Tuntum hires Longhurst director to replace longstanding CEO

She has been at Longhurst Group for almost four years after spending the previous 12 in a variety of roles at Axiom Housing Association, which joined Longhurst Group in 2017.

Ms Simei is a board member for Communities that Work, the national voice of housing providers who support residents and communities into employment.

She is also a former chair of the Centre for Excellence Community Investment East of England network and co-chair of HACT’s Racial Equality Group, having been a long-serving mentor for the Housing Diversity Network.

Ms Simei said: “It is an honour to be appointed to lead Tuntum. The association has a strong reputation as a community-based social housing provider with a proven ability to explore and generate new partnerships rooted in diversity.

“This reflects my own career background and skill set, coupled with my deep personal commitment to uniting people and making a positive difference to everyday lives.

“I feel privileged to follow in Richard’s footsteps. He has done so much for Tuntum and the communities it serves.”

Junior Hemans, chair at Tuntum, said: “We are thrilled to appoint Charmaine as our new chief executive. She was the outstanding candidate and is a perfect fit for the role.

“I also wish to pay tribute to Richard who is retiring after spending 29 years growing and sustaining Tuntum. His dedication to the association, always true to the values that inform everything we do, will never be forgotten.”

Mr Renwick said: “I am proud to hand over the leadership baton to Charmaine. Her many talents and record of achievement in initiatives promoting social justice and economic resilience are well established, alongside a capacity for teambuilding. These are skills that will serve her and Tuntum well in the years ahead. I wish her every success in the role.”

Tuntum is currently graded G2/V2 by the regulator.

According to its most recently published accounts, the social landlord saw its surplus drop from £805,000 in 2020-21 to £509,000 in 2021-22, while its turnover grew from £9.2m to £9.9m over the same period.