This #ScottishHousingDay, WSHA celebrates 60 years of great housing and great neighbours

Yesterday our summer of 60th anniversary celebrations came to a close with Building the Future - our packed, all-day event at the Emirates Arena in the east end of Glasgow. 

The celebration day saw WSHA tenants, community members, sector colleagues and stakeholders from across the country come together to recognise and celebrate WSHA’s homes, neighbourhoods, and all the people who have made them fantastic places to live over the last six decades. 

Encompassing the organisation’s Annual General Meeting, the Building the Future event showcased the phenomenal work that has been done in the 60 years since the Association’s inception in 1965: from its humble beginnings with one flat in Pollockshields, Glasgow, to becoming one of the largest Housing Associations in Scotland.

A highlight of the day was the ‘Diamond Tenant’ awards, which saw awards presented to twelve WSHA tenants who were nominated by their neighbours as ‘diamonds’ for going above and beyond in caring for their homes, their neighbours and their communities. 

A short film was specially-commissioned for the occasion, which can be viewed below. Centring the experiences of tenants and WSHA colleagues, the film also features WSHA’s founder, writer and broadcaster the Rev. Richard Holloway, reflecting on the Associationn’s beginnings and the continuing importance of social housing today:

Looking towards the next six decades, the day also highlighted the innovative approach WSHA is taking as it moves forward, including using artificial intelligence to enhance the customer experience and groundbreaking green technology designed to reduce tenants’ heating bills and address the climate emergency. 

The Building the Future event was the culmination of a summer of celebration across WSHA’s neighbourhoods, which saw fifteen community events and parties taking place to celebrate this fantastic ‘diamond’ milestone. 

Outgoing WSHA Chair, Kelly Adams said:

‘This summer we saw range of activities celebrating our diamond anniversary – from family and community fun days and events, garden competitions, local art projects and more. It has been brilliant to see it all come together today, alongside our AGM, and we know that the association will go from strength to strength over the next sixty years and hopefully beyond!’

Simon Fitzpatrick, CEO of West of Scotland Housing Association said:

“We all know the challenges that our country and the West of Scotland face. From child poverty, homelessness, tackling climate change – the list goes on, and sometimes it can feel too daunting. As we acknowledge Scottish Housing Day this week, WSHA is a shining example of how when we take positive action, like Richard Holloway and his team did sixty years ago by buying one house to kickstart the association, we can change the course of so many peoples’ lives.’

WSHA’s 60th Anniversary celebrations were sponsored by AL Scrubz Cleaning and Langmuir + Hay

The celebrations were supported by: Building Craftsmen of Dumfries, CAS Contract Cleaning, CCG, GDN, J Maintenance, MAST Architects, Narro and QCC