The Board must act in the best interests of the organisation, and set out our values and purpose in a strategic Business Plan.
Solihull Community Housing (SCH) is an Arm’s Length Management Organisation (ALMO) created by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council to manage their housing stock.
Meet our current Board members
Simon Wilson
Board Chair
Simon Wilson joined SCH as Board chair in June 2025. He has extensive experience within the housing sector. He is currently chair of Brighter Futures housing association in Stoke-on-Trent. He previously held the role of chair at New Outlook, a small housing association in Halesowen, specialising in supporting people with sight loss and complex needs. Simon also has a very strong understanding of homelessness having served as Chair with Homeless Link, an umbrella body for rough sleeper organisations.
Mark Thrasher
Chair, Audit & Risk Committee
Having spent 25 years in housing, Mark retired in April 2023 from his position as the Executive Director of Finance at Aspire Housing in North Staffordshire. A qualified Chartered Accountant, Mark is also the Chair at Tower Hamlets Community Housing in East London.
Phil Hardy
Chair, Housing Operations Committee
Councillor Dave Pinwell
Cllr Pinwell represents Knowle Ward and joined the Board in May 2021. He took early retirement from a career in the telecoms industry and subsequently had frequent dealings with SCH colleagues on behalf of the local charity, Colebridge Trust, before becoming a councillor.
Councillor Michael James
Cllr James represents Chelmsley Wood Ward and joined the board in June 2026. He has lived in Solihull all his life and brings experience from careers in rail maintenance, manufacturing at JLR and warehouse operations. Having experienced both social housing and private renting, he understands the challenges many tenants face and is passionate about ensuring voices are heard.
Councillor Michael Carthew
Cllr Carthew represents Olton Ward and joined the board in June 2026. Born and raised in Solihull, Michael has always supporting building more social housing and making sure homes are safe and well looked after. He is passionate about giving residents a voice, reducing inequality and improving public transport, cycling and local communities.
Susan Buckley
Tenant Board Member
Susan joined the Board in June 2024. She currently works as a part time warden. Susan has been a SCH tenant since 2019 and currently lives in the Shirley area.
Dale Taber
Tenant Board Member
Dale has worked in a variety of roles, always with a focus on helping people and making a difference. Becoming disabled changed his perspective and encouraged him to look beyond himself and focus on the needs of others. He previously volunteered on SCH’s scrutiny panel for four years and brings his experience to the Board, with a strong commitment to ensuring tenants are heard and treated fairly.
Shajeda Ashraf
Tenant Board Member
Gottfried Plange-Welbeck
Co-opted Board Member
Gottfried has extensive experience in housing, specialising in compliance, building safety and resident safety. Having worked across ALMO’s, Housing Associations, Local Authorities and Registered Providers, he has led teams delivering high standards of regulatory compliance and customer-focused services.
Paul Robinson
Co-opted Committee Member
Paul is a highly experienced Governance, Regulation and Compliance Manager, with over 20 years in strategic management. He works at a senior level in social housing as a senior manager and as a non-executive Board member. Paul is also Governance Manager with a large Staffordshire and Shropshire-based housing association.