You have to be part of something to make a difference and being part of The Grand Union Development Trust Board, a collective group of likeminded individuals, who come together to engage and help build better communities in Alperton and the surrounding areas of Brent.
This is a real opportunity and honour for me to make that difference.
Over the last 30 years I have always been passionately involved with giving back to communities in one way or another. Whether volunteering, helping out in my local neighbourhood and fundraising for charity, or through work organising projects and events. I enjoy nothing more than being amongst people and bringing them together from all backgrounds, cultures and ages.
My main role at St George is acquiring land, so working on Grand Union and serving the GUDT Board has been an amazing opportunity for me to work beyond land acquisition and get to see our development in action – to be involved in our ultimate goals of building quality homes, strengthening communities and improving people’s lives.
The local community has been on board from day one with this project and it has been a huge part of what we are actually delivering on site, so it’s really special to be a part of that continued involvement throughout the entire lifetime of the development.
I’ve been working at St George for over 2 and a half years now (having started in the midst of the UK’s first Covid Lockdown!), and before that spent 6 years at Knight Frank working on land disposals, acquisitions and consultancy.
I love the variety of working in Land; Planning and working with St George and the GUDT has certainly given me that variety, as well as giving me something I am proud to be working on.
If I wasn’t working in property, then back-up plans would be:
Having reopened the original iconic Ace Cafe in 2001, and witnessing at first-hand how diverse communities can be brought together, I want to ensure that opportunities are available to all and to see GUDT flourish and bring benefit and improvement across the area.
Living in North London for fifty years and with a lifetime of having ridden in and around the nation’s capital on both horses (ex-Mounted Police) and motorcycles, and having fallen off both, in addition to being a member of the Stonebridge and Alperton Ward Panel’s, and the Heather Park Neighbourhood Watch, today Mark is Managing Director of Ace Cafe London Ltd and a trustee/director of the 59 Club (a registered church charity).
I have been involved in Grand Union, since 2017 when St George acquired the former Northfields Industrial Estate – a derelict industrial site which was an eyesore and totally cut off offering nothing to the community.
Over the past 5 years I have got to know, and now love, both the area and the community – making a number of friends. A key piece of feedback from the community from the outset was the lack of space in the area for people to come together to meet, a space for after school activities, for parties and classes.
The Grand Union community centre realises this vision and I am delighted to be part of the GUDT board to ensure that the community centre is a great success serving the whole community and realising wide spread benefits.
I am a Land Director at St George, responsible for a number of projects including Grand Union taking them from purchase, through the design and planning process and supporting our teams on site during construction. I have been with the company for 5 years. I am a Town Planner by background having worked in both private and public sectors.
Outside of the office, I have two little boys – a 2 year old and newborn both of which keep me on my toes! In my (increasingly limited!) spare time, I enjoy spending time with friends and family and attempting to keep fit.
Serving on the GUDT Board gives me the opportunity to gain more insight into our community. This will in turn help develop new ways to improve our togetherness, highlight and share different talents and have a better understanding of our multi-cultural surroundings. It also allows me to find ways to help the young and older generations to feel they are a part of our community, reach out to those who need our help, listen to their needs and find ways to address their concerns.
I would like everyone to know they are welcome in our Alperton community, and that there is space in our HUB for everyone to find or create something of interest.
My name is Delroy Morrison, and I am proud to be a board member of GUDT. During the past thirty years, I have achieved many degrees including a BSc honours degree in Building Engineering and a master’s degree in Building Surveying. Along with various other recreational activities such as gardening, walking, spending time with my family and observing architecture, I have a passion for building, surveying and my job as a Clerk of Works.
Due to my strong beliefs in honesty, kindness, compassion, it is easy for me to find joy in ensuring that the clients I work with are receiving value for their money, and that the work that the contractors do is up to a great standard. The health and safety of everyone around the working area, including residents is of the utmost importance as it is a matter of life and death.
Sign up to our mailing list and be the first to know about our events, reports and all key Grand Union Community Hub updates.
