Board Members

Current Kirklees Community Association Board Members are:

PETER ROCK (CHAIR)

COUNCILLOR CAROLE PATTISON

Carole has a keen interest in housing and in addition to being a Director of KCA, she also sits on the Board at Fusion Housing as Vice Chair. She has an interest to see how the two organisations can work well in partnership.

Carole is interested in all aspects of KCA's work and would like to see the development of new projects, working closely with the Council.

NATALIE PINNOCK HAMILTON MBE

Natalie works as a supply teacher and as Chief Executive/Development Officer for Kirklees LINK (Local Involvement Network). She previously worked as a non-executive director at Connexions as well as roles at the Calderdale and Kirklees Health Authority, Leeds City Council and Bradford College. She studied for a degree in education at the University of Leeds, then later gained an MA is social and community work studies at the University of Bradford and a postgraduate diploma in law at the University of Huddersfield.

Natalie is a founder member of Huddersfield Carnival, Huddersfield Sickle Cell Anaemia Support Group and the Hudawi Community Association. She is also a counsellor at the African Caribbean Counselling and Information Service, a former board member and now ambassador at West Yorkshire Forget-Me-Not Trust and a school governor and mentor. She is also involved with the True Colours Children's Gospel Group and the National Association for Multicultural Education.

GORDON MORRISON

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COUNCILLOR DONALD FIRTH

ERIC FIRTH

Eric was previously the Mayor of Kirklees. He was born in the Dewsbury Constituency the eldest of six children and has lived there all his life; in fact he has never lived more than two and a half miles from where he was born.

He was educated at Springfield Junior and Infant School and later at Batley Carr and Dewsbury Technical School. He left school on a Friday and started work the following Monday, at the age of 15, as an apprentice painter and decorator.

He has been active in the Trade Union and Labour movement all his adult life and still is although he has recently stood down as chair of 9/601 Unite, the branch he chaired for more than twenty years, which was the branch where the Labour Party was formed.

He was asked to stand as a Councillor on numerous occasions and he eventually succumbed and successfully stood for the council in 1994. He lost his seat in 2006 but was returned in the same ward the following year.

Eric has been married to his wife Janet for 41 years; they have two children and two grandchildren whom they both adore. Representing the Dewsbury East Constituency where he has always lived, and working for the people and organisations within it, gives him a great deal of satisfaction. He enjoys helping local people, who seek his help, frequently.

As a Ward Councillor Eric enjoyed contributing to and shaping policies and strategies that will affect Dewsbury residents now, and for generations to come.

As a former Mayor his aim has always been to share his proud sense of Civic Pride with different organisations and residents across all parts of the Borough.

Outside of work Eric loves spending time with his grandchildren and watching Dewsbury Rams and Shaw Cross ARLFC.

BOB IREDALE

TONY HOOD

Tony Hood has had 35 years experience in housing, local government and the voluntary/community sector. He retired in 2009 from the post of Director for Adults and Communities at Kirklees Council, where he was responsible for adult social services, housing, community safety and neighbourhoods.

Most relevant for Kirklees Community Association, he had previously been the Director of Housing, having worked for several Councils in the North West and a housing association in Liverpool, in housing management, strategy and development.

In addition to experience building strategic partnerships, he has hands on experience of working within communities, with tenants’ organisations and the voluntary sector.

He lives near Huddersfield and is currently the Chairman of a local social enterprise, the borough wide credit union and the adult learning partnership. He is a member of the Vulnerable and Older Peoples’ Advisory Group of the Homes and Communities Agency.

COUNCILLOR MUSARRAT KHAN

Musarrat is a relatively new Board Member having joined as a Director in 2017. She is an elected member for the Dalton Ward and Cabinet Member for Corporate (Place, Environment and Customer Contact Services).

She has a long standing history working within homelessness services, in both outreach and supported accommodation based projects. Musarrat specialises in managing resettlement programs for ex-offenders with mental health problems.

She has also managed and developed direct delivery of support services for young people excluded from schools and with people with severe and enduring mental health problems.

COUNCILLOR NELL GRIFFITHS

Nell is the newest member of the Board having recently joined us in June 2018. She is an elected member for the Colne Valley, an area which KCA have several properties.

She has a long-standing interest in the provision of decent, affordable housing and brings a wealth of experience in housing to the Board, having been a founding member of East Stepney Housing Co-op in 1984, and a founding member of Tower Hamlets Empty Property Group.

Nell initially trained as a plumber and now works part time for a sustainable building products company. The company has built two new passivehauses in Kirklees, and refurbished many old dwellings to a very low-energy standard.