Member Article

Derwentside Homes welcomes new business manager

North Durham housing provider, Derwentside Homes has appointed a new manager to support its growth aspirations and aim of developing new services to its tenants and the local community.

Vicky McCourt, 49, from Framwellgate Moor has been appointed as New Business Development Manager to help it focus on new business growth opportunities and secure future investment that will benefit and add value to the services that it currently provides.

The not-for-profit company which reinvests any surpluses into maintaining and investing in its existing homes, the development of new homes and the communities it serves, has ambitious growth plans for the next five years.

As part of its growth strategy, the business aims to deliver new opportunities to compliment and support its existing award-winning community-based services, which are already proving popular with local residents. These include SHED which provides training and qualifications to unemployed people, a telephone befriending service for older tenants called Silver Talk and The Smarterbuys Store – a weekly payment store set up as an affordable alternative to other high street stores and door step lenders.

Vicky is an enthusiastic and self-motivated manager with 14 years’ experience of working in economic development and regeneration and 12 years in social housing. She also holds a Masters in Science in Urban Policy and Regeneration, which she gained from University of Northumbria.

Commenting on her appointment, Vicky said: “I am delighted to have secured employment with Derwentside Homes in what is a very successful and ambitious organisation.

“I am looking forward to utilising the skills and knowledge I have developed throughout my working career to help drive the business forward and support its business objectives and growth strategy. These are very exciting times for me and Derwentside Homes and I am pleased I have the opportunity to be a part of that.”

Keith Tallintire, Director of Resources at Derwentside Homes, said: “Vicky is an excellent new addition to Derwentside Homes and will be a great asset to the team. She brings with her a wealth of experience, knowledge and contacts, which I’m sure will benefit the business in future and she is looking forward to working on and delivering some key projects for us over the next couple of years.”

Vicky joined Derwentside Homes from Durham County Council where she worked as Area Regeneration Manager and then more recently as an Area Based Housing Regeneration Project Manager.

In her spare time, she is a voluntary Board Member for The Haven Ltd in Tyneside, which provides supported housing for ex-offenders, homeless, and former substance misusers.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ailsa Macmillan .