Chair of Southdown’s Board pledges commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Posted on 26 July 2023

The Chair of Southdown’s Board has pledged to create a vision with our board to become more equal, diverse and inclusive by signing the National Housing Federation’s Chair’s Challenge.

The National Housing Federation says:

“The leadership of Chairs is crucial for driving and embedding equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). Our insights show that many boards don’t have a clear understanding of their role in setting the right culture and behaviours for equality and diversity to thrive.

 “The Chairs’ Challenge is a public commitment to take your board on a journey to understand how diverse and inclusive you are now, and then develop a vision for the future.”

 Pauline Ford, Chair of Southdown’s Board, says:

“I signed up to the Chair’s Challenge as I believe it’s important that the Board sets the tone for the organisation. It’s important that we are leaders in embedding equality, diversity and inclusion, and set the culture we expect across Southdown.

 “The Chair’s Challenge is a public facing declaration that I have made personally that says, as Chair of the Board, I will ensure that I drive forward equality, diversity and inclusion, and a sense of belonging in the Board room.

 “It’s important to me that Southdown’s Board reflects the communities we serve. That we’ve got relevant lived experience on the Board so we can use that in making the right decisions about both the direction the organisation should take as well as the services we provide. Importantly, we’ve got people that our clients, tenants and staff team recognise, respect and have confidence that they will bring their skills and experiences to their role.

 “Over the next year, I’ll be working with the Board and Southdown’s Executive team to look at how we recruit Board members and what the barriers are so we can be the best we can be.”

 More information on the Chair’s Challenge is on the National Housing Federation’s website. To read what we’ve doing at Southdown to make EDI part of our DNA and create a truly inclusive culture where individuals feel a sense of belonging, take a look at our ‘This is Us’ Strategy.