Tribute to Mike Crowther

Photo: Mike Crowther


It is with great sadness that we report that Westlea Housing's founding chief executive, Mike Crowther, has died suddenly and unexpectedly.

Mike was responsible for leading the transfer of the former North Wiltshire District Council housing stock when Westlea (initially known as North Wiltshire Housing Association) was established successfully in 1995.

When Mike took early retirement from Westlea in 2002, he said it was an "enormous wrench" to say farewell because Westlea had been "the hub of my life ever since the idea of creating a new housing association first surfaced back in 1993" and that he had counted himself "immensely privileged to have led such a fine organisation".

Westlea's current Management Board chair, Bob Marshall, said: "Westlea came into being thanks to the vision, hard work and commitment of Mike and his colleagues back in the early 1990s - and today's residents and staff value that legacy. We are all very sad to hear that Mike has died and send our sincere condolences to his family.".