We’re proud to announce that the Chair of our Board, James Bisset, has been named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list 2019, commending his outstanding service to the community and people of Cheshire and Merseyside.
James has been awarded an MBE for his exceptional leadership that has made a significant difference to the lives of countless members of our society, for nearly a quarter of a century.
In 1993, James became Chairman for The Mersey Regional Ambulance Service Trust and has since transformed a number of charities and businesses such as The Youth Federation, The David Lewis Centre for Epilepsy, The National Ambulance Service Association and the Macclesfield and Vale Royal Groundwork Trust. James also played a key role in the local educational sector as Chairman of Macclesfield Learning Zone and as a Governor of Macclesfield High School for several years.
He took on the role of Chair of ECHC, in 2004 and has helped us grow so that from housing just 22 individuals in 2000 we now provide accommodation and support for over 100 people with profound mental health issues. We’ve also opened a new home each year since 2001 and seen growth from a turnover of £20,000 in year one to £3 million today.
Our CEO, Brenda Wright, commented that James became Chair of the Board at a point where it was crucial that the company moved forward to meet the changing needs of the sector. He immediately realised the potential of the organisation and was the driving force in developing a robust business plan.It was James who created our ethos of, “If it’s not good enough for me or my family, it’s not good enough for the people who we are supporting.”
James commented: “It is an honour to receive an MBE and to be recognised for my work on a national level. I feel fortunate to have worked with so many dedicated and professional people. In a challenging sector, I feel proud of all that ECHC have achieved and that their work has been included in the Parliamentary Review as an example of best practice.
Brenda added: “We would like to congratulate James for his well deserved MBE and thank him for his phenomenal commitment and hard work.”
