Our founders
Toby Kent
Founder
Clifford Dann MBE
President of RICS 1983–84 and founder of CHT. He worked energetically to achieve his vision for the MWAMKO families right up to his death in 2017, aged 90.
Clifford was a man who rarely ran out of ideas, always able to think outside the box. Throughout his life his combination of persistence and determination made him an unstoppable force.
To imagine that this meant he had a narrow range of interests would be to miss the essence of the man. His considerable professional achievements were wide-ranging, greatly respected and earned him many honours. He founded ARBRIX, an organisation which united arbitrators around the world and still thrives today. He was President of RICS from 1983 to 1984.
Two other important themes ran throughout his life: charitable causes to which he brought his wide expertise and experience, and his love of music, which was an active and enduring passion. He was choirmaster and organist with the Livery Company of Chartered Surveyors from 1979 to 2005, and organist and choirmaster at various Sussex churches until 2017. He often combined any two areas of interest in one enterprise, sometimes all three, putting on and taking part in a concert to raise charitable funds for a building project, for example!
His life in public service began when he was only twenty, when he first became involved with Chailey Heritage, which specialises in supporting children and young people with complex physical disabilities and health needs. He later became a governor of the school and unstintingly served Chailey in many other capacities until 2002.
His last great cause was his own creation, the CHT. He became interested in slum development in Africa and, as the UK housing market thrived and money was plentiful, he decided to put his interest into practice on the ground. He and his intrepid wife Tricia visited slums in Nairobi and South Africa for research and inspiration. He passionately believed that resettlement should not create a new slum but provide decent, sustainable housing where people can flourish and give their families better lives.
He noted an upgraded slum in South Africa where each family had a separate small house set in a plot where they could grow food. The design of the housing project in itself fostered self-reliance and resilience. This concept remained with him when planning to rehouse the community group, MWAMKO, in Nairobi.
He and Tricia visited Nairobi often over the years, to keep in touch with the MWAMKO families and discuss their needs. These meetings influenced his thinking while he developed plans for the houses and site layout. Simplicity, sustainability and an element of self-sufficiency were crucial. He drafted tenancy agreements and attended to many details for the families’ future in their new homes. His presence encouraged them and gave them hope.
He set up the Commonwealth Housing Group (CHG) in Nairobi to work as liaison with both MWAMKO and with CHT. In this new construction phase CHG has become the executive arm of the project on the ground, still in close liaison with CHT in the UK.
Clifford, a Sussex farmer’s son, left school at fourteen to be an apprentice at a cattle market. Through studying in his own time he qualified as a Chartered Surveyor aged twenty-one and, still in his twenties, founded his own practice. He knew well that people can move beyond limits that seem set from childhood, through education, determination, hard work and help. He never lost his passionate determination and, to the end, continued to help others.
Clifford Dann worked energetically to achieve his vision for the MWAMKO families right up to his death in 2017, aged 90. CHT and CHG are determined to fulfil his vision and complete his legacy.
Although Clifford did not live to see any construction work begin, he arranged an informal ground-breaking ceremony in July 2012 to celebrate the newly purchased land with some members of MWAMKO and CHG, a happy and hopeful occasion for all. It was three further years before the land registration was fully completed by the Kenya government, with planning permission granted in 2016. Clifford died the following year.
Ground-breaking, July 2012: practising with the spade, discussing the project on site, and celebrating with MWAMKO members and the CHG team.
Our patrons
CHT is pleased to honour our patrons and to thank them for their support. All are Past Presidents of RICS.
- Nick MacleanOBE RD FRICS
- Sarah Hillman
- Graham Chase
- Amanda Clack
- Max CroftsFRICS
- Jonathan HarrisOBE
- Richard Lay
- David Tuffin
Our team
Our trustees are volunteers from housing, surveying, planning, psychology and sustainability, with strong ties to Kenya and East Africa.
Philip Hillman
BSc FRICS
Co-ChairPhilip was an International Director at global real estate advisor, JLL, where his roles included Head of Student Housing, Chair of Alternative Real Estate and Chair, Living Capital Markets.
After 38 years working at firms that eventually became JLL, in 2023 Philip left to pursue his own consultancy business and now has a portfolio of strategic advisor roles related to shared living development, investment and operations.
He studied Land Management at The University of Reading, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree. After graduating, he worked as a volunteer teacher at Masii Secondary School in Kenya (1984–86) which led to a life-long love of East Africa and its people.
He returned to the UK to continue his career in real estate. Philip is a Chartered Surveyor and was elected a Fellow of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. He regularly speaks or moderates at conferences on Student Housing and Shared Living.
Louise Archer
BSc FRICS CIHCM
Co-ChairLouise is Executive Operations Director at Broadland Housing, a not-for-profit housing association based in Norfolk and North Suffolk, with approximately 5,500 homes.
Louise is a former member of Governing Council for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and is an Associate Assessor for Quantity Surveying and Construction for RICS.
Louise is passionate about promoting sustainability and has been recognised by Sustainable Homes for her work around sustainability, receiving an award for Leadership.
In her spare time, Louise has a passion for performing. She often performs with amateur theatre organisations and is a past chair of her local theatre company.
Louise joined the CHT board in 2016.
Max Crofts
FRICS
SecretaryMax Crofts’ career as a chartered surveyor has been with the same firm, originally J P Sturge & Sons and then King Sturge, which he joined in 1970 as its first graduate trainee. Although West Country-based, his professional work was for clients throughout the UK and occasionally overseas.
His professional career has been complemented by an active involvement with other organisations including Bath Chamber of Commerce (President 1980), RICS Junior Organisation (National Chairman 1981), the Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors (Liveryman since 1992), Somerset Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (President 1996) and RICS Committees responsible for Professional Standards, Public Affairs, Indemnity Insurance and Conduct.
He was RICS Global President in 2009–2010. In his ambassadorial role he represented RICS in meetings with Government Ministers, a wide range of national organisations and the property media. He led initiatives on dispute resolution and professional standards and consolidated governance structures in the UK and mainland Europe. Overseas, he led expansion activities in New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Malaysia.
His current pro bono activities include work for Dunkerton Parish Hall Charity (Chairman), St George Wharf Residents Association (Chairman), Wilts & Berks Canal Trust (Head of Land Team), the International Property Measurement Standards Coalition and the Commonwealth Association of Surveying and Land Economy.
Michael Sander
BSc MPhil FRICS MRTPI CIHCM
TrusteeMichael Sander has been in public service and private practice for some 50 years, as a Chartered Surveyor, Chartered Town Planner, Local Authority Chief Executive, and as a Consultant. He served as Chief Housing Officer at Lewes District Council, Director of Housing at Lewisham Borough Council, and Chief Executive at Crawley Borough Council. In 2017 he received an award from the Chartered Institute for Housing for his Exceptional Contribution.
He has also been Vice Chairman of a major Housing Association, Board Member of the Mental Health Trust for Kent; worked in International Development (especially in Africa), and continues to take part as an International Observer on OSCE and EU Election Monitoring Missions.
He joined the Board of CHT at its inception.
Ripin Kalra
MSc DipFM
TrusteeRipin has worked since 1992 on affordable green housing, education infrastructure, energy, urban risk reduction and resilience projects in 30+ countries in senior and leadership positions in global inter-disciplinary firms. He also teaches and supervises post-graduate planning and housing students.
He co-authored the National Climate Resilience Investment Plan for Belize (World Bank, 2013–14); led affordable green housing projects with World Bank/IFC in Kenya and India; developed guidance for the World Bank on mainstreaming resilience within urban investment in East Asia and the Pacific; worked as Disaster Prevention specialist on risk finance assignments in the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa, and conceptualised integrated models for zero carbon zero waste new towns in the Middle East, India, South-East Asia, Nigeria, Ghana and China.
He has worked on planning and resource efficiency projects in higher education for University of the Arts new campus at Kings Cross, University of Hertfordshire and Dublin Institute of Technology; he collaborates with the British Standards Institute on ‘Smart Cities and Sustainable Communities’.
He is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy. He is also a regular illustrator on environmental and sustainability issues such as the ‘Urban Housing Manual’ in 2004.
Bernadette Gitari
MBS, FRICS, MCIArb, MISK, RV and REA – Chartered Valuation Surveyor
TrusteeBernadette is a Chartered Valuation Surveyor. She holds a BA Land Economics and MA Valuation and Property Management from the University of Nairobi and a Diploma from the College of Estate Management UK. She is also an RICS Accredited Mediator.
With over 40 years’ experience in the land and built environment, Bernadette has held key roles including Chairperson of a Taskforce Committee that developed the valuation standards in Kenya, a board member of the Valuer Registration Board, Chairperson of the Kenya Group of RICS from 2009 to 2015 and General Manager and Director of Knight Frank Valuers Ltd Kenya from 2006 to 2019. From 2019 to 2023, Bernadette served as the RICS Partner Development and Public Affairs Manager in Sub-Saharan Africa and from July 2023 to date she has been a member of the Tax Appeals Tribunal.
In 2024 Bernadette was appointed as a Board Member of RICS World Regional Board representing the Middle East and Africa Region. In 2025 Bernadette joined the Standards Review Board of the International Valuation Standards Council (IVSC) as a board member.
Over the years Bernadette has been involved in charity work in Kenya and has been a board member of various charitable organisations which include Barnardos Children Home and Jonathan Gloag Academy, Mukuru Promotion Centre and the development of Mukuru Kafoka Studyville Hostels among other projects.
Valerie Kent
BA MSc CPsychol AFBPsS
TrusteeAfter leaving the LSE Valerie taught social psychology for twenty-six years at Goldsmiths, University of London, specialising in social influence and social development. Her 1974 survey report on attitudes of a wide sample of local residents to re-development plans for the Camberwell Green area successfully helped to modify those plans. It also reflected her interest in housing issues which currently continues through involvement with CHT. She was awarded a Commonwealth Fellowship at the University of the West Indies Trinidad campus to further her work on the development of prosocial behaviour.
After leaving Goldsmiths she lived in Nairobi for seventeen years where she continued to write occasionally. Having studied singing for many years, including at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, most of her time in Kenya was taken up in extensive involvement with the growing world of classical music there, especially with young Kenyan singers, musicians and music teachers. She chaired the Nairobi Music Society for fifteen years, also chairing Nairobi Orchestra and serving on the Council of the Kenya Conservatoire of Music.
In 2003 she was asked by a trustee of Harambee Schools Kenya to arrange a large fund-raising concert in All Saints Cathedral, Nairobi. In addition to the solo, choral and instrumental works she planned, she was asked to include a visiting musician, an amateur organist and professional surveyor based in the UK called Clifford Dann! She chaired the Commonwealth Housing Mutual Help Group (CHG) from its inception until she returned to the UK in 2016. She has been a Trustee of CHT since 2018.
Get in touch with the trustees
Questions about the project, ideas, or an offer of help? We would love to hear from you.
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