WISH North Wales: Celebrating, Connecting and Reflecting

On 6 March, WISH North Wales hosted its annual International Women’s Day celebration, generously supported by Clwyd Alyn at their St Asaph office.

With the 2026 theme “Give to Gain,” the event highlighted how we can learn from the experiences and insights of inspirational women across our sector. Attendees heard from three speakers, each offering a powerful and unique story about their path into social housing.

Inspiring Speakers

Kay Rehead, Children’s Services and Safeguarding Lead at Conwy Council, shared her lived experience of homelessness and how her motto of “just give it a go” guided her journey into local government. Her resilience and honesty encouraged all of us to consider what we might achieve by embracing new opportunities.

Maya Waud reflected on her route into the sector as an apprentice, emphasising the importance of positive female role models and self-belief. She also offered practical networking tips and highlighted the broad range of opportunities available for young women.

Sandy Murray, Executive Director of Resources at Clwyd Alyn, described her career journey from banking in Yorkshire to senior leadership in social housing. She spoke about how leadership has evolved, with traditionally “female” traits such as empathy and warmth increasingly recognised as strengths.

A Chance to Connect

In addition to the inspiring speakers, attendees enjoyed a lively quiz hosted by WISH North Wales Board Member Jayne, and Clwyd Alyn kindly provided refreshments, creating a warm and welcoming environment for networking.

We’d Love Your Feedback

We always strive to make our events valuable and engaging. We welcome feedback from attendees, as well as suggestions for future events.

We are also interested in hearing from anyone enthusiastic and full of positive energy who may wish to join the WISH North Wales Board. Please reach out to any board member to share your thoughts or express your interest.

To watch the video of this event, please click here.

To join one of our future events, or to find out more about what we do, visit our regional page. To become a WISH member and enjoy exclusive benefits including free tickets to events, workshops and online webinars, contact [email protected], or visit our membership page.