Tenants work together at the Winter Gathering
Tenants from both associations come together for event focused on working together.
Kingdom and Ore Valley Housing Associations, both based in Fife, with a track record of working collaboratively, are in discussions about how they can further develop their partnership relationship.
Tenants from both associations celebrated St Andrew’s Day in style at Kingdom’s second annual Winter Gathering, held at The Adam Smith Theatre in Kirkcaldy on Saturday, where the theme was ‘working together’.
George Zielinski, from Grow Training, a coaching and training provider, based in Lochgelly, brought fun, games and teamwork to the start of the event with memory training tips, team games, and collaborative working to solve a giant jigsaw puzzle.
After lunch, the children took part in a hugely popular arts and crafts session, while the adults stayed in the main hall for more workshops on the benefits of collaborative working. Max Scotto, Kingdom’s Tenant Participation Officer, and Andy Walls, Kingdom’s Property Maintenance Manager, facilitated discussions on repairs and customer expectations and, appropriately on St Andrew’s Day, updated guests on the progress of the Kingdom Housing Association 40th anniversary tartan project.
Lesley Baird, Chief Executive of TPAS Scotland, further expanded on the benefits of working together, and Colin McInnes, Ore Valley’s Housing Manager/Deputy CEO, and Andrews Saunders, Ore Valley Chief Executive, answered questions from tenants on the benefits of partnership working.
Bill Banks, Kingdom Group Chief Executive, who formally opened the Winter Gathering, said: “The discussions between Kingdom and Ore Valley on closer collaborative working are progressing well. We have identified various arrangements that could improve services to customers and deliver future efficiencies.
“It is, however, essential that we fully understand the priorities of our tenants, and events, like the Winter Gathering, are is part of the process that provides an opportunity to update tenants on what we are assessing and to obtain views on what is important to tenants”
Andrew Saunders, Ore Valley Group Chief Executive Officer, said: “It was a very positive and enjoyable event, it was lovely to see the tenants from both organisations meeting and chatting, learning and working together while having fun in the process.
“We all hope that we can get together like this for future events and that the bond between the two organisations and their tenants continues to grow stronger.”