Our Board Directors
Dr Scott Jennings (User Director, Chair) is an active figure in the student co-operative sector. He set up the Nottingham Student Housing Co-op, and has been an active member supporting the Co-operative to this day. He project managed the creation of Student Co-op Homes. He is a director of the Confederation of Co-operative Housing (CCH). His involvement in co-operative housing organisations, at a local level and in national federations, has taught him a range of governance skills as well as stakeholder engagement and communication strategy across a breadth of contexts. Scott has also led on international relationship building with North American Student Co-operatives (NASCO) and other organisations to take on best practice and promote a more interlinked global movement. Scott brings his collection of experience and dedication to help drive SCH forward and establish new student housing co-ops of different shapes, sizes and structures.
Benito Matischen (User Director) has been a member of Manchester Student Housing Co-operative (MaSH) since February 2022. MaSH is a formative housing co-op working with Student Co-op Homes to acquire a property and offer a co-operative solution to student housing in Manchester. As a member of MaSH, Benito has contributed to organising social events to promote the co-op and finding potential properties, and is the MaSH delegate to SCH. He is active in SCH’s membership services working group.
Stewart Holroyd (User Director) was a member of Birmingham Student Housing Co-operative between June 2019 and April 2023. BSHC has been offering landlord free accommodation to students in Birmingham since July 2014. During their time at BSHC Stewart developed a multitude of new skills from financial budgeting to DIY plumbing and decorating! Over their years at the co-op, they held several different positions, most notably as co-op Secretary. They are most proud of the effort put into refurbishing BSHC’s downstairs bathroom making it more accessible and in helping to develop and maintain BSHC’s website.
Vivian Woodell (Supporter/Investor Director) has extensive experience in co-operative entrepreneurship. He was the founder of The Phone Co-op and served as its chief executive for 19 years. He is currently the CEO of The Phone Co-op Foundation for Co-operative Innovation and Vice President of The Midcounties Co-operative Ltd., as well as a non-executive director of Co-operatives UK, The Co-operative Loan Fund and West Oxfordshire Community Transport Limited. He also serves on the board of the Co-operative College Trust. Vivian has been supporting the student housing co-operative sector since the beginning, notably through the acquisition of properties by The Phone Co-op for Birmingham and Sheffield student housing co-ops.
Mikey Brown
Mikey Brown (User Director) is a Director and Treasurer of Birmingham Student Housing Co-Operative, where has lived since July 2020. He is a keen activist for affordable, safe and well-maintained student housing and believes passionately that the Co-operative sector is the ideal solution to the problems of the private rental market. A mature student, he has experience in the private sector managing teams and delivering process changes to drive efficiency as well as in negotiation as a litigation executive. He served as President of the University of Birmingham Guild of Students 2021-22, a platform he used to advocate on behalf of the student body on a wide range of social and political issues.
Martin Meteyard (Supporter/ Investor Director) has worked in various capacities in the co-operative movement for almost 40 years, including 15 years in GreenCity Wholefoods worker co-operative in Glasgow (ending up as general manager), six years as Scottish Secretary of the Co-operative Group, and most recently as a co-operative development consultant. As Scottish co-ordinator of the Co-operative Enterprise Hub he worked with the founders of Students for Co-operation and then with Edinburgh Student Housing Co-operative, where he did the financial projections for their successful business plan and became a member of their advisory group.
John Dalley
John Dalley (Supporter/Investor Director) has a variety of experience in the co-op movement having previously worked for Scotmid Coop and been a member of The Coop Group’s National Members Council and Senate. He is currently a non-executive director of a Co-operative & Community Benefit Society Housing Association.
Paid contractors
Lisa Hartley (Operations Manager) joined SCH in Spring 2021 on a part time self-employed basis. She has been working with student co-operatives for over eight years, and brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role. Her initial experience with student led co-operatives was through supporting food and bike co-operatives at Brighton Students’ Union in 2016. In February 2018, she recruited a group of students and helped to set up SEASALT Housing Co-operative. She worked with SEASALT as their Community Housing Enabler for 3.5 years, in partnership with Brighton and Hove Community Land Trust (BHCLT). Lisa was involved throughout the SEASALT journey; including registration, business planning, policy making, community engagement, and a successful community share offer which raised over £300k. Following the share offer, BHCLT purchased an eight bed property in Brighton, and now lease it to SEASALT, who moved into the property in September 2021.