Community Land Trust appoints first Executive Manager
Monday, 13 September 2021
Calder Valley Community Land Trust is delighted to announce that it is appointing Paul Brannigan as the organisation's first Executive Manager. Paul will begin working for the CLT on Monday 11th October.
Paul has long experience of working in senior positions in the social economy locally, having been the CEO of the pioneering doorstep recycling social enterprise Kerbside Calderdale which (in the period before recycling was undertaken by the local authority) collected recycling from 25,000 households. More recently he has been Enterprise Manager for the Elland-based social business Project Colt, a furniture recycling project which also helps vulnerable adults back into employment.
The CLT is a charitable community benefit society, with over 250 people as members. It owns affordable housing to rent in Todmorden, holds the Fielden Hall in Todmorden on behalf of the community, and is finalising negotiations to taking over Hebden Bridge's former signal box as a heritage centre.
Paul's appointment represents an important moment of transition for the Community Land Trust, which has up to now been entirely volunteer-led.
Simon Brearley, Chair of Calder Valley Community Land Trust, said, "We've already demonstrated what can be achieved by bottom-up community-led housing initiatives in the upper Calder Valley. We believe that the CLT can do much more to strengthen our communities in the years ahead, and we're extremely pleased that Paul will be joining us, to help us make the most of the opportunities."
Paul Brannigan said, "The achievements of the dedicated volunteers of the Community Land Trust are inspiring to me. I look forward to supporting the CLT to create more affordable quality housing for people in our community and to being creative in meeting needs not met by traditional housing providers."
Paul already knows the CLT's work well, having lived half way between Todmorden and Hebden Bridge for many years.
The CLT has been supported in its work by the recent £85,000 grant over three years from The National Lottery Community Fund, which is enabling the organisation to take this big step forward in its development. Simon Brearley added, "We're delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognised the value of what we are trying to achieve, here in Todmorden, Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd".
Calder Valley Community Land Trust is part of a very rapidly growing network of CLTs across the country, now numbering more than three hundred. CLTs are committed to trying to provide affordable rental housing, which the commercial market at present is not supplying.