Housing development puts community at the heart of its operation

A Rothesay woman has played a vital part in providing housing services to individuals in the local community for over a decade. She states, "the community is the best part about the job".  Isle and Bute local, Louise Connor, took up the role of Development Manager at Bield's Rothesay Court in 2013.

Ms Connor initially joined Rothesay Court in 2003 as a Night-time Assistant before moving up the ranks and going on to secure her current position.

She said: "Rothesay Court is a lovely development to live and work in. One of my favourite aspects has to be the patio and garden out the back. It is beautifully kept with seating areas to the front, where the residents plant their own flowers for everyone to enjoy.

"What's really special about Rothesay Court is its surrounded by hills and large areas of grass, which means we have regular wild deer and rabbits visiting.

"Some properties look out into the gardens and hills, and last year we saw a doe give birth - it was amazing and pretty surreal.

"All the residents were up against the windows, and within three hours, the baby deer was running about."

Rothesay Court has 35 retirement properties and boasts a large communal lounge, maintained gardens, access to lifts and 24/7 emergency response services.

The self-contained flats include a living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom.

The development has the additional perk of a guest room for family and friends, making it possible for customers to have guest visits.

Ms Connor added: "One of the perks of living at Bield is by far the en-suite guest rooms and holiday club.

"Customers can book a room in any of the Bield developments, in more normal times, if they fancied a trip to Edinburgh or Oban.

"Residents can also book the rooms for family or friends who might be visiting - it's a really fantastic service. Usually, pre-pandemic, all our guest rooms are fully booked."

The Rothesay Court team would typically host regular social events in the lounge, from carpet bowls to bingo to coffee afternoons.

Ms Connor said: "We've also had comedians, local singers, school nativity play, choirs, and a three-course sit down dinner at Christmas time, which everyone enjoys. The late Johnnie Beattie came a few years back, which was really special.

"There is a real sense of community at the development, and customers sometimes meet in the lounge for a coffee or sit out the back in the sun.

"When we have new occupants, the customers that have lived here a while go out of their way to introduce themselves and invite them along to the lounge."

Ms Connor is responsible for the day to day running of the development, including liaising with contractors, reporting repairs, conducting health and safety checks and providing tour guides to prospective customers.

Additionally, she is responsible for supporting the wellbeing of customers and responds to emergencies or queries, wearing the emergency pullcord handset at all times.

With the ambition of providing flexible housing solutions, Bield caters to customers' needs on a bespoke level, keeping wellbeing at the heart of everything it does.