West of Scotland Housing Association (WSHA) has received a houseful of furniture to distribute to tenants who need it the most.

The social landlord received the donation from family housebuilder Mactaggart & Mickel Homes.

The two organisations are working together to build Symington’s first affordable housing development which will see the creation of 34 affordable homes and a new Co-operative retail store. The first tenants are due to move in before Christmas.

All the properties are built to meet the AECB Building ‘Silver’ Standard for sustainability. There are 16 two-bed terraced homes, 13 cottage flats, 4 three-bed semi-detached houses, and one property suitable for a wheelchair user.

Jamie McLean, Mactaggart & Mickel head of contracts and timber systems, said: “We work very closely with the excellent team at WSHA and know that some of their tenants cannot always manage to fully furnish their homes.

“We came up with the idea to decorate and furnish one of these new homes to highlight the standard of accommodation on offer, and to donate the furniture to the WSHA for onward distribution to deserving tenants, whether at Symington or elsewhere.

“This is not something we have done before but as a family-run business we know how important it is to look out for others and offer a helping hand where possible. We are already discussing how we can support WSHA tenants at future developments, including new affordable homes at Doonfoot in Ayrshire.”

Maisie O’Brien, community and support services manager at WSHA, said: “WSHA and its charitable subsidiary Willowacre Trust, provide support services to our tenants who are experiencing personal difficulties, financial hardship and those who are moving into their first tenancy.

“The furniture kindly donated by Mactaggart & Mickel will be utilised for some of our more vulnerable families and this will make a significant difference to their lives. I extend our thanks to Mactaggart & Mickel and we look forward to developing our partnership.”