Over 100 delegates from across the whole of Scotland have attended the third annual Margaret Blackwood Housing Association Tenants’ Day at Hampden Park, Glasgow. This year, MBHA wanted the day to be run by tenants for tenants so, as well as having a staff organising group, we also had a tenants’ group to determine what they wanted from their day. Different tenants had different ideas; from information on anti-social behaviour and planned maintenance, to a social event where tenants could meet new friends and have a fun day out. One of MBHA’s main aims is to be as inclusive as possible and so we tried to make sure that everyone could not only join in the day but be a part of running it too. The event was co-chaired by Kenny Henderson, a supported tenant from Aberdeen, and we had presentations by tenants from Edinburgh and Dundee, making the day very much driven by service users rather than by the Association. Many tenants made a huge effort and travelled to Glasgow from all over Scotland so, on arrival, tenants were given tea or coffee and pastries to recover from their journeys. After Kenny welcomed everyone, the staff introduced themselves and their information desks. We had six desks, giving tenants the opportunity to get information on – and ask questions about – planned maintenance, the Disability Discrimination Act, customer services, housing support, MBHA online, and community issues. The first presentation was given by Bob James, board member (Strathclyde) of the Association of Scottish Neighbourhood Watches (AoSNW). His excellent talk covered community protection and how tenants could set up Neighbourhood Watch schemes to promote security, counter anti-social behaviour and promote neighbourliness. A Question & Answer session followed, with several tenants asking about security for disabled people and what they could do about anti-social behaviour in their area. Bob James advised that, if anyone wanted to set up a neighbourhood watch scheme or get more information, then he could be contacted through the Tenant Participation Officer as MBHA now has a direct link to himself. | Tenant Day 2005 | 2 | 3 | |
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