BCHA was founded in 1968 by a group of volunteers in Bournemouth trying to contribute to the local housing problems. Today we are a charitable housing association supporting individuals and families across the South West and South of England. We are a major provider of a diverse range of housing, support and learning services for socially excluded people.
We have a continuing mission to meet housing need and end homelessness. We aim to achieve this through the building and provision of affordable and secure homes, and by supporting individuals to take control and lead independent, fulfilled lives.
Whether we are developing sites or supporting people with housing or learning, we believe in equality, the importance of every individual and the right to be valued and treated with dignity and respect. Our doors are open to everyone.
We manage over 1300 properties and support thousands of individuals each year.
Our work spans:
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HOME: Providing homes at social and affordable rents
- SUPPORT: Supporting individuals at risk of homelessness
- LEARN: Supporting people to turn their lives around and achieve their ambitions
- ENTERPRISE: Collaborating with our communities to create value add entrepreneurial solutions
To view our full range of housing see our current Housing Stock map.
Governance
If you have an interest in BCHA's work, you can become a shareholding member and will be entitled to vote at our Annual General Meeting. Becoming a shareholder costs £1.
To apply for shareholding membership or to become a member of the Board, please email [email protected] or send a letter to 14 Alder Hills, Poole, BH12 4AS. Our Company Secretary can provide further information and our BCHA Rules. For more details, please see our Shareholding Membership Policy.
Governance at BCHA ensures that we fulfil our mission and responsibilities to our customers, stakeholders and community. It refers to our processes and principles that guide our decision-making, oversees our finances and monitors our compliance with legal requirements.
Our Board of Directors govern BCHA with the help of these crucial tools:
- The National Housing Federation Code of Governance sets out best practices for the industry. This provides the framework for our governance, supporting us to ensure we are accountable. In 2010, BCHA formally adopted the NHF Code of Governance and is working to the latest edition (2020)
- Our Governance Framework sets out the principles and procedures that guide how BCHA is managed
- The Governance Self-assessment helps us assess our governance practices against the Code's standards, by identifying our strengths and weaknesses
- The Annual Governance Statement summarises our governance over the last year, what has been achieved and what we are doing over the current year to improve our processes
In 2024, the Housing Ombudsman published a new Complaint Handling Code which sets out good practice to help landlords respond to complaints effectively and fairly. Visit our Compliments and Complaints page to find our more about our process.
The role of our Board is to determine the mission, vision and strategy of BCHA and direct our affairs. To understand more about our Board, view the documents below:
Visit Our People page to see the full list of our Board Members.
Vision
Everyone has a home and the opportunity to thrive.
Mission
To help people take control of their own lives and find a way forward. We collaborate with others to provide this, whilst we focus on homes, wellbeing and learning.
Values
- We are passionate: committed to giving everyone an opportunity and courageously advocating for our customers
- We are person-centred: driven to achieve the best with and for people
- We are purposeful: setting clear standards for quality and working together to achieve more
- We are inclusive: embracing diversity and establishing an inclusive environment for all
Our Strategic Priorities
The following five priorities will be the focus of our energies over the next five years. Each one cannot be achieved without reference to the other four.
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Customers at the Heart
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Valued and Supported Teams
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Safe and Comfortable Homes
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A Bigger Impact
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Fit for the Future
Customer Engagement
BCHA is committed to customer engagement and embedding the customer voice in all we do. We aim to involve customers in the design, delivery and evaluation of our services.
We offer all of our customers a range of opportunities to influence our work. This includes a Customer Steering Group, Reference Panels, specific working groups, surveys, involvement in recruitment, peer mentorship and our customer created Tenant Talk.
To learn more about customer engagement at BCHA, visit our Get Involved page, read our Customer Engagement Strategy or check out the Tenant Talk magazines.
Partnerships & Collaboration
Collaboration and partnership working is a central approach for BCHA. We know that by working together we can achieve better outcomes for those we serve.
We are proud to work in partnership with several organisations, commissioners and associations to help us in our mission to help people take control of their own lives and influence local communities and national debates to help eliminate homelessness and social exclusion.
Key Information
You can find our most recent annual reports and key documents in the Key Information section. This includes our Annual Financial Statement, our Annual Impact Report and our Gender Pay Gap Report.
Bournemouth Churches Housing Association Limited is a charitable registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, registered with the Financial Conduct Authority No. 18497R and with the Homes and Communities Agency No. LH0155.
Read more about our regulator, the Regulator of Social Housing.
Our Partners
