You may already know that when someone is on the Board of an organisation, they can only be part of it for a fixed number of years. The Soha Board, which has responsibility for Soha Housing, is made up of 12 members. But did you know …
- five Members are Soha residents just like you?
- six are independent, local people with professional experience and business skills.
- one is an executive officer of Soha; our Chief Executive.
One of our Soha resident Board Members is due to step down this September, and 3 more are due to step down in September 2027. That’s why we’re on the look out for residents who want to help us grow and shape communities where everyone can find a home.
Read what one of our Members – who is also a resident – has to say about her experience on the Board. She wrote this for our Members Forum AGM on 28 April 2026, and it was read aloud by one of her fellow Board Members.
“I was invited to come along this evening and share my thoughts on what it is like to be a resident Board Member – and hopefully encourage some of you to apply. I said no. Not because I don’t think it’s important, but because I’m awful at public speaking. I often struggle to get the right words out or will inadvertently say something inappropriate.
That is ok. The great thing about being a part of the Board is that none of us can do it all individually, but together, as a Board of people we guide and direct Soha, and ensure it’s run legally, ethically and safely for residents and staff. If we all thought and behaved the same then we would not be able to do that as effectively.
I have been a resident of Soha for 14 years, and a Board member for almost 8. I applied after seeing an advert on the back page of a Hometalk magazine and applied because it sounded interesting.
I also applied because I didn’t believe in or trust the claims that normal residents, people without board or senior management experience could become equal, functioning members. I assumed that our role would be tokenistic, our presence enough to tick the resident engagement box. I was wrong.
A few things that I think it is important to know…
You will be given the support you need to succeed. Staff and existing board members are genuinely welcoming and generous in sharing their time and knowledge, and importantly they value the insight you bring.
You will have access to outside agencies, periodicals, networking opportunities, and learning resources.
You will have the opportunity to gain qualifications along the way, if you want to. I recently completed my CIH level 5, which after so many years on the board felt relatively simple, a testament to how much you learn as you go along.
There is a time commitment. We meet around 10 evenings a year, and have 2 away days. It will take you a couple of days to read the Board papers before each meeting, especially at the beginning while you get used to unfamiliar terminologies, but this does get easier and it is perfectly possible to fit it around work and family commitments.
You don’t have to be a particular type of person. The most important thing is that you are committed to doing your best for Soha as an organisation and the people it exists to serve. So if you have maybe a partner or neighbour who you think has all the qualities for becoming an excellent Board Member, but thinks there is no way they can because like me they aren’t outgoing or a confident speaker, please encourage them to get in touch. In many ways, that’s exactly the sort of person we need.”
Would you like an informal chat with a Board Member to hear more about their experience? Click here to email us or call 0800 014 15 45 and ask for the Communications team and we’ll arrange it for a time that suits you.
