A HOUSING association boss who has stepped down after two decades of service has been saluted for his “dedication to ending homelessness”

Martin Hancock has spent 22 years with Bournemouth-based BCHA, the last 16 of them as its chief executive.

BCHA’s chief operating officer, Caroline Moylan, said: “What has made Martin’s time as CEO special is his dedication to ending homelessness and for that mission to be at the heart of everything BCHA does. He leaves having achieved much success and has truly changed lives for the better.

“As we look forwards to the future, we will continue to build on the strong sense of purpose that Martin has established as we continue in our mission to provide more permanent homes for our customers.”

The association’s head of strategy and governance, Phillip Baker, said: “Martin and I first joined BCHA way back in the year 2000, when the organisation was certainly a lot smaller than today. Over the time I have known him, I have always been impressed by his dedication to the well-being of our customers and customer-facing colleagues.

“He is a passionate and vocal advocate for those who find themselves homeless. The steady growth in our accommodation and services over the years is a testament to Martin’s drive to address these social issues.”

Mike Wood, chair of BCHA’s Board, said: “Martin has been a fantastic chief executive, always making sure we meet our objectives and going the extra mile to get out to visit our services, keeping in touch with our colleagues and customers. We will miss him."

Mr Hancock said: “It has been a privilege to lead BCHA as CEO for almost 16 years. The energy, compassion and commitment of colleagues across the organisation, especially during the challenges of the past few years, has motivated me every day to ensure our customers continue to be the focus of everything that we do.

"I’m confident that BCHA will continue to thrive and I wish Lorraine Mealings, our new chief executive, every success as she drives forward our mission to end homelessness.”

Lorraine Mealings is an experienced leader in the sector and was most recently director of housing for BCP Council.