Watkins works his way up at Two Rivers Housing

A former carpenter at Gloucestershire's Two Rivers Housing has worked his way up and now been appointed assistant director of assets.

Chris Watkins joined the Newent-based housing association as a carpenter in 2007 and held supervisory and team leader roles within the repairs team before taking on the role of head of maintenance in 2020.

He took the newly created role of head of assets and building safety in 2022.

Jonny Jones, executive director of Homes at Two Rivers Housing was part of the interview panel for his latest role.

"We could see that he had really taken on board our vision for the kind of organisation that we want to create and our core values, and this was reflected in the way that he wants to set up and support the team.

"He was also committed to putting our tenants at the heart of the services his team provides - working closely with them to understand their needs and using their feedback to improve what we do and how we do it."

Watkins learned his trade while working for a building company in the Forest of Dean before joining the Two Rivers Housing team.

He said: "Over the years I have held different roles in the organisation and that gives me a good understanding of what we are doing well and where we can improve things. I’m looking forward to working with our tenants and the team to improve the services we provide."

Two Rivers Housing manages more than 4,600 homes in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire and the surrounding areas.