Women in Social Housing (WISH) has strengthened its existing IT infrastructure, thanks to its partnership agreement with IT-services provider, Heywood-based Central Networks and Technologies (Central).

The IT company – which has decades of experience working within the housing sector – has donated implementation and project time to the not-for-profit organisation, to deploy Office 365 software for WISH’s geographically diverse workforce and team of volunteers, as well as support and bolster new internal IT policies surrounding data protection, retention, and acceptable use.

Commenting on the partnership, WISH’s managing director, Helen Greig said:

“We’re really excited to be working with Central on our digital transformation programme. It’s wonderful to partner with an organisation that not only has the IT knowledge but one that understands the social housing sector, and whose values are so closely aligned with our own.”

WISH is a membership-based network for women across every discipline of the UK housing sector and each of its regions is run by a volunteer board, which devise networking and personal and professional development events to help women share their knowledge and experiences and inspire one another in their careers.

“As a community interest company (CIC), we don’t have an unlimited amount of spend for IT,”

continued Helen,

“Receiving this project time free of charge is a massive help for us, as it means we can get the upgraded systems we need and use our budget to continue running our planned events and activities as cost-effectively as possible for our valued members.”

Nicola Brown, sales director at Central, added:

“As a co-chair of WISH North West, I see first-hand how amazing these events are for bringing women across the sector together and building meaningful relationships with other like-minded ladies.

“It’s great to be working with the CIC to help streamline its tech operations and achieve its security objectives, so that the money it has can continue to be invested in growing its calendar of events which champion positive and beneficial outcomes for all women.”

The 30-year-old IT firm already has a strong presence in the social housing sector, with more than 70% of its 2,000-strong client base being non-profit organisations in this arena – having collaborated with clients such as Bron Afon, SOHA, and Horton Housing, to name a few.

WISH has over 500 members – spanning 10 regions across the UK – and has a commitment to championing women within the UK housing sector, including attracting new talent and supporting their career progression.