About Us

Spring is governed by a group of passionate professional individuals who all share the ethos of supporting those in greatest need.

Spring Housing Association has a governing board comprising of professionals from the statutory, voluntary and housing sector. Board is very experienced with expertise in management, financial control, Young People, Safeguarding, project management and support services and supports the Senior team with Strategic oversight and direction.

The Board and Executive Team

Tonia Clarke

Tonia Clarke

Board Member - Chair

Tonia Clark is a qualified accountant with over 25 years of experience of supporting the voluntary sector. Her senior management experience is broad encompassing finance, HR, governance, ICT, training and contract management. She has sector experience within drug and substance misuse, sexual health, business support, schools and the arts. She is currently School Business Manager at Hamilton School in Handsworth and has set up a charity to support children with Autism at the school.

Tonia is an experienced non-executive board member including for the BBC Audience Council, Chair of Governors for a school, Secretary of a Park Friends Group, a community choir and Community recording studio. She is an active community organiser.

Katie Moore

Board Member - Vice Chair

Katie Moore has spent 6 years in the housing sector starting as a graduate and now in post as Group Head of Performance, Risk and Intelligence at WM Housing Group. Katie has particular knowledge and experience in the following areas; performance reporting, bespoke reporting, research design, evaluations including social return on investment, policy and strategy interpretation and working with data and information to deliver insight. Katie also has risk management and customer feedback into her service portfolio.

Katie has also served as a Board member for two years for another housing association in the East Midlands.

Prior to her time spent in housing Katie worked in the charitable /criminal justice sector working directly with offenders and was also a mentor for high risk offenders via the Probation Service.

Katie is a chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and holds a Post Graduate diploma in Housing Studies and first class degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology.

MP Preet Gill

Board Member

Preet is a Labour MP for Edgbaston, Birmingham, and cabinet member for public health and protection. She also sits on the West Midlands police and crime panel, and Sandwell Health and Wellbeing board.

She is a Director for Spring Social housing Board and a Bank Inspector for Care Quality Commission. Preet was also vice chair of the West Midlands Race and equality advisory board and actively campaigns on local and national matters, particularly on human rights issues.

Preet is a core part of The Sikh Network and was heavily involved in the Sikh Manifesto. Preet has been involved in events regarding better Sikh and female representation in politics. She has also spoken publicly at many different events. Preet has extensive experience in working in local government roles, stemming from a background in children services.

Paul Hibbert

Board Member

Paul is a qualified accountant and fellow of the CMI, with fifteen years experience in the charity sector, and is currently Director of Finance and Corporate Services for the charity LionHeart. Working in smaller charities means that Paul has gained experience across a broad range of remits, including strategic planning, leadership, finance, HR, IT among others.

Neil De Costa

Neil De Costa

Board Member

Neil has over 21 years’ experience within the public sector, managing the delivery of a variety of community-focussed services ranging from arts, sport and leisure to housing, neighbourhood renewal, neighbourhood management and community development.

Neil is committed to improving the lives of citizens and communities, particularly those that are deprived and disadvantaged. Neil has an excellent track record and reputation of engagement, partnership working, community development and supporting communities.

Neil also has a keen interest in health & wellbeing, fitness and sports therapy and he is a qualified fitness instructor, sport therapist and sports masseuse.

A strong advocate for social support and development activity, Neil decided to commit some of his time to become one of Spring’s Board of Directors because of Spring Housing Association’s ethos which is to provide high quality housing options for the most vulnerable within communities, namely those at risk of homelessness and in addition providing supportive pathways into employment, training and advice.

Darren Binderet

Board Member

Darren has more than 20 years’ experience in B2B marketing of IT products and services and specialises in helping SME develop and grow their businesses . He is currently Head of Marketing for Syscomm, a Managed Services IT company in Coventry. Prior to that he was working as a Visiting Lecturer at Birmingham City University, teaching Strategy, Marketing, and Leadership courses at both Undergraduate and Masters level. He has also been an entrepreneur, opening a small chain of coffee shops across Worcestershire. He is also Chair of Radio Lollipop Birmingham, a charity that provides care, comfort, play and entertainment for sick children at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Originally from Canada, Darren came over to do his MBA at the London Business School, still plays ice hockey, and occasionally manages to pluck a few notes on his double bass.

Neelam Sunder

Board Member

Neelam has worked in the voluntary sector for 14 years. She has experience of both managing a frontline homeless service and as a key strategic lead for homelessness across the West Midlands. Neelam has worked extensively across the region influencing service improvement and facilitating systems change to prevent and tackle homelessness.

Neelam has expert knowledge in tackling rough sleeping, multiple needs, influencing policy and practice, strategic development, capacity building and working in partnerships.

Neelam has previously served as an Executive Member on the West Midlands Voluntary & Community Sector Housing Network and West Midlands Supported Housing Network.

David Saunders

Board Member - Acting Chair of Audit & Assurance Committee

David is a qualified accountant with over twenty years’ experience of social housing and charity finance.

In 2016 David became Director of Resources at Watmos Community Homes, a tenant led housing association, with homes in London and the West Midlands, having previously been Director of Finance & Corporate Services at Black Country Housing Group. David’s current role includes finance, treasury, HR, ICT, governance and development.
Before joining BCHG David had been Deputy FD at Accord Group and earlier Head of Financial Planning at the Orbit Group.
David is also a Trustee/non-executive director Of Kaleidoscope Plus Group, a mental health charity in West Bromwich.

Andy Ballard

Andy Ballard

Consultant

Andy is an experienced and respected professional advisor to housing associations and other housing bodies. He has a long track record as a solicitor, focusing on governance, strategy, confidential investigations, employment and other sensitive areas.

Andy is currently Chair to The Community Housing Group a stock transfer organisation owning and managing 5,800 homes in Kidderminster and Stourport. He also a co-opted member of the National Housing Federation’s West Midlands committee.

Naomi Owen

Board Member

Naomi is a barrister specialising in Employment Law and is the Deputy Head of the Employment Group at No5 Chambers.  She works for both employees and employers, encompassing both public and private sector.

In recent months, Naomi has been an integral part of the team responsible for bringing “ELIPS” (Employment law Litigants in Person Scheme) to Birmingham.  ELIPS is a pro bono project created by the Employment Lawyers’ Association (“ELA”), to provide legal advice to litigants in person using the Birmingham Employment Tribunal.

Naomi’s interest in the housing sector grew from her involvement with the Homeless Period movement; since summer 2017, she has helped collect and distribute sanitary products to homeless and vulnerable women across Birmingham.