CIH was invaluable whilst on maternity leave

I joined the CIH in 2017 as a student when I studied a Post Graduate Certificate (Level 7) in housing studies. During my course, I found my membership incredibly useful. I managed to attend one of my region’s board meetings as an observer and ended the meeting as a membership champion! I completed my course in July with a distinction and became a Chartered CIH Member (CIHCM). One month later I gave birth to my second child and began 7 months’ worth of maternity leave.

As much as I love being with my lovely new son (and spending more time with my little girl) I miss and crave the mental stimulation working in our sector provides. This is where my CIH membership has been invaluable. The membership briefings ensure I am kept in the loop so I can go back to work and know what is going on. As they are brief they are easy to read and absorb the information. In addition, I have attended CIH events which have given me a chance to get out and network with familiar faces as well as new ones. Another great thing about my CIH membership is that I have access to free webinars on a host of topics which can be accessed anywhere –another easy and concise way I can develop my knowledge as well as ask questions of the webinar hosts.

I have also been lucky enough to land a spot on my regional board. This means I get to attend board meetings every other month with a range of dedicated and passionate housing professionals. This year I am working with colleagues on the board to design and deliver two student events. Our first one is expected to be held in April. As I joined CIH through the student route this is an area I am passionate to deliver on. I really hope the students who attend our regional events find them useful as well as enable them to see why a CIH membership is worth investing in after their courses have finished.

As cheesy as it sounds I can honestly say joining the CIH is one of the best career moves I have made in the last few years. I find my membership incredibly useful whilst at work but being on maternity leave for the past five months has really shown me just how valuable my membership is.