Jacque Allen

CEO of Your Housing Group

1 Tell us about your career and how you ended up in your current role

I’ve worked in housing for nearly 30 years. I started out as a housing officer in Stockport, and it’s my passion for helping and supporting people that’s driven me throughout my career and eventually led me to this role.

I joined YHG as COO in April 2020 at the height of lockdown and was appointed deputy CEO a year later. After our long-standing CEO retired, I knew I wanted to take on the role and lead this organisation.

2 Describe yourself in three words

Kind, steely/resilient, funny – I’ve got a real ability to make people laugh!

3 Favourite place on earth?

It has to be home. I’ve been to some amazing places, but for me, my favourite place in the whole world is home. I just love it.

4 What would you change about yourself?

I wish I found it easier to switch off. I’ve got one of those minds that just never stops thinking. It’s not necessarily about work; something to do, somewhere to be.

5 Describe your home

I live in an 1800s period house in the High Peak so lots of green space and fresh air. It’s across four floors so there are a lot of stairs. I’d describe it as organised and contemporary with calm, earthy colours and textures.

6 What makes you angry?

When people talk others down as a way of talking themselves up. During my career, I’ve come across people who think bullying is an effective way to influence and lead people, when we all know bullying is nothing more than bullying and is always unacceptable.

7 Most treasured possession

My sons. My three lovely boys (and my husband, of course!), and not forgetting my lockdown puppy, Dashy Bear, who’s my little work buddy.

8 Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

‘What you permit, you promote.’

Somebody said that to me about 15 years ago, and it’s a guiding principle for me now. It’s about not staying silent, and just letting things go. One of my biggest heroes is Dr Martin Luther King who rightly refused to stay quiet and in fact, no matter what it cost him, he made sure he was heard.

9 If you won £1 million on the lottery, what would you spend it on?

If I had loads of money, there are two things I’d want to do:

1. Help children who need a helping hand, as I was a kid like that.

2. I love all things equestrian – horses and donkeys. So, I’d probably open a sanctuary and muck out to my heart’s content.

10 Biggest achievement?

It always comes back to family and the thing that matters most to me is that I have raised three boys who are great additions to this world, with good, open, honest and diverse hearts. You only ever hear them talking people up, and never down.

11 Biggest regret?

My only regret is not spending more time with my dad. He passed away 15 years ago, aged just 58. My parents had retired to Spain, so I only saw them a couple of times a year, and that time was often a typical dad-daughter relationship in that if I needed advice, or needed something, I’d go to him, whereas with my mum it was more often quality time, doing things like shopping or going for lunch. I regret not having the chance to spend that kind of time with him. I miss him every day.

12 Most overused phrase?

‘It is what it is.’ It’s like a catch-all – when people don’t want to go into detail about something and want to move on without addressing the learning. Anyway, what is it and is it?

13 Recommend a book

The Front by Mandasue Heller. I discovered Mandasue’s books when I was working in Trafford, after a customer told me about them; that the author had lived in the Crescents in Hulme and her stories were all based on her real-life experiences.

14 The best piece of television in the last 12 months?

Bridgerton: I was glued to it. It’s so brilliant; I even started watching it again when it had all ended.

15 Tell us a secret about yourself

I had a weekend job working in a poodle parlour. It was owned by a lovely lady called Faye. I cleaned away the hair and tidied up after she groomed the dogs. One day, Faye was out, and one of the dogs came in. I thought ‘I’ll just use the clipper and clip a bit off’. I didn’t understand the clipper guards, so I ended up clipping all the hair away. The dog wasn’t hurt at all, but it was a complete disaster – it wouldn’t have been winning any awards at Crufts!