Moat appoints ex-Network chief as new board chair

Moat has announced the appointment of a former Network Homes chief executive as the new chair of its board.

Helen Evans (pictured), who led Network from 2011 until its merger with Sovereign in 2023, will succeed Steve White, who steps down after nine years. 

She brings more than four decades of experience across social housing and the public sector and is currently a board member at Paradigm Housing, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and Connected London Living. 

It comes after a regulatory judgement last December which saw the 20,000-home association downgraded one notch to a G2 rating for governance. 

The regulator found weaknesses in Moat’s use of information to drive improvement and that it needed to improve aspects of its governance arrangements if it wanted to continue to comply.

Gavin Cansfield, chief executive of the Kent-based provider, said: “We are thrilled to welcome such an experienced and values-led Chair. Helen’s breadth of expertise and leadership will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our services and deliver on our promise to our customers.”

>> Read more: ’Work hard and be nice to people’: Gavin Cansfield reveals his plans for Moat 

Evans, who will begin in her role in September, said she was “honoured” to take on the role. 

Reflecting on his own time at Moat, White said it had been “a true privilege to lead” and that he was “immensely proud of all we have accomplished together”. 

Last August, Moat reported that its surplus had more than halved from £45.9m to £20.9m, while its turnover had fallen marginally to £154m.