Introducing Care & Repair Cymru’s New Chair of Trustees

To mark this year’s Welsh Charities Week, we are introducing our new Chair of Trustees.

Andrew Vye is a Director at Pobl, Wales’ largest housing association, and became the Chair of the Trustee Board at Care & Repair Cymru in September 2024. Andrew has a huge amount of experience in the housing sector as well as many years experience of being a trustee.

So, we caught up with Andrew to get to know him a bit better and to learn what it means to him to be a trustee.

Q. What was the last thing you listened to?

A. I’ve just listened to Laura Marling’s new album, Patterns in Repeat. The last thing I went to see were the Bluetones in Swansea’s Sin City. A great band from the 90s who are still going.

Q. What do you love most about your current job?

A. It’s always been the people I work with… the housing, care and support world does tend to attract people who I connect with best.

Q. Why did you want to be involved with Care & Repair Cymru?

A. My old boss, Chris Jones, current CEO of Care & Repair Cymru, twisted my arm to become a trustee… and I am very glad he did! A brilliant organisation making a big difference to older people across Wales. And a great team too.

Q. Have you been a Trustee before? If so, what was your first experience of being one like?

A. I am currently a board member with Community Housing Cymru – a membership body for Housing Associations in Wales. Another great organisation that punches well above its weight. I am about to stand down after serving my six years but thinking back I understand now how much I had to learn about the role of trustee v employee. It can be a difficult transition and something that needs to be approached with a real openness to learn and a sense that you are part of a team with a shared endeavour with the wider team.

Q. What would you say to someone who is wondering if they should become a Trustee or not?

A Look for an opportunity with an organisation that aligns with your values and who operate in an area you care about. If you don’t care about what the organisation does or don’t believe in what they set out to achieve you are probably not going to be a very good trustee.

Q. As Chair, what do you hope to see and accomplish in the next few years?

A. The challenges of an ageing population are well known, and demand for our service far outstrips supply. To compound matters, the funding environment is as challenging as I can remember it. But at the same time there are significant opportunities to lever in more funding, connect with different partners and reach more people. Our focus will be achieving financial stability for Care & Repair through long-term funding commitments from health and other bodies, telling our story in such a compelling way that the benefits of investing in Care & Repair cannot be ignored and exploring new partnerships and funding opportunities off the back of the significant Government investment into decarbonization and renewable energy.I believe that Care & Repair have a unique place to be part of the solution and at the same time further our ambitions – we have a Wales-wide network of caseworkers and organisations who work in 1000s of older people’s homes every year. We can be part of the solution to decarbonisation and at the same time help to bring 1000s of older people out of poor-quality homes and fuel poverty.

If you’re interested in joining Care & Repair Cymru as a Trustee, have a look at our Trustee Recruitment Pack.