Dolphin Living welcomes Catherine Raynsford and Piers Williamson to its Board

Dolphin Living announces that it has appointed Catherine Raynsford and Piers Williamson as new Board members. Their collective experience across residential development, housing and finance will play an important role in supporting Dolphin Living as it continues to deliver its mission of providing high-quality homes at below market rent for London's workers.

The new Board members will play a key role in supporting and guiding Dolphin Living as it continues to grow and manage its portfolio of homes. This includes the redevelopments underway at New Era, Hackney, and Mount Close, Ealing, both of which have secured planning permission. Construction at New Era is set to commence shortly, with residents already relocated to alternative accommodation whilst redevelopment is carried out.

The appointments reflect Dolphin Living's continued focus on addressing London's housing challenge, with Catherine bringing over 20 years of experience in residential development. At L&G, Catherine is responsible for L&G Affordable Home's strategy to partner with traditional registered providers to support sector recapitalisation and increase the supply of affordable housing. Prior to working at L&G, she was a Director at The Hyde Group, where she led the establishment of an investment function and supported the delivery of additional affordable housing through partnership. Catherine is the current Vice Chair of the Real Estate:UK's Affordable Housing Committee.

Piers Williamson is the Chair of Sustainability for Housing (SfH), the board overseeing the Sustainable Reporting Standard (SRS) for the social housing sector and brings over 40 years of experience working across the UK, US and European financial markets. He previously served as Chief Executive of The Housing Finance Corporation ("THFC" - an £8bn not-for-profit lender to UK Housing Associations) for 22 years, working extensively with government and government agencies.

Ben Laryea has stepped down as Board member and Chair of Dolphin Housing Limited, Dolphin Living's registered provider subsidiary. Ben is also Chief Executive of Ekaya Housing Association and is responsible to their board for the leadership and strategic direction of the Association. Prior to this, he was the Housing Director and Deputy Chief Executive of Westway Housing Association.

Olivia Harris, Chief Executive of Dolphin Living, said:

We are looking forward to welcoming the insights from our new Board members as Dolphin Living continues to drive meaningful impact through the delivery and management of much-needed intermediate housing within London. Huge thanks to Ben Laryea for his guidance and unwavering commitment to the charity over the years. We have thoroughly enjoyed working with you and we wish you all the best.

Ben Laryea, outgoing Chair of Dolphin Housing Limited, said:

Having served as Board member for the past 9 years, I am proud of the progress Dolphin Living has made and confident that, with the strengthening of its leadership and Board, it is well positioned to continue making a positive impact to residents and local communities

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