The Involving All award was presented to North Glasgow based ng homes who have involved a wide range of people and used their views to improve services and communities across the North of the city.In a tough category the runners up were Impact Arts and Viewpoint Housing Association.

CEO of ng homes Robert Tamburrini said: “Working in partnership with others to look at ways of working ‘with and for’ our residents we are constantly looking for, and acting on, opportunities to get people and organisations together and this year we have continued to build on our commitment to further develop our relationships with minority groups.”

With a multi-cultural mix of residents ng homes takes a proactive and sustained approach to ensure they meet the needs of the groups and also ensure that their voices are heard as part of influencing and delivering on services.

ng homes has made positive connections with African and Chinese communities, recognising the diverse ethnic and cultural make-up of the area and they have carried out a range of Integration events.

With 88 African families living within ng homes properties the association works with groups like African Challenge Scotland (ACS), a community organisation supporting the capacity, development, health, wellbeing and welfare needs of Glasgow’s multi-generational and continually evolving African Community.

Housing and regeneration staff support ACS by carrying out focus groups, identifying needs and challenges and working to provide effective solutions.One of the key areas for ACS is to develop opportunities to integrate with other cultures and provide education and employment opportunities for its members.

For the African community the range of activities has included weekly learning in Maths, Science, Physics and languages.There’s also a youth discussion group and art and design sessions.Physical activities include football, table tennis, handball, gymnastics and African Dance.A “thank you” event at Saracen House included families and individuals from African, Chinese and Scottish communities.ACS also held a week of events in the Summer supported by ng homes and attended by 1500 people.

The Chinese community in North Glasgow also benefits from the work that ng homes does with 60 Chinese families currently living within their properties.Events and activities have included the Mid Autumn Festival which included people from a range of cultural backgrounds.The colourful event showcased Chinese and Scottish music, dancers, Chinese food and fun activities for the children.The event was also recognised by a parliamentary motion in the Scottish Parliament.

International community cook-ins were also held with African, Chinese, Scottish and Syrian families attending. Another popular weekly event is the Oriental Gym Exercise which is attended by Scottish and Chinese women who have connected very well and exchange skills and knowledge each week.

Focus groups were also set up with Chinese residents and ng homes staff worked with them to design and deliver on integration activities and weekly workshops.

Particular issues with language barriers have been overcome with the introduction of Cultural Officers for both the African and Chinese communities and their work includes building relationships and connections within and across cultures working closely with the Scottish community and across generations.

Chairperson of ng homes John Fury said: “We have strong partnerships from community members, schools, voluntary organisations and public agencies and we use all of our resources to create a strong, inclusive, connected community.We are delighted to win this award for Involving All in our community.”