Barrhead Housing Association has been delivering a wider role programme for the last few years. This programme is designed to sustain our communities by developing non-housing related projects. It is based on a national strategy to regenerate communities and tackle exclusion faced by vulnerable people in Scotland.

At local level, the Association has been successful in delivering a range of projects and our wider role strategy continues to highlight and develop a range of projects both within East Renfrewshire but also projects that are shared with other Housing Association partners within Renfrewshire Council's area. A number of successful projects can be found on this page and we will continue to look at opportunities through this programme, which is funded largely by The Scottish Government. We have also been successful in attracting other funding from, for example, The Scottish Arts Council for our arts project, BASIS and The Big Lottery.

Fab Pad is an interior design and decorating project for people aged 16-25. Through coming to weekly workshops and receiving support you can make your house into a home.

Fab Pad will provide materials, budget, lunch and travel expenses. Come along to the open day at the Salvation Army and see for yourself how it all works. Everyone Welcome Thurday, 8th September, 2011. 

Lottery Cash for Tenants : Dunterlie families are set to battle their way out of the recesion - with a little bit of help from their landlords. Tenants in the area will have the chance to take part in more artist led workshops, and also boost their self esteem and employment prospects through specialised lessons after Barrhead Housing Association was granted a huge cash injection by a national recession fund. The Association was awarded more than £27,000 by The Big Lottery fund to help support families in the area and allow them to gain more skills for social living. And the housing authority are putting the cash to good use. Continuing to fund the BASIS project for the forseeable future. The initiative which centres around arts opportunities, has been a huge success in the community, bringing families and friends together for learning and BHA are keen to keep it going. Chairperson, Claire Boyd, was happy to announce the lucrative award. She said : 'we are delighted to receive this funding to continue the good work experience through our successful BASIS project'.

Benefits Information to tenants
This project has funded a welfare rights advice worker for one day a week who started at the beginning of January 2007. Robert Findlay is working with our tenants to ensure they are getting all the benefits they are entitled to.
He is in the office every Tuesday so please make an appointment to see him

Provost Visits Barrhead :  The Association is pleased to announce that a mini tour of new build properties took place within Barrhead on Thursday 7 th October 2010.  East Renfrewshire's Lord Provost Mackie and Council leader Jim Fletcher joined Association Committee members and Scottish Government officials for a tour of the completed projects at Auchenback and St Mary's.  For the Association this tour was arranged to celebrate the completion of 89 new homes but also to raise the difficulties with lack of funding for future development activities for local housing associations.  Given the Scottish Government's impending cutbacks and commitments, it remains unclear what the future delivery of affordable housing will look like and whether the Association, which is a locally based and community controlled housing association, will receive funds for new developments in the future.  The bus tour started at Newton Avenue with a visit to a 3 bedroomed townhouse, then onto the bungalows for elderly residents at Braeside Drive and finishing off at Lowndes Court, St Mary's, again to an elderly block of flats with lift provision.  The developments also boosted the construction industry with Auchenback being built by Cruden Buildings and Renewals and St Mary's by Persimmon.  Investment from the Scottish Government for the 89 houses totals £7.6m with private loans of £3.8m from the Royal Bank of Scotland and Santander.  The properties were let 50/50 to applicants on the Association's and the Council's housing list.  Of the properties seen, Provost Mackie said:

"It has been a great pleasure to visit the new housing developments in Barrhead that have been delivered thanks to the hard work of all the individuals who contribute to Barrhead Housing Association. The dedication and vision of local tenants, residents and our housing professionals will continue to have a direct and positive impact on the day-to-day lives of local people in and around Barrhead, and makes in an invaluable contribution to the ongoing regeneration of the town.”

Tenant of Lowndes Court, Mrs. McGrath said of her new home: ” We are very happy in our house. The neighbours are wonderful and it has made such a difference to us not having the stairs.” 

           Braeside Drive  

           St. Mary's Gardens

Bulb Planting in Neilston : Barrhead Housing Association is delighted to donate a Christmas tree and spring bulbs to the children of McCulloch Way, Neilston.  Over the summer months the children have been cultivating a small area of common land with plants and flower pots. During the judging of our annual garden competition the judges were delighted not only to see the work done by the children but wanted to encourage and reward the children for their efforts.  As part of a training initiative funded by the Scottish Government's Wider Role and Future Jobs Fund, the Wise Group were able to landscape the area and plant the tree. To ensure the children take ownership of the area, the Association held a bulb planting event during the October school break.

The photograph shows our chairperson, Claire Boyd, planting the bulbs with the children during the October school holiday week.  Claire Boyd said:  “It was really good to see the children taking an interest in the area where they live.”

Silver Surfers
Residents at our sheltered complex have become our Silver Surfers thanks to funding from The Scottish Government. We have purchased computers, printer and desks, and delivered training to bring our residents up-to-date with the internet and email.

Community Learning Coordinator
Funding has been received to encourage the uptake of learning opportunities and the use of community facilities throughout Barrhead and Neilston. Rhonda Leith has been appointed since 2007 and although working mainly from our office she will work closely with our communities and our partners. She will liaise with Reid Kerr College to extend wherever possible the learning opportunities at the Auchenback Resource Centre and other areas.

Dunterlie Family Mentoring Project

The Association is working with East Renfrewshire Council colleagues with a funding commitment for a small project targetted at young people aged 8-12 and their families.  The aim is to work to redress the affects of anti-social behaviour and encourage good parenting and the scheme focused in Dunterlie.   Application for future funding will be progressed for 2011/12

Neilston Bank

As part of our commitment to both the Neilston Charter and the Neilston Development Trust, the Association attracted over £70,000funding for the refurbishment of The Bank Building as a community based facility.  The refurbishment work commenced in early 2011 and will be completed by the summer 2011.