Our board

Henry Barker – Board Chair & Committee Member of People & Remuneration and Development Committees

Henry started his community involvement in the late 1990's working alongside Allerdale councillors during the transfer of its housing stock. He later became a Tenant Board Member of Derwent & Solway Housing Association, eventually becoming its chair.  He was also a Board Member of Harvest Housing Group and a Tenant Inspector with the Audit Commission, where he formed part of a team carrying out housing inspections.  Henry’s focus has always been tenant & resident involvement and he continued his community involvement as chair of the Cumbria Tenants & Residents Participation Forum.

Henry was also an independent Board Member of Eden Housing Association, where he became chair. He continues community work through chairing a charity which runs a local village hall. He has previously been a trustee of other charities including Carlisle & Eden Mind, Fairoaks Housing Association and Cumbria Family Support. He brings his experience of tenant and resident involvement to Westfield, supporting community activities and looking at the services we provide and how these services meet tenant and community needs.

Cecelia Tibble  - Board Vice Chair & Chair of People & Remuneration Committee and Development Committee Member

Cecelia was born, raised and educated in Workington, before she left the area to join the West Yorkshire Police where she served for several years before leaving to raise a family and to re-train as a Psychiatric Nurse.  Following which she returned to Workington with her husband Philip and their children, Matthew, Daniel and Beth.  Cecelia worked as a Psychiatric Nurse both at West Cumberland Hospital and in the communities of Allerdale and Copeland but is now retired.  Cecelia is currently a Board Member of West House, and was previously an Allerdale Councillor, where she served in several roles, including a year as Mayor, a Cabinet Member of Cumbria County Council, with responsibility for the environment and Committee Member of Northside Community Centre.  Cecelia is committed to ensuring that good quality affordable housing is available to everyone who needs it.

Jasbir Sidhu - Board Member & Audit & Risk Committee Member 

Jasbir has over 30 years of public sector and asset management experience which has equipped him with a robust base of skills and expertise that will enable him to make an exceptional contribution as a Board member of WHA.

Jasbir currently holds the position of Director of Housing with St Basils Housing Association, with full strategic and operational responsibility for the Housing Services, Asset Management Services, Health & Safety and Statutory Compliance, Repairs & Maintenance Services as well as Zero Carbon. 

Jasbir is also the Appointed H&S lead as required under the Social Housing (Regulatory) Act 2023.  Jas is also responsible at St Basils to ensure compliance with Regulation 6 of the OFSTED Accommodation standards

His previous roles included overseeing and developing asset management strategies, new build development, site acquisitions and disposals, zero carbon activities and regulatory compliance, as well as management of budgets, risk, performance management and staff development.  He has also established Direct Labour management, Implemented Customer Contract Centres and led on Procurement Contracts to the value of £90m. 

Jasbir is also a qualified asset management professional, Fire Risk Assessor, and holds CIPFA Qualifications in Asset Management, as well as the competencies to manage building safety supported by a  NEBOSH qualification in Health & Safety Excellence. 

On a personal level, Jasbir has previous housing association board member experience for Adullam Homes and Ofsted knowledge, as his sister is a Assistant Vice Principle at a Secondary School Academy and understands their requirements and grading system.  Jas is also a visiting lecturer at The University of Westminster.

Max Skinner - Board Member & Audit & Risk Committee Member 

Max is an IT professional, working in cybersecurity with cloud and wider information technology experience.  Having previously worked for Home Group, one of the largest housing associations in the UK, he has experience of managing and deploying cost-effective IT solutions at scale, protecting the estate and dealing with cyber incidents. With his work he has first-hand experience of tenant engagement and the wider functions of a social housing provider and is aware of the issues and solutions needed for social housing providers to succeed. Max also owns his own construction business specialising in heating, ventilation, MMC modular homes and eco-solutions. Max is involved with and supports several charities nationally and internationally.

Tim Blacker - Board Member & Development Committee Member 

Born and raised in West Cumbria, Tim has worked in housing for almost 20 years, beginning his career as a Housing Officer with Castles & Coasts HA.  Tim progressed to working for other HA’s and Local Government organisations, in other locations, including advising councils such as Kensington and Chelsea. He is now working as Strategic Business Improvement for a HA in Sussex ensuring that their business is fit for the future, and can best serve their residents and customers, and meet any current and incoming regulatory standards.

Rebecca McGivern - Board Member

With 9 years’ experience in the social housing sector, Rebecca brings extensive knowledge in governance and compliance. She has worked across key areas including risk management, health and safety, GDPR, performance reporting, and overall governance effectiveness, supporting a range of boards and committees within both small and large housing associations.

Lee Thorburn - Board Member

Lee has over 30 years’ experience working in health and housing and community setting, including engaging with residents, stakeholders, and partners to drive meaningful change. Her work has helped her understand community dynamics, implement effective interventions, and build a trusted network that fosters collaboration, working with a range of key partners and community groups.  Lee is deeply committed to supporting and strengthening communities through both her professional and personal endeavours.  Lee has also managed environmental and re-cycling projects. 

Zoey Stanton - Board Member

With a career dedicated to the social housing sector Zoey has over 28 years of experience and has held a number of senior positions for registered providers across the UK, including Housing 21 and Bournville Village Trust. Zoey is passionate about making a difference for others through community investment, resident involvement and supporting local people to thrive. Zoey is very proud to have joined Westfield. She said she is “excited to build on the board’s strong foundations and to support Westfield to continue to grow”

Tania Sutton - Board Member

An ACCA Chartered Certified Accountant with nearly 20 years of experience in accountancy seeks to join the Westfield Housing Association board, bringing extensive financial expertise and a strong understanding of sound financial governance. Motivated by a belief that safe, affordable housing is essential for opportunity and wellbeing, they align closely with Westfield’s mission, Tania’s goal is to contribute her  professional skills to support the association’s continued success and positive community impact.

Jacqueline Dakin - Board Member

A qualified nursing and educational professional, working in a number of Higher and Further Educational roles which included community and employer engagement.  Other experience includes school governor/Ofsted experience and as a Board Member of a number of statutory and community based voluntary organisations.  A conscientious, pragmatic team player with strong interpersonal skills and commitment to contributing as a volunteer Board Member to support Westerfield Housing Association’s goals in a challenging environment.

Hayley McKay (Chair - Audit & Risk)

Hayley works for a local charity in West Cumbria leading their Finance, Marketing and Income Generation function.  Hayley previously worked for a housing association for 12 years in a variety of roles including managing young people’s projects, homelessness services and general needs housing.  Hayley has broad experience including tender submissions, management of statutory contracts, facilitating tenant and community engagement activities and developing strategic risk management processes.  Hayley has lived in Workington for over 20 years and knows the area and communities well.  Hayley holds close the belief that everyone should be given the opportunity to access secure and comfortable accommodation and live in a safe and supportive neighbourhood.