Commonweal appoints Trustee Amarjit Bains to Vice-Chair of Board

Social justice charity Commonweal Housing has appointed its experienced Trustee and homelessness project delivery expert Amarjit Bains, to Vice-Chair of the Board, expanding and strengthening its executive team.

Bains, who has been a member of the Commonweal Board since February 2021, has over a decade of experience in leadership roles across differing sectors, specialising in business strategy and operations, and will take an increased steer on the strategic direction of the charity.

Bains is currently the Programme Lead for London at Bridges Outcomes Partnerships – a not-for-profit social enterprise that designs services to improve life chances for vulnerable people, in partnership with the public, private and third sector.

Bains leads on outcomes partnerships – partnerships between the public, private and voluntary sectors to help address social challenges – including homelessness prevention and refugee services.

As part of her new role as Vice-Chair, Bains will work closely with the Chair of the Board, the Chief Executive and Deputy CEO as a key member of the senior leadership team for the social justice charity, as it continues to launch new property-based pilot projects aimed at tackling social injustice.

Bains has held a range of executive and board positions across the private and third sector, including publicly listed companies. Prior to her 2021 move to Bridges Outcomes Partnerships, Bains was Director at housing and social care provider Mears Group PLC, where she was responsible for a contract to deliver homes and support to asylum seekers across Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north-east of England.

Bains also occupies the Vice-Chair role on the Board at Coin Street Community Builders, a social enterprise developer working across the Waterloo and North Southwark area. She additionally sits on the Board of Trustees at Gateway Housing Association.

Bains is the first Vice-Chair since Jack Mactaggart vacated the role in 2020, having been appointed Chair of the charity his father and Commonweal’s honorary president Sir John Mactaggart founded in 2006.

The charity’s Board currently includes eight Trustees with extensive knowledge and expertise covering policy and research, social housing, academia, finance, and development and regeneration.

Amarjit Bains, Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees at Commonweal Housing, said: “For the past three years, I have seen the unique role that Commonweal can play in bringing imaginative ideas to life and enabling frontline partners to trial and develop new models to support those on the margins. This is an important time for the charity as we continue to dig deeper into the criminal justice sector, the youth sector and the migration, asylum and trafficking sector, and I greatly look forward to providing any further guidance and insight I can.”

Jack Mactaggart, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Commonweal Housing, said: “Amarjit is a real asset to Commonweal. She has been a vital cog during her three-year tenure, providing invaluable insights, strategic direction and due diligence across the many areas of our work. We are thrilled she accepted our offer to be our new Vice-Chair and look forward to continuing to work closely over the coming years as we continue on our mission to be the go-to organisation for housing solutions to social injustice.”