Through a successful funding application to East Renfrewshire Council’s Local Authority Covid Economic Recovery (LACER) fund, Barrhead Housing created a £24,000 Tenant Support Fund and helped 130 customers with payments of up to £200 each, who were in need of financial support for a particular need such as utility bills, urgent white goods repair or replacement, fees for clubs, classes or membership for adults or young people, evening classes, courses or extra tuition or clothing for a specific event or need e.g. a job interview, winter coat, or shoes.

Barrhead Housing has also been working in partnership with Back-to-School Bank East Renfrewshire, to provide its tenants with new school uniforms and winter clothing.
Using the LACER funding, Barrhead Housing held two Christmas Parties for over 80 children on Saturday 3 December. Children had the opportunity to take part in Christmas card making, creating reindeer food, face painting and much more. The highlight of the day for the children was meeting and receiving a gift from Santa himself and receiving a chocolate selection box, donated from James Frew via their Community Benefit Clauses with Barrhead Housing.

In the lead-up to Christmas, the Barrhead team will be delivering a present and selection box to all of the young people who could not make the party, with over 400 presents in total to be given out this Christmas.

Bryan Dando, community investment manager, said: “Thanks to ERC’s LACER funding this year, we have been able to support a large number of our customers with direct financial support through our Tenant Support Fund and Christmas presents for the children at the party. There was so much positive energy and it was great to see so many smiling faces.”

Lorna Wilson, chief executive, said: “It’s extremely important for Barrhead Housing to be supporting our customers this winter. We understand that times are extremely hard for a lot of people at the moment, so we are pleased we are able to provide some small relief from the cost-of-living crisis. In the New Year, we will be announcing more financial support for our customers to help with their energy bills during the winter months, through external funding secured from the Scottish Federation of Housing Association’s Social Housing Fuel Support Fund.”

A Barrhead tenant added: “Thank you so much to all the staff and Santa from Barrhead Housing Association for inviting my three children to an amazing Christmas Party.”