Commonweal Housing appoints new Chair of Board
Jack Mactaggart has been appointed Chair of housing and social justice charity Commonweal Housing, after serving as its Vice Chair for the past year.
Jack is a Senior Surveyor in the investment department at Farebrother and the son of the charity’s honorary president and founder, Sir John Mactaggart. He has served as a Trustee on Commonweal’s Board for four years.
Jack assumes leadership of the organisation’s Board of Trustees from its outgoing Chair, Steve Douglas CBE, who will be taking up the position of Chief Executive of leading homelessness charity St Mungo’s. Steve has spent eight years on Commonweal’s Board of Trustees and last year was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to housing.
During Steve’s time on the Board, we have developed our mission as an action learning charity, interested in researching and testing housing solutions to social injustices. He has helped us to focus on areas where we can make a real difference, including addressing issues of violence against women and girls (VAWG); within the criminal justice system, tenancy sustainment; and young adults at risk of homelessness, amongst other things. We have also developed our new strategic plan which will take us through to 2022.
Jack said, “All of us at Commonweal owe a huge debt of gratitude to Steve.”
“As an organisation, we are clear-eyed about the challenges ahead. Our dedicated, highly capable and experienced team will be there at the front, trying to make room for those at the margins, tirelessly working together with our partners to address issues of social injustice through housing-based solutions. It is both totally inspiring and a deeply humbling privilege to steward this process as Commonweal’s new Chair.”
Steve said, “As I step down as Chair and as trustee of Commonweal, I am delighted to leave the organisation in the capable hands of Jack Mactaggart, who brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience of the work of this small but impactful organisation.
“This is a crucial time for the work of an organisation like Commonweal – one that is committed to testing solutions at its heart. I know that this ambition will continue– and wish the organisation all the best for the future.”