Welcome
An introduction from our Chair…
Thank you for your interest in joining our Board at First Garden Cities Homes. As Chair, I am pleased to share this opportunity to join our growing community-based housing association, making a real positive impact on the lives of the people and communities we serve across Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.
Our organisation is entering a period of renewal and growth, driven by our ambition to deliver a well-regarded, resident-focused service. We are proud of our heritage and also clear about our future challenges.
We are seeking two new Board members who bring a blend of expertise, curiosity, and commitment. You will be joining a mature, motivated Board that is ready to move forward with pace and purpose. We would particularly welcome applications from individuals with the following experience and professional expertise at an Executive level:
- Strategic long-term financial planning and delivering treasury plans ideally in the housing sector.
- Customer insight, data-driven service transformation.
It’s an exciting time to join our Board. We are shaping our plans to invest in our heritage homes to meet evolving decent homes standards. We will soon be going out to the financial market to enable these key investments. We are also keen to leverage our recent investment in technology to drive forward improvements in every area of our work and are looking to embed a solid infrastructure with a new housing management and finance system.
Our recent regulatory judgement by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) confirmed compliance with regulatory requirements, awarding a regraded financial viability grade of V2, a first consumer grade of C2, and a governance grade of G2 (taking account of a self-referral matter). For the areas flagged, many already had improvement plans underway, and we continue to work through these.
Our Board values diversity of thought and experience. We welcome candidates who can offer fresh perspectives, challenge constructively, and support our executive team as critical friends. We believe that a strong local connection adds real value to our work, whether through personal ties, professional experience, or a genuine understanding of our community, and helps us stay grounded in the needs and aspirations of those we serve.
If you are passionate about making a difference, eager to contribute your skills, and ready to help us shape the future of our organisation, we would be delighted to hear from you. We hope you find all the information you need in this microsite, and we look forward to receiving your application.
Tracy Allison
Chair