Despite concerns that it may be getting more difficult to recruit volunteers locally, that proportion has remained constant over the last three years.

According to the GWSF, this gives a strong degree of confidence about preparedness for the future.

The organisation’s new report, focusing on the challenges of recruiting and retaining governing body members, updates the results of the original study it carried out with its member associations three years ago.

The latest research shows the average number of governing body members per association to be 11.6, with 41% being tenants and 73% local people overall.

The report also picks up on a number of live issues within the sector, such as the extent to which housing association staff serve on another association’s governing body and what the perceived pros and cons of this might be.

Colleen Rowan, GWSF research & policy lead, said: “The headline good news, in this 50th anniversary year, is that tenants and local people are still leading on committees/boards across our sector.

“The figures are particularly impressive in light of the fact that volunteering in general has fallen in Scotland each year since 2022, so community-based associations are bucking that trend.

“However, this doesn’t mean that CBHAs are complacent. Our members variously described their approaches to recruitment and retention of governing body members as ‘proactive’, ‘relentless’ and ‘holistic’, and this is clear from the range of approaches captured in the report, including the case-study examples.

“So our members do believe they remain ready for the future in governance terms, with local people continuing to lead, but with this overall optimism tempered by caution about the wider challenges the sector faces.

“The Forum looks forward to discussions with members on the specific, tangible ideas and action points in the report and how we can best progress these.”