Board of Trustees at Railway Housing Association

Yvonne Castle (Chair of our board)

Appointed to the board: September 2024
Yvonne is former chief executive of Johnnie Johnson Housing Limited and was previously a board member with the Northern Housing Consortium, and chair of their audit & risk committee. Yvonne's career has spanned housing and local & national government and she has experience in governance, regulation, finance, organisational development and strategic people leadership.
Yvonne was appointed by the board as chair designate from September 2024 and took up the role of chair of the board in January 2025.

Philip Dunn (Chair of our Audit Committee)

Appointed to the Board: August 2020
Philip currently works as an Executive Director with Alzheimer's Research UK and has spent his entire career working in finance.

Anthony Bell (Chair of our People & Governance Committee)

Appointed to the Board: November 2020
Anthony is an Assistant Director of Assets & Regeneration at Karbon Homes. A qualified surveyor, he has worked in the private and public sector for his entire career, specialising in commercial and residential work.

Richard Wilkinson (Chair of our Resident Committee)

Appointed to the Board: January 2025
Richard has previously held a number of non-exec and trustee roles and has been a social housing resident for more than 30 years and was on the board of his own housing provider for six years. Richard has a 36-year career in education, including as a deputy head teacher, and has been a governor of a high school and sat on the board of Leeds Trinity University, was a trustee and deputy chair of a charity and sat on the board of Bradford NHS. Richard is also our board member responsible for complaints.

Mark Grandfield

Appointed to the Board: August 2022
Mark is chief executive of Leeds Jewish Housing Association. A qualified building surveyor Mark has held previous strategic roles in asset management, regeneration and investment with local authorities and housing associations.
Mark is a member of our Audit Committee.

Matt Lewer

Appointed to the Board: May 2023
Matt has a wealth of experience in the housing sector, and is currently Housing Strategy and Partnerships Manager at North Yorkshire Council.
Matt is a member of our People & Governance Committee.

Sonija Savage

Appointed to the Board: January 2025
Sonija has over 20 years of experience in business transformation, change management and operating model design across a range of sectors and is passionate about driving effective and sustainable business change outcomes, in response to changing customer needs.
Sonija is a member of our Resident Committee

Faye Gordon

Appointed to the Board: January 2025
Faye is a qualified chartered accountant with over 23 years’ experience of working at a senior management level within the professional services and social housing sector and is currently Executive Director of Finance and Investment at Believe Housing.
Faye is member of our Audit committee.

Katherine Hernandez

Appointed to the Board: January 2025
Katherine is currently a regional director at national housing association Home Group and has more than 20 years’ experience working in the housing and public sector, including specialising in homelessness and supported accommodation.
Katherine is a member of our Resident Committee.

Zoe Wortley

Appointed to the board: April 2026
Zoe has over 30 years experience in the housing sector in NED, employed, consultant and interim capacities. Zoe has worked with numerous organisations around strategic and cultural development, improving governance arrangements and developing high performing teams and boards, and currently supports organisations as a governance consultant and professional interim through her own consultancy, Soar Consultancy.’
Zoe is a member of our People & Governance Committee

Paul Leadbitter

Appointed to the board: April 2026
Paul has over 35 years experience in construction and asset management, with over 20 years in the social housing sector. Paul has worked as an independent consultant since 2022 supporting organisations with asset management strategies, and options appraisals for repairs, planned maintenance, and compliance work, and building and supporting new commercial and governance models, always ensuring a focus on outcomes for residents.
Paul is a member of our Audit Committee.

Meet our board & committee members