Katharine is founder and director of Dot Dot Dot Property Ltd, a social enterprise that places individuals who are keen to volunteer for good causes in homes that would otherwise be empty. She was its Chief Executive for six years. Katharine is a voluntary Trustee for charity Headway East London, which supports those affected by brain injury, contributing to its overall strategy and scrutinising performance.
She says of her appointment: “I have built my career around my belief in the effectiveness of social enterprise as a mechanism to make a difference in the world, and in the importance of well-managed affordable housing which supports communities, so I am delighted to have this opportunity to contribute to the work Co-op Homes does for the community housing sector.
“I look forward to working within Co-op Homes’ values, which mirror my own. The cooperative ethos is attractive in itself and the history of housing co-ops was a significant source of inspiration to me when I launched Dot Dot Dot. I believe in the usefulness of compassionate commercialism and the importance of striking the right balance between positive social impact and ensuring financial sustainability as an organisation.”
Co-op Homes’ Managing Director Neil Tryner says: “Katharine is joining the Co-op Homes Board at an exciting time when we are building new homes, modernising our core landlord services and developing new partnerships with a wider group of customers building on our core traditional Housing Co-operative partners. I am delighted to be working with Katharine who will lead us into the next phase to flourish.”
Katharine will officially transfer Chair responsibilities at Co-op Home’s AGM in September.
