Founding Nehemiah Housing CEO Llewellyn Graham Steps Down After 37 Years to Take Up National Leadership Role

Nehemiah Housing Association has announced that its longstanding Chief Executive, Bishop Llewellyn Graham, will step down after 37 years at the helm to take up a new leadership appointment as National Bishop of the Church of God of Prophecy in the United Kingdom.

Llewellyn Graham led Nehemiah since its formation in 1989 and was its first employee. His departure will bring to a close an extraordinary chapter in Nehemiah’s history, during which Bishop Graham helped take the organisation from an ambitious community response to housing inequality into an established, multi-million-pound social housing provider serving diverse communities across the West Midlands.

Llewellyn is also currently a member of the executive team of BME National, reflecting his wider involvement in the housing sector and work with organisations representing Black and minority ethnic communities.

Nehemiah Housing Association grew out of concerns about the poor housing conditions experienced by members of the African Caribbean community, particularly older members of the Windrush generation.

In 1989, Llewellyn became Nehemiah’s first employee and was charged with helping establish the fledgling organisation and secure its registration with the Housing Corporation.

One of his earliest achievements was successfully securing that registration and subsequently overseeing the development of Nehemiah’s first sheltered housing scheme, Plummer House, named in honour of Rev Everett Plummer.

From those beginnings, Llewellyn Graham provided the leadership and strategic direction that helped Nehemiah grow into a substantial and financially sustainable social business.

Today, Nehemiah provides more than 1,250 affordable homes across Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. Its homes and support services reach more than 4,000 people from diverse communities across the West Midlands.

Throughout that growth, the organisation has retained its community focus. It provides homes for single people, couples, families and older people. It also responds to the cultural and practical needs of the communities it serves.

A particular focus of Bishop Graham’s leadership has been Nehemiah’s work with older people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities. This builds on the organisation’s original mission to provide good-quality, culturally appropriate homes for members of the Windrush generation.

His tenure has also seen Nehemiah expand beyond housing provision to support employment, education and personal development.

This included the development of the early ReBuild apprenticeship programme in the 2000s, which subsequently evolved into the Nehemiah Academy. The organisation also introduced initiatives supporting young people into employment and creating opportunities for people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Llewellyn Graham has consistently regarded the development of people as one of Nehemiah’s key achievements. Over nearly four decades, the organisation has provided opportunities for housing professionals to develop their careers while building an organisation rooted in the communities it serves.

Under his leadership, Nehemiah has also played a wider role in regeneration, community development and tackling inequality, while continuing to invest in the quality and energy efficiency of its homes.

His contribution to underserved communities was recognised internationally in 2021. He received the Governor-General of Jamaica’s Diaspora Achievement Award for Excellence, recognising 35 years of service in the UK.

Llewellyn Graham’s departure represents the end of the founding leadership era of an organisation he has helped shape throughout its entire history.

Nehemiah Chair Bishop Wilton Powell said:

“Llewellyn’s contribution to Nehemiah is impossible to separate from the story of the organisation itself. He was our first employee in 1989 and has led Nehemiah from its earliest days, when it was an ambitious response to a very real housing need in our communities, into the successful and respected housing association it is today.

“Over 37 years, thousands of people have benefited from the homes, services and opportunities Nehemiah has provided. Just as importantly, Llewellyn has ensured that as the organisation grew, it remained rooted in its founding purpose of serving people and building stronger communities.

“On behalf of the Board, colleagues, residents and partners past and present, I want to thank Llewellyn for an extraordinary period of service and leadership. While we are sorry to see him leave Nehemiah, we are immensely proud of his next chapter.”

Llewellyn Graham commented:

“When I became Nehemiah’s first employee in 1989, we had a vision to respond in a practical way to the housing inequalities facing our communities. I could not have imagined then the journey that would follow or the thousands of people whose lives Nehemiah would touch.

“It has been an enormous privilege to lead this organisation for 37 years. Whatever has been achieved has been a collective endeavour involving successive Boards, colleagues, residents, partners and communities who believed in Nehemiah’s purpose and helped turn that original vision into reality.

“My decision to step down as Chief Executive therefore comes with many emotions. However, service has always been at the heart of my work, both at Nehemiah and within the Church. I am humbled to have been called to serve as National Bishop of the Church of God of Prophecy in the UK.

“I leave Nehemiah immensely proud of what we have built together and confident that its commitment to providing quality homes, creating opportunities and strengthening communities will continue long into the future.”