New seating area and extra whirly gigs for Loretto tenants in Dalmuir

Tenants of 20 Loretto Housing Association flats in Beardmore Street were given the chance to put forward ideas to make their community an even better place to live.

Loretto launched the You Choose challenge, first asking tenants to take a short online survey about what they think the area needed most and how they would like to see £2800 invested.

Tenants of Loretto, part of Wheatley Group, Scotland’s leading housing, care and property management company, were able to choose between several options. The options included a new seating area with planters and extra whirly gigs; an extended drying area with clothes poles or upgrading their lift entrance.

The apartment block, which officially opened in 2019, was built as part of Wheatley Group’s Livingwell service. The service helps older tenants live independently in their own homes for as long as they can.

Laura Henderson, Managing Director of Loretto Housing Association, said: “We are committed to putting tenants at the heart of our decisions and we gave them the option to decide what to do with the money.

“They came up with some excellent ideas and we put it to the vote. They voted overwhelmingly for the seating area which they will be able to use in better weather and for Livingwell activities as well.”

Work will now begin to create the seating area and they hope to start installing the new seats and whirly gigs in the spring.

Loretto Housing Association is a Registered Social Landlord with more than 2500 affordable homes across the central belt.

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Caption: Loretto Housing Officer Scott Meikle (left) and Loretto Housing Stronger Voices Officer, Shannon Finnegan (second left) survey the area where the new seating area will be placed. They are pictured with tenants Frances Gibson, Carol-Ann Gavin, Margaret McQuade, Christine Brennan and Francis Sweeney.