She joined the Inverclyde based housing association River Clyde Homes in January 2014 and is retiring from her post as executive director, customer experience.

In a housing career spanning almost 40 years, Sandra has been a key driver of change in every role she has taken on.

“When I came to Inverclyde, there were some elements that reminded of where I grew up in Argyll,” said Sandra. “River Clyde Homes was still a relatively young organisation when I joined and was ready for a refresh of its services following stock transfer. Despite the great work that had been done, in many respects, when I joined, it felt a little old fashioned in terms of its service provision. But the staff were, and still are, great and everyone was up for change.”

Sandra can’t say enough good things about her team at RCH. “There is a strong sense of community here and the staff really care. They’re always prepared to go ‘above and beyond’ and I’m so proud of them. The transformation in services has been phenomenal.”

Sandra plans to take a break when she leaves RCH and reflect on what she might do next. “I plan to do some travelling with my husband, Kenny, and take it easy for a while. But I know what I’m like – I’ll be looking for something to fill the time.”

Paying tribute to Sandra, chief executive Richard Turnock thanked her for her vision and contribution to creating a more cohesive and customer focused service.

He said: “Sandra’s contribution to the development of RCH Group has been tremendous. Under her leadership, her directorate has transformed the quality of services to our customers. I know that she is highly regarded by her staff and the wider housing sector. I am glad to say that she leaves on a high note, with the recent confirmation of our Customer Service Excellence accreditation. She has been a wonderful colleague and has had an impact on all of us – she will be sorely missed. I wish her every success and a long and healthy retirement.”