How we're governed
We are a registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, registration number: 29402R. Our Rules explain our purpose and how we're governed, including the responsibilities of our Board and shareholders. They are based on the National Housing Federation Model Rules. Our rules are currently being updated.
Good governance is vital to help us deliver excellent services for residents and stakeholders. The board provides overall strategic direction and ensures that we’re meeting our aims and objectives.
The key responsibilities of the board are to:
- set overall strategy
- support the executive team to work effectively and maintain our financial viability
- identify and control any risks to the association
- monitor performance to ensure we’re delivering excellent services for customers.
Each board member brings a wealth of experience and different skills, but they all share a passion to provide high-quality affordable homes for local people and support the sustainability of rural villages across Leicestershire. You can find out more about our board members below.
Board members
Alison builds collaborative partnerships as Director of Community and External Engagement at the Open University, helping the faculty grow its income and influence across the UK.
Her expertise includes sustainable growth, strategic communications and social impact.
She holds several other non-executive roles and acts as a disability adviser to businesses in various sectors, drawing on her lived experience.
Alison joined the board in May 2023.
Caroline is a chartered building surveyor with her own practice.
She was previously a councillor at North West Leicestershire District Council, where she campaigned for an increased premium of affordable rural homes and she hopes to carry this on through her role on the Board.
Shereen has worked within the housing sector for over 14 years and is currently a manager within a specialist housing department.
She has a background in law and her expertise includes leadership, risk management, analytical skills and industry knowledge.
Shereen enjoys interacting with people and is passionate about making a positive difference in our residents' lives. As a mentor for the Housing Diversity Network, Shereen has been able to share her knowledge with others, grow her network, and enhance her communication and interpersonal skills.
Shereen joined the LHRA board in 2024 and this position has helped her to share best practices and hone important leadership and strategic abilities.
More info about Valerie coming soon
NHF Code of Governance and our self-assessment
The National Housing Federation Code of Governance 2020 sets out the standards that housing associations and their Boards should follow to support effective, accountable and transparent governance. It is designed to help housing associations achieve high standards of governance and Board effectiveness while protecting the interests of residents and the communities they serve.
The Code places particular importance on:
- putting residents’ views and needs at the heart of strategic decision-making
- maintaining effective arrangements to keep residents, customers and colleagues safe, and
- ensuring Boards understand and oversee risk, including the possible effect of different risk scenarios on the future of their organisations.
The Code is underpinned by accountability, integrity, openness, and equality, diversity and inclusion. Its requirements are organised around four core principles.
- Mission and values
- Strategy and delivery
- Board effectiveness
- Control and assurance
The Code is intended to be applied in a way that reflects the size, complexity and scale of each housing association. The National Housing Federation also provides supporting guidance and a compliance checklist to help associations assess how they meet its requirements.
We have adopted the Code alongside the Together with Tenants Charter, reflecting our commitment to listening to residents, being accountable for our decisions and maintaining safe, good-quality homes and services. Our Board uses the Code’s compliance checklist to review the evidence supporting our governance arrangements and to identify any areas where further action or improvement may be appropriate.
The Board remains responsible for oversight of compliance and receives and contributes to the self-assessment. The assessment is reviewed periodically and updated to reflect changes in the Association, its operating environment and governance expectations.
Join the board
We're looking for new members who are keen to help shape the future of specialist rural housing.