Outstanding Achievement With Three In-A-Row For Ross-Shire

A Dingwall group has received a national award for ‘Outstanding Achievement’, the third Ross-shire residents group to win the award in a row.

The Dochcarty Residents Association was announced as the winner of the ‘Outstanding Achievement’ category of the National Chartered Institute of Housing/Communities Scotland/Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS)/Lovell National ‘Good Practice in Tenant Participation’ awards in Edinburgh recently.

As no one from the group was able to attend the ceremony Councillor Margaret Davidson, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Housing and Social Work Committee, was delighted to attend the group’s meeting on Wednesday evening (13 June) to present them with their award.

Councillor Davidson said the Dochcarty group just don’t realise what a fantastic example they are to others of what can be achieved when a community decide to take the lead on improving things in their own area.

“In only eleven months this group went from nothing, on to establishing themselves as a representative community organisation achieving many successes and improvements in their area, which culminated in them winning a national award for Standing Up to Anti-Social Behaviour.  And they are still going on from strength to strength” she said.

“The judges recognised the successes they had in working together with various agencies, the work they put in and the fact they organised themselves so well in such a short timescale.  Zero to Hero in eleven months!” she added.

The last two groups over the past few years to receive an Outstanding Achievement award are both Ross-shire groups.  The Westford Action Group in Alness won it for their Westford’s Wonderful Place project and the Shillinghill Residents Association in Alness won the category for their Community Park project.

The West Alness Residents Association was runner up in this year’s Outstanding Achievement category for their Westend Community Centre refurbishments and extension project. 

The Highland Council received the runner up prize in the Landlord Participation category for their community consultation work done as part of the Community Warden Service in Ross and Cromarty.

If you would like more information about starting a residents group in your area contact your local Housing office.

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