Get to know our new Board members
As part of Tonic’s growth, we’re so excited to welcome Terry Stacy MBE, Assiah Awaleh and Michelle Davies to the team, who each bring a wealth of knowledge and experience with them. We wanted to get to know them a little more, so asked them a few questions to dig a little deeper. For more information on our full Board, including bios, click here.
Meet our new Chair, Terry Stacy MBE:
What do you hope to achieve in your new role at Tonic?
The successful delivery of Tonic’s Bankhouse development, and the delivery of Tonic’s aspirations to deliver more LGBT+ retirement communities in cities across the UK.
What're your hopes for older LGBT+ housing?
As research has shown, sadly the housing needs of LGBT+ communities aren’t being met, especially the older members of our community, so I'm delighted that Tonic has stepped up to help meet that need. The community lead and developed approach has been really inspiring.
What's your favourite LGBT+ spot in London and do you have a special memory you can share?
Close to where I live in Highbury, over 50 years ago a monumental moment in British LGBT+ heritage took place. A landmark demonstration on Highbury Fields, a north London open space, changed the direction of LGBT+ history.
One Friday evening in November 1970, about 150 defiant members of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) gathered on the Fields. They were seething, enraged and fed up with the treatment of gay people by the police. This became the country’s first ever ‘gay rights demonstration’, and this location was chosen as it had been the site of the arrest of then chair of the young Liberals.
The event is now remembered with a plaque at the site. I rescued the plaque from a skip when the former public toilet was turned into offices and the plaque was thrown into a skip. After I rescued it, I made the council reinstall it - and it is still there today!
One of our two new Boards Members, Assiah Awalah:
What do you hope to achieve in your new role at Tonic?
I would like to contribute the amazing work that the team at Tonic and the Board have already achieved. I’d also like to share the good practice I have developed to strengthen the Governance of Tonic.
What're your hopes for older LGBT+ housing?
I would like to think that there will be a greater variety of tenure and geographical location of older LGBT+ housing. Having the first properties bought by Tonic is a great achievement, but there is still a lot more that needs to be done. While this does not necessarily have to be provided by Tonic, it’d be great to see more organisations work together to create more options.
What's your favourite LGBT+ spot in London and do you have a special memory you can share?
I used to go to Rush bar in Soho almost every Friday after work. It’s now She Bar downstairs and Ku Bar on the ground floor. I would often go on my own and know lots of people there - it felt very much like a community centre. The same crowd would often go to First Out, Candy Bar and Retro Bar. It’s a shame Rush is no longer there, but it’s good that it is still a queer space.
And our second new Board Member, Michelle Davies:
What do you hope to achieve in your new role at Tonic?
Having moved out of the housing sector 6 months ago, I’ll be honoured to have the opportunity to use my 30 years housing experience to support and advise Tonic in the development of their LGBT+ affirmative housing developments. I would like to support Tonic to enable them to develop in the extra care market and empower many more LGBT+ older people to access safe, inclusive housing.
This will be my first board appointment and I am very much looking forward to advancing my personal learning and developing my skills as a trustee. I’m looking forward to learning from more experienced Board Members and building on my knowledge of organisational strategy and governance.
What're your hopes for older LGBT+ housing?
LGBT+ older people are much more likely to live alone, have less contact with their families of birth and therefore less access to informal care. They are much more likely to experience loneliness and discrimination and experience challenges in accessing appropriate care and support services.
I envision a future where LGBT+ older people will have parity of choice with older heterosexual people, the option to ‘age in place’ and access to culturally sensitive care services. The development of LGBT+ affirmative extra care and homecare services is critical to realising this vision.
What's your favourite LGBT+ spot in London and do you have a special memory you can share?
My favourite LGBTQ+ venue in London has always been the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, most recently I attended a fundraising event for Aids Memory UK. I’m a lifelong Queen fan and this was a fabulous opportunity to raise money for a fantastic cause, celebrate Freddie’s 75 birthday and remember the dear friends I lost to AIDS in the late 80’s & early 90s.