Women In Social Housing (WISH) North East

What Women In Social Housing (WISH) North East does

WISH (Women in Social Housing) is a Community Interest Company (CIC) registered in England and Wales (company number 12049547), operating as a membership-based networking community for women working across every discipline of the UK housing sector. The organization serves over 500 members organized across 11 regional chapters — London, Midlands, South West, North Wales, North East, Yorkshire & Humberside, North West, South East, East, Scotland, and Northern Ireland — with the North East chapter being the specific entity in scope. Core offerings include a membership network (with revised packages providing access to events), an annual program of regional events, a podcast called 'If I had one WISH' featuring interviews with women in social housing, a newsletter, a jobs board, and training programs. The technology underpinning the offering is not disclosed; the platform appears to be a content- and community-driven website (wishnetwork.org) with no proprietary software, AI features, or technical integrations referenced.

The business model is recurring membership revenue supplemented by corporate sponsorship. Individual members pay annual membership fees to access events, networking, and member benefits, while National Sponsors (JLL, Lovell, Calfordseaden, Procure Plus, Remington Hall, Cardo) and Corporate Plus Members (including CIH, National Housing Federation, Homes England, Campbell Tickell, and a long tail of housing associations, consultancies, and suppliers) pay to be associated with the network. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; prospective members and sponsors are directed to contact the organization. The go-to-market is community-led, with growth driven by word-of-mouth referrals within the housing sector, social media presence (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Bluesky), a podcast distributed across Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and RSS, and recurring regional events. The organization is independently operated with no parent company, 1-10 employees, and a recently appointed Managing Director (Jayne Entwistle).

Name

Women In Social Housing (WISH) North East

Legal name

Women in Social Housing (WISH) CIC

Website

https://wishgb.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Women In Social Housing (WISH) North East is a UK-based Community Interest Company and regional chapter of WISH, a membership network serving over 500 women professionals across the UK housing sector through events, a podcast, training, and a jobs board.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Networking and Industry Association Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Professional networking community
• Membership organization
• Housing sector events
• Women in housing
• Career development network

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: WISH generates revenue through annual membership fees paid by individuals working in the housing sector. The organization offers revised and improved membership packages that provide access to events, networking opportunities, and member benefits. Sponsors (National Sponsors and Corporate Plus Members) also pay to be associated with the network, contributing to revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

WISH is a Community Interest Company operating a membership-based networking network for women working across every discipline of the UK housing sector. It delivers this through 11 regional chapters hosting events, a podcast, a jobs board, training programs, and a newsletter, funded primarily by individual membership fees and corporate sponsorships from housing-sector organizations.

Product overview

WISH (Women in Social Housing) is a Community Interest Company operating as a networking membership community for women working across the UK housing sector. The organization offers a membership network with access to 11 regional chapters, an annual events program, a podcast (If I had one WISH), a jobs board, training programs, and a newsletter. The core offering centers on community membership, networking events, and professional development resources rather than a traditional software product. Sponsors and corporate partners support the organization, which is registered in England and Wales as CIC 12049547.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 'If I had one WISH' podcast: A podcast featuring inspiring women from the social housing sector, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube.

Products and services

• WISH Membership Network A membership-based networking community for women working across every discipline of the UK housing sector, providing access to 11 regional chapters, events, resources, and career support.
• 'If I had one WISH' Podcast A podcast featuring conversations with inspiring women from the social housing sector, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, RSS, and YouTube.
• Regional Events Program Informative events hosted annually across 11 UK regions for WISH members, serving as the primary networking and community-building mechanism.
• Training Programs Training opportunities offered to WISH members to support professional development within the UK housing sector.
• Jobs Board A job posting service enabling employers in the housing sector to advertise positions and members to browse available opportunities.
• WISH Newsletter A regular newsletter providing updates on upcoming events, news, and blog posts from WISH, distributed to subscribers across 11 UK regions.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JLLcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerJLL (Jones Lang LaSalle) is listed as a National Sponsor of WISH, supporting the organization and its mission to advance women in the housing sector. Richard Petty, Head of UK Living Advisory at JLL, has publicly expressed pride in the association.
• LovellcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLovell is listed as a National Sponsor of WISH, providing financial and marketing support for the organization's initiatives to advance women in the housing sector.
• CalfordseadencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCalfordseaden is listed as a National Sponsor of WISH, supporting the organization's mission to champion women in the housing sector.
• Procure PluscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProcure Plus is listed as a National Sponsor of WISH, contributing to the organization's funding and visibility in the housing sector.
• Remington HallcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRemington Hall is listed as a National Sponsor of WISH, supporting the network for women in social housing.
• CardocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCardo is listed as a National Sponsor of WISH, providing support for the organization's initiatives to advance women in the housing sector.
• Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCIH is listed as a Corporate Plus Member of WISH, indicating organizational support for the network's mission to advance women in housing.
• National Housing FederationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Housing Federation is listed as a Corporate Plus Member, showing sector-wide support for WISH's mission.
• Homes EnglandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHomes England is listed as a Corporate Plus Member, demonstrating governmental support for WISH's initiatives to advance women in the housing sector.
• Campbell TickellminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCampbell Tickell is listed as a Partner (Corporate Plus Member) of WISH, supporting the organization's work.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Women on Boards UK: A UK-based organization promoting greater female representation on corporate boards. Comparable women-in-leadership network model with a similar membership-and-events mechanic, though focused on board-level pipeline rather than a sector-specific membership community.
• Women in Construction: Membership network for women working in the UK construction industry. Highly comparable structure and mission to WISH — supporting women in a male-dominated built-environment sector through networking, events, and advocacy — providing a blueprint and competitive cross-sector reference.
• CREW Network (Commercial Real Estate Women): Global membership organization for women in commercial real estate. Operationally similar to WISH — women-only, industry-vertical, networking/events-led — and demonstrates the international scale such models can achieve, providing both a benchmark and a potential future-adjacent threat.
• Women in Property: UK-based membership network for women working in the property and real estate sector. Closest conceptual peer to WISH: same women-only membership model, similar regional chapter structure, similar networking/event-driven value proposition, operating in an adjacent but parallel built-environment vertical.
• 30% Club: A global campaign and network working to increase female representation on boards and senior leadership. Conceptually comparable to WISH as a membership/network-driven organization advancing women in leadership, but operating at cross-industry scale rather than in a specific vertical.
• WiHTBL (Women in Hospitality, Travel and Leisure): A UK-based membership community advancing women in hospitality, travel, and leisure. Highly comparable format to WISH — a women-only industry network with events, partnerships, and a mission of gender equality — making it a direct structural peer operating in an adjacent sector.

Broad incumbents

• Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH): The professional body for the UK housing sector. Already a Corporate Plus Member of WISH, CIH is the broad incumbent whose membership includes the same target audience WISH serves, and against which WISH positions as a focused, member-led complement for women.
• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS): The global professional body for surveying and real estate professionals, including many working in housing. A relevant incumbent whose accreditation, events, and member services overlap with WISH's audience, representing both a partner opportunity and a competitive channel.
• National Housing Federation: The trade body for housing associations in England. A Corporate Plus Member of WISH, NHF represents a relevant incumbent operating in the same sector and overlapping WISH's audience, while serving a broader (non-gendered) institutional mandate.

Others

• Inside Housing: A leading UK media publication covering the social housing sector. Functions as an information/influence layer adjacent to WISH's audience of housing professionals and is a natural channel partner for distributing WISH content, podcast, and event marketing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/wishnetwork.bsky.social
• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLB6-ukOmCCMlDGg14txCm9kCHtR4bepQk
• Facebookfacebook.com/wishgb
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-in-social-housing-wish-north-east
• Instagraminstagram.com/wish_gb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Women In Social Housing (WISH) North East