Previously, to address many people at the same time you spoke at events or you wrote a letter. Nowadays it is all about Twitter, You Tube and micro sites. And of course blogging. Thanks to my children I am dragged into the modern age. But I admit that there are times when I am dragged in backwards and upside down. Having said that, I am delighted that thanks to technology I can keep you informed about what is going on at the press of a button.
Welcome to my blog. This will be the first of many when I will update you on the events I attend and work I conduct on behalf of CIH, along with my inevitable thoughts and opinions on situations of the day.
For my first blog I'd like you to indulge me as I download my thoughts on what being CIH President means to me, and how I am fulfilling the role. Apparently a week is a long time in politics. So between now and June, by which time the next general election must have taken place, there is a lifetime of politics for us as housing professionals to have an impact on future decision makers. This is what I see as a fundamental task of my position as CIH President. It is a function I look forward to and accept with pride.
From current to future members of government, from civil servants to increasingly powerful local authorities, and from regulators to funders, I'd like decision makers to know that in the housing profession we are not just competitors for funds. We are industry experts who have a deep and often unrivalled understanding of the communities in which we work and are committed to serving. We have knowledge of how to work creatively and in partnership to find solutions to functional and societal problems.
Of course, we all know that in these tricky times we have some acute challenges to come. Drastic cuts are going to be made across the public sector. Our collective job, and mine as CIH President, is to ensure that housing remains at the top of the agenda and to counter the inevitable and damaging "NIMBYism" that localism will attract. Through lobbying and interaction I will do everything I can to ensure that residents' needs and desires are appreciated and prioritised at all levels of government.
Of course my role is not just about interacting with government. There's also a need to ensure that good practice is shared and celebrated across local, regional and international borders. As always, we also need to work hard to continue to encourage talented people into the sector from all walks of life. I have never known a time when "leadership" has been needed more and I will do all I can to help encourage and develop those leadership skills within the sector.
That is my vision, and this is what I intend to concentrate on over the coming months. I have already attended functions where I have learnt far more about the excellent work taking place across the country and deliberated with influential people. But that is for the next blog.Thanks for reading. I'll keep you posted and I'll tell you about my first meeting with a certain Mr Brown.
