I qualified as a landscape architect in 1987 and started work with Cobham Resource Consultants in Manchester. In 1989 we were commissioned by Sheffield Development Corporation to develop an urban design and landscape framework for the Lower Don Valley. I joined Sheffield Development Corporation in 1991 to develop and implement the landscape framework for the valley, working with Rob Pearson. I qualified as an urban designer in 1992.
In 1995 I moved to help Jack McBane set up Groundwork Dearne Valley, part of a national network of trusts who use the environment as a tool to engage and motivate local people to improve the places they live and work in and to create skills and jobs. The Trust worked with former mining communities across South Yorkshire.
One of our projects was to improve Colley Park in Parson Cross, north Sheffield. That was the start of a decade of involvement with Southey Owlerton Area Regeneration (SOAR) an area with a population of 50,000 (a tenth of the city). In 2000 I joined the partnership as the regeneration team leader. Working with Chloe Aspinwall and Sarah Smith who joined me from Groundwork, we facilitated a community-led neighbourhood planning process, reviewed the partnership governance arrangements, oversaw £25m of regeneration funding and delivered a range of physical projects: community buildings, parks, neighbourhood centres, new housing.
I moved to Sheffield Council's housing service in 2005 as Programme Director for north Sheffield's Housing Market Renewal programme, covering both the SOAR area and Brightside Shiregreen (100,000 population in all), working closely with Jan Fitzgerald and David Shepherd, who led the south and east programmes respectively.
Working out of portakabins in Upperthorpe the brilliant North Sheffield Regeneration Team continued the programme of housing, workspace, arts projects and neighbourhood centres as well as tackling the long-term management and maintenance of the parks and open spaces. Many of the team - including Alex Shilkoff, Alison Rayner, Steve Birch, John Clephan, Dean Fearon, Oonagh McLean, Jonathan Ulley (I'm bound to have missed some!) - are still friends and look back fondly at our "Shipton Street heyday".
After a year as Interim Director of Housing in 2010 I moved to become Director of Commissioning for Adult Social Care and Housing and in 2013 joined South Yorkshire Housing Association as Business Development Director where I have settled happily. Here I have returned to commissioning new housing as well as overseeing our portfolio of assets and leading on brand and marketing.