Remembering Michael Heekin
It is with very great sadness that we share the news that our Executive Director of Finance, Michael Heekin, passed away on 22 November 2024.
Michael joined CKH in 2015, having amassed substantial experience in the housing sector during his earlier career, including senior positions at Wellingborough Homes, the Regulator and Glasgow Housing Association.
Respected for his extremely broad experience and great warmth of character, Michael was popular with colleagues, board members, and his peers across the sector alike. His gentle presence but formidable knowledge will leave a marked absence around our tables for a very long time to come. In his nine years with CKH, Michael was a master of financial excellence and under his strategic guidance our new build housing development programme thrived as a result of the innovative and substantial funding he secured for us.
In 2017, we secured an £80 million loan investment from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking and Handelsbanken. In November 2019, Cambridgeshire Housing Capital issued a further £100 million 4.25% secured bonds. In 2021, we announced one of the first SONIA (Sterling Overnight Index Average) funded loans, worth £50 million, secured in the whole housing association sector. This funding package from NatWest is still being used to continue to drive our development ambitions today.
The homes we have delivered with these funding arrangements, spearheaded by Michael, have made a huge difference to people living in our communities who are in desperate need of good quality affordable housing. Whilst very much a numbers man, Michael was passionate about our values and vision to create opportunities that change lives. He was always very keen to meet our residents in person and witness at first hand the challenges they faced and so it is with great pride that we can reflect on the fact his influence will continue to be felt across our whole business and wider community and particularly as we deliver our development pipeline in the years ahead.
This is a very great loss for the whole CKH team. He will be sorely missed. We extend our deepest sympathies to Michael’s beloved wife Helen and his daughters Nicola and Zoe.