All-Ireland Housing Awards winner 2024

Excellence in communications

Since its foundation in 1973, Co-operative Housing Ireland (CHI) has provided over 8,000 homes through home ownership, shared ownership and social rented co-operatives. As an approved housing body (AHB) we own and manage more than 5,000 social rented homes. Having increased our output year on year, we are delivering 500–700 houses and apartments annually. Driven by the co-operative principles we are leaders in social housing provision. In 2023, CHI celebrated 50 years in operation.

‘Women in Leadership’ was a collaboration between the CHI community engagement and communications teams to mark International Women’s Day on March 8 2023 to celebrate strong women leaders in CHI communities, the organisation, and likeminded organisations in Ireland.

The International Women’s Day campaign ran during March and comprised a range of events and communications designed to reach all stakeholders, including CHI colleagues, member tenants, government, local authorities and similar third sector organisations in Ireland. This included three events, an in-person yoga class in Limerick, where CHI has over 350 homes, an online free ‘Chair Yoga’ event open to all, and an in person ‘Inspiring Women in Leadership’ forum for stakeholders. There were also coffee mornings held in CHI offices across the country with funds raised donated to Women’s Aid, UNICEF and Work Equal.

The core element of the campaign, and key event, was an ‘Inspiring Women in Leadership’ forum held in Wood Quay, Dublin on 8 March. The forum featured two panel discussions exploring different aspects of what it means to be a leader and was MC'd by Sabrina Ryan from Near FM 90.3, who also broadcasted the event. All CHI member tenants, colleagues and stakeholders were invited to attend in person or online.

The first panel focused on inspiring CHI leaders and comprised of CHI member tenants who have contributed significantly to their communities, been active members of the CHI board, or grown their own businesses. Joining the discussion were CHI member tenants Mamy Nzema Nkoy, Caoimhe McCarthy and Marianne Ward-O'Leary Maughan.

CHI member Mamy Nzema Nkoy, shared her experiences of supporting people in education, academia, and finding her feet as a leader in her community. Member Caoimhe McCarthy discussed the steps she took when setting up family-run business, Sitto Z, who make their own signature artisan chilli sauces, dry rubs and juices. CHI member and board member Marianne Ward-O’Leary Maughan joined the discussion to talk about the importance of encouraging women to take on leadership roles.

The discussion focused on the women’s careers, activism, inspiring women in their lives and their advice for others.

Marianne Ward-O’Leary Maughan  |  CHI member

It’s very important that women have the support within their community to go forward, because sometimes she may not think she has the strength to be stronger, but with a little bit of encouragement, it’s amazing what we can do

The second panel was themed ‘Supporting Women in Leadership’. The panel featured activists with a wide area of expertise working in areas such a social integration, leadership development, sustainability, social entrepreneurship, neurodiversity, and workers’ rights. They imparted their advice and wisdom on attendees, emphasising the importance of encouraging other women, using social enterprise to create community and inclusion, and how women-centred employment policies are crucial in helping women build and sustain their careers.

The event was livestreamed so that CHI colleagues, staff and stakeholders who could not attend in person were able to link in. The event was closed with a few inspirational words from Christine Meehan, CHI community engagement specialist, who was responsible for the event and its success, working in partnership with CHI communications officer, Kate Morgan. This was followed by a light lunch with opportunity to network and continue the discussion.

CHI was delighted to have also partnered with Near FM to broadcast this event to people in the greater Dublin area.

Outputs from the events included photographs, videos, social media updates, follow up emails to attendees and stakeholders, a live radio broadcast of the forum on Near FM, and articles on our website. These were in addition to a female-focused series of ‘Staff in the Spotlight’ blogs on CHI colleagues and their roles in the organisation. All campaign materials had a deliberate look and feel, with elements designed and drawn by colleagues on the community engagement and communications team alike.

There was a great turnout of attendees at the ‘Inspiring Women Leaders’ forum, over 50 people attended online and in person, the majority of whom were peers from the panellists or organisers’ networks. Learning from the event showed that, although its original aim was to appeal to and reach CHI member tenants, there was more appeal to stakeholders including likeminded third sector organisations.

However, the event fulfilled key aims of the broader work of CHI’s community engagement team, which was to showcase the incredible women leaders in the CHI member tenant community and provide a platform for member tenant voices.

CHI’s community engagement team gathered feedback from attendees on the event. Of those surveyed who attended in person and online, 100 per cent said they were very likely to recommend the event to a friend. Some of the highlights listed by attendees were:

• ‘Interesting panellists with a variety of experience to share’
• ‘The diversity of the panels’
• ‘The celebratory atmosphere, recognition of women's strength and learning’
• ‘I think the first panel was a beautiful example of grassroots movements. The genuine compassion of the panellists for their community was inspiring. They spoke from a very authentic place which I felt was empowering and made one feel like change was accessible.'

Ultimately, CHI’s International Women’s Day showed the organisation’s commitment to diversity and equity, and its drive to facilitate knowledge sharing among several groups of inspiring women.