27 October 2014

A champion for social services and housing has been appointed to the LEP board.

Toni Letts, who was awarded an OBE in 1994 for her services to housing and the community, chaired the Croydon Health Authority for eight years, the NHS Primary Healthcare Trust for six years and also the London NHS Specialist Commissioning Board. For 10 years, the former mayor of Croydon also worked as a director of housing for Croydon YMCA, later becoming the chief executive of South London YMCA for a further 10 years, developing housing in several of the capital's boroughs.


Speaking on her appointment, Toni said: "I join the board during a very exciting time as we set about delivering our Growth Deal across the region, including my home patch of Croydon. I want to show the board the positive side to Croydon and encourage the LEP to help the area exceed and achieve."

Asked what she feels she will bring to the board, she replied: "I am a great strategic thinker so I will constantly be asking fellow members to contemplate whether or not any decision we make is going to provide benefit not only in the short-term but also in the next 5 or 10 years."

Born in Dublin, Toni was educated at Alexandra College in Co Wicklow before coming to London to train as a nurse. She later studied at Goldsmiths, University of London and graduated with a BA Hons in youth and community. She was first elected to Croydon Council, representing Selhurst, in 1986 and represents that ward today.

Toni was also one of the founder members of the Family Justice Centre and has also been a keynote speaker on domestic violence to world conferences at the United Nations worldwide. She lists small businesses, the jobless, homelessness and people excluded from society among her community interests.

She also believes it is very important to train the next generation of workers. "Not just teenagers but the many people I have met who are highly qualified, have worked for more than 30 years and are over 50 but are now out of work because they've been made redundant", she added. "We need to support these people by making training more accessible and by establishing an environment where businesses can create jobs for them to benefit from their knowledge and life experience."

Coast to Capital chairman Tim Wates leads the board in shaping and driving the local enterprise partnership, its strategies and work programme. He said: "Toni is an excellent addition to the LEP board. We will benefit hugely from her experience in the areas of social services, housing and the community and we look forward to hearing her ideas on how these important issues can be tackled in our region to secure a more prosperous and sustainable future for all."

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