Hattie Llewelyn Davies who has died at the age of 71 was known to many as a passionate non-executive in the fields of homelessness, healthcare and social housing, and widely respected for her commitment and service. Over the years, she served on well over 30 boards, and just shortly before her death had been appointed as Chair Designate of a major and newly merged housing association in Hertfordshire. But she was no ‘serial NED’, and brought imagination, drive and vision wherever she was round the table. In several appointments, she was in effect a trouble-shooter, bringing her drive and common sense to sort out a range of financial, governance and cultural issues.
Hattie Chaired four NHS trusts throughout her time; Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation Trust, Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust, Princess Alexandra Healthcare Trust and was currently chairing Essex Partnership University Trust. She was passionate about equal access to high quality healthcare for both physical and mental health. In her time across these trusts, she led with a focus on shifting culture, improving access to services and understanding the grass-roots issues which the organisation faced.
Hattie had been born into a family of public service, with her mother the first woman to take charge of a parliamentary whip’s office, and her father the master planner of Milton Keynes. After school, she chose to get started at once on making a difference, first of all in the world of homelessness charities. Within a few years, she was running the Piccadilly Advice Centre, then moving on to become Chief Executive of Shepherds Bush Housing Association in 1992. In 2004, she was honoured with an OBE for services to tackling homelessness, and in 2018 was awarded Sunday Times Public Sector NED of the year, an accolade she was immensely proud of.
Her non-executive assignments were too numerous to list, but included a heady mix of housing associations large and small, health trusts, charities, a museum, a sailing club, a building society, and others besides.
But there was so much more to Hattie than her professional life. She married Chris Holmes CBE in 2002, the Chief Executive of Shelter, who died in 2014. They had two children, Cub and Sara, and now two grandchildren, Ottilie and George, who brought her great joy. Using one of her less well-known talents, she would knit and crochet them beautiful clothes and stuffed animals. She also was a keen sailor, and taught her children their seacraft on Lulworth Skipper, her prized boat moored on the Norfolk Broads.
Yet another of Hattie’s passions was for animal welfare, and she had rehomed such diverse creatures as ferrets, hedgehogs and injured birds. Alongside her children and grandchildren, she is survived by two beloved Spanish Galgo dogs, and her cat Wilma.
To quote one of her dear friends, in conclusion: “She leaves behind an extraordinary legacy through the work she did, the organisations she helped to shape for the better, and the many lives she touched.”
Hattie Llewelyn Davies, campaigner, activist, non-executive, born 7 January 1955; died 23 May, 2026