Over 100 delegates from Ayrshire RSLs were joined for the third Eydent Housing Conference by colleagues from Ayrshire local authorities, as well as RSLs from Renfrewshire and Glasgow.

Held at the Gailes Hotel in Irvine on November 15, the theme of the conference was “Meeting the Challenge” and the extent of that challenge was set out by keynote speakers Anne Jarvie, vice chair of the Scottish Housing Regulator, and Sally Thomas, CEO of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA).

Each recognised the important role played by housing associations in delivering good quality affordable housing and the enormous responsibility that places on front line staff. Both spoke passionately about their vision for housing in Scotland and the need to continue to focus on delivering good quality affordable housing, whilst maintaining the integrity of, and trust in the sector though good governance.

The keynote speakers led the way a range of practical and informative workshops which covered the Housing (Scotland) Act, governance, tenant engagement, personal development and wider role. The closing plenary saw Mike Stevenson of Thinktastic praise delegates for the fantastic work they already do in Ayrshire communities and challenge them to do more and do it even better.

Neil Stirling, asset management administrator with Atrium Homes, said: “This was the best Eydent conference so far and for me it was a huge success. It was really motivating and a great opportunity to learn and share ideas.”

The conference was organised by Eydent, the alliance of Ayrshire housing associations, in conjunction with SHARE.