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ABOUT THE
FOUNDATION

The TDS Charitable Foundation works to advance education about housing rights and obligations in general, and in particular about:

  • Best practice in the management of private rented housing

  • Legal rights and obligations of those involved in the provision or management of private rented housing

  • Using alternative dispute resolution for more efficient and effective resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants.

We are funded mainly by donations from The Dispute Service – the leading Tenancy Deposit Scheme which operates on a non-profit basis across the UK.


We operate in England and Wales and have funded organisations and projects across all regions.

In Scotland, The Dispute Service is a partner in the SafeDeposits Scotland Charitable Trust which works towards similar goals in the Scottish private rented sector

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About

The TDS Charitable Foundation is on mission to raise standards in the private rented sector.

 

We deliver our mission by awarding grants to organisations, conducting research, and providing educational information to tenants and landlords.

Trustees

The Foundation can have up to nine Trustees at any one time.
It is currently Chaired by Martin Partington KC CBE.

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Professor Martin Partington KC CBE - Chairman

Martin was Chair of The Dispute Service from May 2010 - March 2024. A leading authority in housing law, Martin worked as a Law Commissioner for England and Wales until 2008 and is an Emeritus Professor at Bristol University.

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David Cox - Trustee

David Cox became Rightmove’s Legal and Compliance Director in November 2020 following almost seven years at the helm of the property industry’s professional body, Propertymark. David is currently a Board Director of Rightmove Landlord and Tenant Services, a specialist tenant referencing and insurance provider as well as Rightmove’s other subsidiaries. A Barrister-at-Law, David was called to the Bar of Lincolns Inn in 2006.

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Martin Blakey- Trustee

Martin Blakey has worked in student accommodation for over 20 years. As Chief Executive of the student housing charity Unipol, Martin has helped develop a portfolio housing 3,000 students in Leeds, provides services to around 15 HEIs, accredits just over 220,000 bed spaces and operates the main training programme for those involved in student accommodation.

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Nicki Alvey - Trustee

Nicki has a background in business management and development with a marketing bias. She has held a number of executive posts including at the National Housing Federation, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and the Royal Society of Public Health. Nicki has served as a non-executive with the Royal Town Planning Institute and the Chartered Institute of Trademark Attorneys Benevolent Fund. She is a JP and has a particular interest in landlord and tenant relations.

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Steve Harriott - Trustee

Steve is the Chief Executive of The Dispute Service, the UK’s only not for profit provider of tenancy deposit protection. He has worked as chief executive of three housing associations.

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Sue Threader - Trustee

Sue Threader is the Chief Executive of the Rochester Bridge Trust [which has a large residential portfolio] and she brings significant experience both as a charity chief executive and as a senior executive working previously in local government, initially as a Civil Engineer and then as a Deputy CEO of a district Council. She has served on a number of charity Boards and Trusts.

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Alison MacDougall - Trustee

Alison is the New Homes Ombudsman, a service operated by The Dispute Service covering complaints by consumers about their new build homes.  She has been involved in dispute resolution for 20 years and previously was responsible for TDS’ tenant and landlord resolution activities throughout the UK.  Alison has worked for a number of other ombudsman organisations and joined TDS in 2007.

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Shahad Choudhury - Trustee

Shahad has a background in project management and technology. He has worked at UK Export Finance, Department for International Trade, Transport for London as well as being the Founder of OpenBrix. He is passionate about meeting the needs of tenants and was one of the masterminds behind the Tlyfe app which TDS is now developing with Openbrix.

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