its livelihood was threatened by the financial collapse in 1920. In November 1936 in issue of ‘Village Settlements Pictorial’, the annual report said "Such a service can never be forgotten and, as long as Enham endures, the name of Sir Charles McLeod will be honoured there."