Ongo has signed up to HQN‘s Board Diversity Programme in an effort to improve its approach to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI).
The social landlord is widely recognised for its commitment to EDI, and as such is continually seeking ways of delivering on this commitment, which is why it has pledged to sign up to the programme.
The Board Diversity Programme ensures people from underrepresented groups, who aspire to one day be a board member, receive training and mentoring to give them the tools to get there.
The programme also supports the process of searching for and selecting diverse board members, inducting and mentoring them, and retaining and ensuring good contribution of new members.
Karen Cowan, head of Governance and Corporate at Ongo, said: “This is a great step for us and is something we’re extremely proud to be part of.
“By signing up, we’re not only hoping to expand our knowledge but are also aiming to have a pool of people from underrepresented groups that may be able to join our boards when we’ve got a vacancy.
“We are committed to making a difference and we believe this is one of the ways we can do this.”
According to HDN, UK housing boards do not reflect the diverse make-up of the UK population or the communities they serve.
Only 2% of members on housing boards are under 40 years old; 7% are black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME), compared to 14% of the general population (as at 2011); around 1% identify as LGBTQ; and 6% identify as disabled.
Ongo says such stats show a national trend that reinforces the need for programmes and initiatives such as the one it has signed up to.
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