Andrew van Doorn OBE (Drew) is a wonderful human supporting amazing projects across the UK and internationally. I consider it a personal privilege to have the opportunity to be working with such a brilliant person and his team at HACT as we all move forward creating opportunities with The Club of Doing Well Doing Good that enables positive transformation.
For those of you have not yet met with or worked with Drew he continues to be a guiding light working tirelessly for 30 years in support of positively impacting homelessness, supported housing, enabling community development and the positive transformation of wider social policy and practice, both in the UK and internationally.
I have been incredibly fortunate to get to know Drew in his role as the Chief Executive of the Housing Associations’ Charitable Trust (HACT), a UK-wide charity which partners with organisations across the housing sector to encourage innovation and foster collaboration.
Over the past 63 years, HACT has helped to shape social housing in the UK. Shelter, home adaptations, care and repair, BME housing, rural housing, Housing Plus, and floating support have originated out of their work. More recently, Drew and his team have together created the sector’s social value framework, brokered new partnerships with the NHS, supported the best in community investment, created data standards and promoted digital innovation. And now they are piloting the first ever carbon credit for retrofitting housing working with The Club of Doing Well Doing Good to engage CEO's across the FTSE 250.
Drew is an expert on the integration of housing and health for people with mental health needs, learning disabilities and autism, he was previously a Non-Executive Director at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust and a former special advisor to No10 Downing Street. Importantly now he is a Non Executive Director with the Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT), a valued partner in Doing Well Doing Good and a truly great human with a humble nature driven by passion and love.
Personally for me it is incredible to see how Drew and other wonderful people working together are harnessing their passions, expertise and creativity combining with those who work around them to meet the challenges of climate change, support of our communities through the cost of living crisis, and create the communities and places where we can all thrive.
Working with these amazing people through collaboration to widen the impact of powerful existing initiatives that drive social value growth, connecting people to what they need when they need it, is the essence of my passion for life and is the core of my journey to positively transform of a billion lives globally through collaborative partnerships.
So what's the next big thing from Andrew and his team and how are we engaged?
Well I am certainly excited to be working with Drew to give CEO's the opportunity to understand how to plant the seeds of profitability deep in the heart of their business strategy, while measurably increasing impact in society through focused social value growth.
The Club of Doing Well Doing Good is fast becoming a powerful force of nature when it comes to understanding and explaining that profitable social value growth is not all about spending more, scaling down with a positive intent to effectively measure the impact of your investment in social ROI is a dynamic shift in board level mindset and one we need to make together.
In order for the green shoots of social value to really thrive delivering impact and profitability, we are working together to plant the right seeds at the core of business strategy and enabling social value growth to make a significant contribution to the bottom line for businesses here in the UK and internationally.
With all that happening and lots to be grateful for, it was brilliant to see Drew being awarded his OBE at Windsor recently by the Princess Royal in the Kings New Year Honours List 2023 for services to housing. He should be feeling quite rightly proud of a huge list of achievements that led to this and the no doubt even longer list of projects yet to come that will have a measurable impact on the lives of so many families, communities and country's.
After the ceremony he had this to say.
"It is a real honour to be recognised for services to housing and even more so to have worked with the inspirational people through my career who everyday seek to make a difference - this really is for you all at HACT and all our fabulous partners, supporters and collaborators."
So Drew this is my little tribute to you, not quite an OBE for sure, I do hope however that it expresses the deeply held belief I have for what you stand for and the gratitude for everything you do for others.
I believe that to inspire, connect and engage with a global community we all need to make more positive personal tributes to people like Drew and share the stories of those individuals who are changing the landscape of opportunity for so many.
Drew, you are one of the shining lights for the ideals behind everything I stand for, you are actively and measurably creating brighter better futures for so many and living the ethos of The Club of Doing Well Doing Good personally and professionally.
I am very grateful to know you and honoured by your support as we develop The Club of Doing Well Doing Good.
I started by saying that feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. I will end by saying this.
The greatest gift one person can give to another is a deeper understanding of life, the ability to love and live with a passion that creates belief in brighter better futures. Drew does this!
So Bravo to you Drew. You are a wonderful human with amazing shoes and now an OBE to boot. hahahahha. Couldn't help myself.
I am inspired by your example and excited to be learning from your work.
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