On Friday 1st April, we published a series of news stories that included changing the name of our Board to Fun, along with some super original ways of working with local birds to improve the services we provide as a business.
Of course, it was April Fool’s Day and these stories were a bit of fun to give you something to think about and make you laugh a little... but the underlying message was deadly serious. We genuinely are an organisation that does things differently and is always looking at how we can change tradition and do better. Using birds as a resource isn’t hugely unrealistic, is it? And why couldn’t we change the name of our Board to something that challenges the stereotype of how people see Board meetings? We honestly have fun in our meetings – they are no doubt serious and integral to how we work – but our customers sit on our Board and they want to feel that they time they spend with us is worthwhile and enjoyable.
So, when we ask for our customers to come forward and join in, we really mean it, because there is something in it for you, and our business. You don’t have to be employed, in education, a certain age, or from a certain background. You just have to live in one of our homes and be interested in people, and the community you live in. We don’t want you to think about Board meetings as a group of people in suits, using complex language and taking hours to decide something. Being a Board member, put simply, is about being a tenant or a leaseholder, sharing your views and making suggestions for how we look after our homes and our people. Yes, making important decisions is part of it, but more important than that is your voice and what you think.
We’re really keen to talk to you if you laughed with us at our new stories, understand that you have to have a little fun in everything, and are good with people. We love tea, so come in for a cuppa if you want to talk through what it means to be a Board member.