We have celebrated the significant contribution of one of our trustees, Jim Gilhooley, as he retires from the board after more than a decade of service to our charities.
Jim first started working with the Trust as an HR consultant in 2013. He was instrumental in helping us act in the most professional of ways when dealing with various staff matters. In May 2016 Jim joined the board of what was then Thorngate Almshouse Trust as a trustee.
The first milestone was Jim, along with other trustees, steering the Trust into an incorporated charitable company from its unincorporated trust status. In May 2017 Jim attended the first Thorngate Churcher Trust board meeting. From (February) 2020 to (May) 2022 we were lucky enough to have Jim as the Chair of the organisation. He has also served on the sub-committee that reviews and approves resident applications for our almshouses for many of these years.
Along the way of his tenure, he has been instrumental in key strategic board decisions to:
· Extend Russell Churcher Court and Goyda House
· Build Lucas Court, Bradbury House and Garden View
· Steer the organisation through the Covid-19 pandemic
· Approve the acquisition of the Grove Road site and the building of soon-to-open Compigne Court in what has become a major expansion for us
As we now reach the final stages of this build, Jim feels the time is right to step down from the board after over 13 years of service in one form or another to our organisation. As we celebrate his unstinting and selfless commitment to the social housing sector of south Hampshire, we reflect on the countless lives Jim’s contribution has actively enhanced.
Chief Executive, Anne Taylor FCCA, presented Jim with two books on American History and said: “Jim is professional, expert, calm, confident and dependable, and he has brought these qualities to every interaction I have had with him over the years. Board members, residents and colleagues alike wish Jim the happiest and healthiest of retirements. He will be greatly missed but we look forward to carrying forward the legacy and high standards of service he has set.”
Final word from Chairman Mark Hook: “Jim exemplifies the perfect trustee; inspiring, positive, always ready to help move the organisation forward. We have been extremely lucky to enjoy his expertise over the last nine years on our board and prior to that as a consultant. We will really miss him.”
