Richard Best, Baron Best
Encyclopedia
Richard Stuart Best, Baron Best, OBE
(born 22 June 1945) is a British
social housing leader and member of the House of Lords
.
The son of late Walter Best DL and Frances Chignell, Best was educated at Shrewsbury School
and the University of Nottingham
. He married Ima Akpan in 1970, divorcing in 1976, then Belinda Stemp in 1978. He had two daughters and two sons with his two wives.
From 1970 to 1973, Best served as Director of the British Churches Housing Trust, then of the National Federation of Housing Associations 1973-88. From 1988 to December 2006, he led the Joseph Rowntree Foundation
and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust. He has written extensively on housing and been involved with commissions on housing for Westminster
, Birmingham
, Glasgow
and Hull
.
Best has served as a Commissioner of the Rural Development Commission 1989-98, a member of the NCVO Advisory Council, Patron, of the National Family and Parenting Institute and Council Member of the Royal Society of Arts
. He was awarded the OBE
in 1988. He is President of the Local Government Association
and was a member of the Minister of Local Government's Sounding Board 2002-2005. On 21 September 2006 he was appointed Chair of Hanover Housing Association. He is a member of the Demos
think-tank Advisory Council.
On 4 June 2001, Best was named a life peer
as Baron Best, of Godmanstone
in the County of Dorset
. He sits as a crossbencher in the House of Lords. On 13 July 2007 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of York
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 22 June 1945) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
social housing leader and member of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
.
The son of late Walter Best DL and Frances Chignell, Best was educated at Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 13 to 18, founded by Royal Charter in 1552. The present campus to which the school moved in 1882 is located on the banks of the River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England...
and the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
. He married Ima Akpan in 1970, divorcing in 1976, then Belinda Stemp in 1978. He had two daughters and two sons with his two wives.
From 1970 to 1973, Best served as Director of the British Churches Housing Trust, then of the National Federation of Housing Associations 1973-88. From 1988 to December 2006, he led the Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation is a British social policy research and development charity, that funds a UK-wide research and development programme. It seeks to understand the root causes of social problems, to identify ways of overcoming them, and to show how social needs can be met in practice...
and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust. He has written extensively on housing and been involved with commissions on housing for Westminster
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
.
Best has served as a Commissioner of the Rural Development Commission 1989-98, a member of the NCVO Advisory Council, Patron, of the National Family and Parenting Institute and Council Member of the Royal Society of Arts
Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
. He was awarded the OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1988. He is President of the Local Government Association
Local Government Association
The Local Government Association is a voluntary lobbying organisation acting as the voice of the local government sector in England and Wales, which seeks to be an authoritative and effective advocate on its behalf....
and was a member of the Minister of Local Government's Sounding Board 2002-2005. On 21 September 2006 he was appointed Chair of Hanover Housing Association. He is a member of the Demos
Demos (UK think tank)
- History :Demos was founded in 1993 by former Marxism Today editor Martin Jacques, and Geoff Mulgan, who became its first director. It was formed in response to what Mulgan, Jacques and others saw as a crisis in politics in Britain, with voter engagement in decline and political institutions...
think-tank Advisory Council.
On 4 June 2001, Best was named a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Best, of Godmanstone
Godmanstone
Godmanstone is a village in west Dorset, England, situated in the Cerne Valley four miles north of Dorchester and south of Cerne Abbas. The village has a population of 144 in about 60 homes....
in the County of Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
. He sits as a crossbencher in the House of Lords. On 13 July 2007 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
.