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.
Benefits 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.
Tenancy Support & Sustainment
Working with partnering Associations, 2 officers have been
employed to help vulnerable tenants sustain their tenancies.
Further information is available from the office.
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.
Arts develop skills and confidence
This project has been running for a number of years with
the aim of helping develop the skills and confidence of
members of the community through art based workshops. The
workshops aim to use digital photography or audio-visual
animation as a means to develop participant’s artistic,
social and group working skills. Five groups were involved
including Causeway (RAMH), Neilston Youth Initiative, Auchenback
Youth Project, Facilitation Access and Breaking Barriers
(FABB) Group, and East Renfrewshire Youth Forum. The results
were fantastic and the resulting works were displayed at
a two week long exhibition at Eastwood Park Theatre in June
2009. We were also delighted to receive an Arts and Community
Project Award from Causeway/Renfrewshire Association for
Mental Health. We have also new funding from The Big Lottery
Young People’s Fund to ensure this project can continue
to make a dramatic difference to people living in our communities.
A further 2-year funding grant has been received
from The Scottish Government for 2010/11.
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. This project is funded until March 2011.
Wisdom of Barrhead
and Neilson
As part of the BASIS, Barrhead Art and Social
Inclusion Strategy, and The Big Lottery Young People's Fund,
community arts project run by Barrhead Housing Association
international artist duo Simon Grennan and Christopher Sperandio
commissioned work with the pupils of St Luke' s High School
and the wider community to create a book. Published by Barrhead
Housing Association The Wisdom of Barrhead and Neilston
was delivered as a gift to every one of the 7,500 households
in Barrhead and Neilston in June 2009.
The young people working with the artists collected responses
to the single question - What is the most important lesson
that life has taught you? - and a piece of the personal
wisdom or memory contributed by the people of Barrhead and
Neilston was selected for each day of the year. The resulting
book is to be read, shared and passed on; it can be consulted
on any day to enlighten, challenge, entertain, prompt or
soothe. The book is intended to be a monument to the area,
located in every home, and creates a legacy of and for its
people which will be around for a long time.
BASIS is part of the Association' s Wider Role programme
which aims to improve the lives of their residents and others
living in the local community. The project, which is managed
by arts consultants Art in Partnership and run in partnership
with East Renfrewshire Council, has been running artist-led
workshops in the local area for four years.
In 2008 the project was awarded a grant from the Big Lottery
Young People's Fund to further develop its programme for
young people up to 2010. The Young People's Fund in Scotland
is a £20 million grant programme to help young people
aged 11-25 learn new things and take part in healthy and
positive activities that make them feel good about themselves.
In 2010 a further £27,000 was received from The Big
Lottery Recession Fund.
HAVEN
Employability Scheme
Working
with 4 other housing associations, this project aims to
support people with a disability back into the workplace.
Supported by HAVEN, based in Hillington, the project will
be funded until March 2011. The Association has one
employee who works with us for 21 hours per week.
Dunterlie
Family Mentoring Project
The
Association is working with East Renfrewshire Council colleagues
to bid for funding 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 will be focused
in Dunterlie.
Neilston
Bank
As
part of our commitment to both the Neilston Charter and
the Neilston Development Trust, the Association is hoping
to attract funding for the refurbishment of The Bank Building
as a community based facility. Plans for the refurbishment
will commence in 2010.
Dunterlie
Community & The Resource Centre
The
Association is now working with East Renfrewshire Council
and local agencies to attract funding to begin a community-led
approach to the longer term sustainability and improvement
for Dunterlie. This will include discussions over
the future of the Resource Centre.
Furniture
Re-cycling Project
Voluntary
Action is currently establishing a new furniture re-cycling
project within the Westbourne Centre. Plans are progressing
and the Association hopes to apply for funding to promote
training and employment for this scheme.
Development
Information
2009/10
saw the completion of 89 new homes in Auchenback and St.
Mary's, Barrhead for the Association. All properties
were allocated for rent. In completing these
projects, the Association received Housing Association Grant
from The Scottish Government of nearly £5.4 million
- the biggest allocation of grant received for the Association
for many years.
We
hope in 2010/11 to recieve further funding to allow the
purchase of more properties in the Eastwood side of the
local authoirty area under our Rent off the Shelf Scheme.
Further details are awaited.

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