Board
Bridge Housing has a skills-based volunteer board with directors able to demonstrate skills in key areas set out in the constitution.
Non-executive directors are elected by members at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) for three years and are eligible to be directors for a maximum of nine years before retiring.
Members
All Bridge Housing tenants are invited to become members of Bridge Housing for the duration of their tenancy with us. For more information on becoming a member or about your membership, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or phone the office on 02 8324 0832. To become a member you may also complete our online Company Membership Form. (also pdfavailable as a PDF (131 KB) ). Once a tenant has become a member, they will remain a member unless they choose not to be a member any more.
Governance
The role of the directors is to act in the best interest of the organisation. The directors are bound by voluntary governance principles and a board charter, as well as by the constitution:
Subcommittees
The board has three regular committees which function in accordance with their charters:
- Finance Risk and Audit Committee Charter
- Housing Asset and Development Committee Charter
- People and Governance Committee Charter
Directors
The name of each of our directors, their length of service, which subcommittees they are a part of are set out here along with any interest, position or relationship which may raise issues about the independence of the director.
Board skills
Bridge Housing directors have skills in a broad range of housing, development, operational and technical areas to assist them to make the best decisions on behalf of our Members.
Once a year, the board discloses a board skills matrix which sets out the mix of skills that the board currently has or is looking to achieve. With the support of its people and governance committee, the board periodically reviews the skills of its directors to identify whether existing directors can undertake professional development to maintain the skills and knowledge needed to perform their role as directors. Continuous learning is a value shared by the board and management.
The nature and depth of skills in the board are considerable. The board considers the values and strategic plan of Bridge Housing as well as the operational and technical expertise of management when deciding which skills should be recruited and fostered. The board takes this into account when considering whether there is sufficient expertise in a particular area for the expertise to be fit for Bridge Housing’s purposes.
The board does not expect to recruit for non-executive directors in the next two years, having recently recruited three new directors for succession planning purposes. However, the board still identifies board recruitment priorities in case a position becomes available. The board priorities would also change depending on the particular vacancy.
Skills |
Sufficient expertise held in board |
Identified as priority for continuous learning in next year |
Identified as priority for non executive director recruitment in next two years |
Social housing management |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Finance |
Yes |
No |
No |
Community welfare |
Yes |
No |
No |
Property development and procurement |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Law |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Social policy development |
Yes |
No |
No |
Accounting |
Yes |
No |
No |
Asset Management |
Yes |
No |
No |
Information and technology |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Human resources management |
Yes |
No |
No |
Gender diversity |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Other measures of diversity and inclusion |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |