FOUR high-profile business leaders have joined housing association Thirteen Group as board chairs.

Julie Clare, a senior lecturer at Northumbria University, will be chairwoman of Housing Hartlepool with Brian Dinsdale joining Erimus Housing, which has 12,500 homes across Middlesbrough and Stockton.

Dr Mark Simpson, dean of social sciences at Teesside University, will look after social housing in Stockton and the surrounding area.

The social housing organisation has also formed Thirteen Care and Support, which offers services for vulnerable people. This new venture will be chaired by Gill Rollings, the former chief executive of Middlesbrough Council.

Cath Purdy, deputy chief executive, said: “The new chairs of our partner boards have big shoes to fill. Their predecessors have been hugely influential in the creation of Thirteen and the success of the respective partner companies.

“We are very grateful for their invaluable commitment across the region and look forward to working with new members of the Thirteen family to continue this significant contribution.”