This year, the Tenants Information Service (TIS) received an impressive response and welcomed high quality nominations across all nine award categories. Finalists were selected from a longlist of applicants by an independent judging panel that consisted of representatives from organisations including Queens Cross Housing Association, Dundee City Council and the Scottish Government.

TIS chief executive, Ilene Campbell, said: “The exceptional quality of entries really shined through this year. The strength of applications highlighted the fantastic developments that organisations are taking to lead the way throughout the sector.”

Finalists from across Scotland made this year’s shortlist a hotly anticipated contest in a bid to receive one of nine prestigious trophies. The award ceremony and Gala Dinner took at the Westerwood Hotel and Resort, Cumbernauld and was hosted by TV and radio presenter, Cat Harvey.

The finalists and winners recognised at the awards ceremony were:

Sponsor: Argyll Community Housing Association

Presenter: Douglas Prophet, Vice Chairperson, Argyll Community Housing Association

Winner: Tenant Participation Development Working Group & Tenant Participation Team, West Lothian Council

Runner-up: Connect4Renfrewshire, Linstone Housing

Sponsor: CIH Scotland

Presenter: Gary Dalziel, Vice Chairperson, CIH Scotland

Winner: East Ayrshire Federation of Tenants and Residents

Finalist: HETRA, East Lothian Mental Health Peer Support Sub-group

Sponsor: Dundee City Council

Presenter: Anne Rendall, Depute Convener of Neighbourhood Services, Dundee City Council

Winner: Norma Groves, Aberdeen City Council

Runner-up: June Anderson, Clackmannanshire Federation of Tenants and Residents

Finalist: Sam Hewitt, South Lanarkshire Tenants Development Support Project

Finalist: Steve Byrne, Highland & Argyll & Bute Regional Network of RTOs

Sponsor: N/A

Presenter: Alice Bovill, Chairperson, TIS

Winner: Budget Scrutiny Group, South Lanarkshire Council

Winner: The Bield Improvement Group, Bield Housing & Care

Finalist: Housing Service Review Group, Aberdeen City Council

Finalist: Scrutiny Focus Panel, Castle Rock Edinvar

Sponsor: Glen Oaks Housing Association

Presenter: Elaine McShane, Chairperson, Glen Oaks Housing Association

Winner: Your Voice Scrutiny Group, Argyll Community Housing Association

Finalist: Customer Scrutiny Group, South Lanarkshire Council

Finalist: Hanover HEART, Hanover (Scotland) Housing Association

Sponsor: Cunninghame Housing Association

Presenter: Jeanette Strang, Chairperson, Cunninghame Housing Association

Winner: Tenant Scrutiny Group, East Lothian Council

Finalist: Housing Service Review Group, Aberdeen City Council

Sponsor: The Scottish Government

Presenter: Susan McLellan, Tenant Participation Manager, The Scottish Government

Winner: Carol Hannaford, Aberdeen City Council

Finalist: Margaret Bailie, Linstone Housing

Finalist: Max Scotto, Kingdom Housing Association

Sponsor: West Lothian Tenants Housing Network

Presenter: Cllr George Paul Executive Councillor for Services to the Community Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel

Winner: Aberdeen City Council

Finalist: Sheltered Housing Conference Planning Group, South Lanarkshire Council

Sponsor: International Union of Tenants

Presenter: Jan Laurier, International Union of Tenants

Winner: Rigside and Douglas Water Tenants and Residents Association, South Lanarkshire Council

Finalist: Braehead Park Tenants and Residents Association, North Lanarkshire Council

Finalist: Dundee Federation of Tenants Associations

TIS extended its thanks to this year’s judges, presenters, sponsors, and partners for their support. Applications for next year’s TIS National Excellence Awards will open in January 2019.