Eastern Region

Nicholas is the Chief Executive of Howard Group, and for the past 20 years has led this Cambridge based, family-owned business.

The Group comprises the Howard Property Group, a real estate business specialising in investment, development and regeneration, and Howard Capital partners, focused predominantly on early stage technology investment.

Nicholas has been working with a range of local charity and industry partners to launch a training and apprenticeship programme for young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness within the construction industry.

A founder Board member of Cambridge Ahead, Nicholas currently sits on the Policy Committee of the Institute for Family Business, and, as a keen musician, is on the Board of the Cambridge Music Festival.  He serves as Trustee of various charities.

Phil is MD in the Advocacy team at SEC Newgate UK, working across the country and leading their Eastern Region office from Chelmsford. He has worked in political campaigning and communications for over 30 years, specialising in local advocacy, infrastructure and real estate for over two decades. Over that period, Phil has advised on over 1,000 planning applications across the residential, commercial, student, leisure, education, waste, infrastructure and energy sectors.

Advising on local community consultation and relations alongside local, regional and national political engagement, Phil has worked with companies and organisations across the public and private sectors.
Phil previously served as a councillor in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and has been a candidate for the Greater London Assembly.

Until recently, Phil was also on the Board of Opportunity South Essex.

Colin is a Partner and was appointed Head of Planning & Development Division at Carter Jonas, Cambridge, in November 2020. He has over 25 years’ experience of planning consultancy and has a broad sphere of work. He acts for a wide range of private, institutional and developer clients and has worked on significant planning applications and appeals.

Away from work, Colin is Chairman of the Cambridge Forum for the Construction Industry and Trustee of the Cambridge branch of Interact. He is also Chairman of the Dining Rights Committee at the Hawks’ Club, a sporting club in the City for Cambridge University sportsmen.

Juliet specialises in social value, health and socioeconomic assessment as well as advising clients on site development potential and how to maximise the social benefits. She is driving forward the health, wellbeing and inclusion agendas within the development industry, to create healthy living and working environments and ensure our emerging urban heritage works for everyone.

Having led Morgan Sindall Construction’s business in Cambridge for over 10 years, Bob has recently retired from his role but has continued to be an integral Eastern Board Member. The company operates across the public and private sectors to deliver the social infrastructure around us – from schools, universities and hospitals to retail, office and leisure environments.

Bob has also been a non-executive director of TrAC, an apprenticeship training agency in the construction industry in the East of England for the last 7 years, and is a Trustee of the Cambridge Forum for the Construction Industry.  Bob also sits on the Employment and Skills Board for the Cambridge & Peterborough Combined Authority.

Joel is a Director at MPC, based in the Eastern region. He has supported clients such as Bellway Homes, Addington Capital, Hill, CALA Homes and PGEL on projects across the region including a major town centre regeneration scheme in Harlow and a £350 million energy-from-waste facility in Peterborough. He has extensive experience working on construction communications as well as the promotion of strategic sites, liaising closely with the local community to reduce potential risk to the site whilst finding possible supporters for the scheme.

Prior to working in this industry, Joel worked in Westminster for a senior Member of Parliament where he assisted with the West Anglia Taskforce which was set up by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mayor of London. During his time working for the Conservative Party, he ran various local government campaigns in Uttlesford and Chelmsford, with roles including Election Agent and Campaign Director for the 2015 General Election.

Jonathan has worked in the Voluntary Sector for over 25 years; most of that time has been spent at YMCA Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, now YMCA Trinity Group covering Cambridgeshire & Suffolk. Currently, Jonathan serves on the County’s Health & Wellbeing Board and the Safeguarding Board as a Voluntary Sector representative. He also acts as a Trustee to a small local Community Development Charity.

He was asked to be part of the UK’s Department for Education Task Force on School Exclusions representing the whole Voluntary Sector. He is currently on the YMCA’s World Urban Network Executive Council and an Honorary Fellow of Anglia Ruskin University. Jonathan remains passionate about Children and Young People & about the role the VCS can play in supporting, enabling & inspiring them to reach their full potential.

Sophie is a Partner at gunnercooke, and advises on all aspects of non-contentious construction and engineering transactions (and has previous experience in commercial property).  Her clients are varied, and include all parties involved in construction deals including employers, contractors, consultants, sub-contractors, funders and end users such as purchasers or tenants. Working to help clients to actively manage and mitigate risks, Sophie can assist clients to procure or finance a project and achieve their overall aim of seeing something built. Sophie particularly enjoys working as an extended part of a project team to ensure that clients’ interests are protected, and particularly thrives on project management.

Ben is a partner in the project management team at property firm Bidwells, currently based in Cambridge. He has worked across the Eastern region for over 20 years. Currently primarily supporting commercial developers, manufacturing estates, and education clients, dealing with a wide range of clients, contractors and fellow consultants across the region. Ben is active in the local networking scene, supporting CFCI, Constructing Excellence and others. He is a founder member of the annual Cambridge Construction Industry ‘Contractors vs Consultants’ rugby match which has supported LandAid as it’s primary charity for the last 3 years. He has worked on specialist accommodation schemes in the past including 2 Domestic Abuse schemes, and 2 Independent Supported Living Schemes for adults with additional needs, and is currently supporting It Takes a City CLT with pro bono advice for a modular home scheme in Cambridge to address homelessness.

Jodie works as a Transport Planner at Stantec, based in their Cambridge office in the heart of the city. In June 2022, she became the first LandAid Ambassador for the Eastern Region, and have since helped to spread awareness of LandAid throughout her organisation and across her wider professional network. Becoming a LandAid Ambassador has been a key highlight for Jodie as it has allowed for connection with other like-minded individuals who are passionate about all that LandAid stands to achieve. Youth homelessness is a huge challenge to tackle, and in recent years it has become very apparent that more and more young people are requiring help in Cambridge too. Jodie currently sits within LandAid’s ‘Profile’ workstream, and since becoming an Ambassador has represented and supported LandAid at a number of professional events. These have included the annual Ambassador Event in London, regional board meetings, and the annual LandAid Awards, where she was highly commended for her work as an Ambassador and also accepted Stantec’s award for Charity Partner of the Year 2022. Jodie has also helped to grow our network of Eastern Ambassadors greatly over the last six months, spreading the word about who LandAid are and why their work is so important. In 2023 and beyond, she is looking forward to participating in the Cambridge LandAid SleepOut which takes place every March with other ambassadors and Stantec colleagues, and continuing to support the vital work of LandAid in any way she can.

Laurence is a solicitor at Mills & Reeve, based in their Cambridge office. He specialises in commercial real estate, particularly development, and has experience advising on large regeneration projects.

Laurence recently relocated from Manchester back to his hometown, Cambridge. He was formerly an ambassador for LandAid’s North West division and helped plan and participated in fundraising events.

He is looking forward to helping to raise LandAid’s profile in East Anglia.