Providing affordable, quality housing in a safe, clean environment has been Ardenglen Housing Association mission now for 35 years.

Founded in 1990 the association has now grown to serve more than 1000 tenants in the Castlemilk area of south Glasgow.

Ardenglen’s, Chair, Liz McKenzie said: "This is a milestone well worth celebrating as Ardenglen has been instrumental in the transformation of Castlemilk into one of the city’s fastest growing residential areas.

‘Without the drive of the association and its board to improve the area, and the belief that we have in our own community spirit to succeed, none of the progress you can see in the area would have been possible.’ 

In 1990 Ardenglen merged with Castle Brae Housing Association to form a social landlord tasked with transforming dilapidated housing stock that had been originally built in the 1950s.

Liz continued: "Over the past 35 years not only have we succeeded in modernising our stock into properties people can be proud to call home, we have developed into a cornerstone of the community here in Castlemilk. We are no longer just a housing provider but a community anchor that provides valuable services such as money and energy advice as well as organising a range of community events to help sustain our neighbourhoods."

At its recent new Business Plan launch Ardenglen outlined stock improvement spending plans of £3.4 million including investment in 81 new bathrooms, 226 energy efficient boilers and 280 new kitchens.

Ardenglen Board Member, Karen McDonagh, has been a tenant for 31 years. 

She said: "I grew up in Castlemilk and came back to raise a family here in 1989. Back then the predominate style of house was high flats and unrenovated tenements, since then the area has been transformed. As housing has improved and the area has become a more mixed rental and owner occupier mix people take more of pride in their surroundings and that’s easy to see just by looking around.

‘There's no run down houses anymore, the neighbourhood is much more diverse with new people and new cultures, there is a community spirit here like nowhere else and I think the housing association can be very proud in laying the foundations for this over the past decades."