Region 1: Highland and Argyll & Bute
Committee
Steve Byrne
I am Chair of this Regional Network, a role made easier by the support of an excellent committee who put so much effort in to help improve the quality of life for rural tenants. Living in Campbeltown has given me the opportunity to be involved in community life at all levels including Chair of a local group and an active committee member of several others. Maximum benefit for the community can be achieved, I believe, by encouraging people to work together.
Michael Crowe
I am fifty one years old and live in the village of Cardross. I am employed by a Local Authority.
I am the Chairman of the Cardross Tenants and Residents association and I enjoy the involvement that this gives me within the local community as well as the fact that it provides the tools to be able to help others. I feel at last in the National Engagement committee we have been given the chance to voice our opinions at the highest levels.
Isabell McLaughlan
I have lived in a small Highland Village, 6 miles from Invergordon, for 27 years and been involved with our local group for 21 years. I am chair of our local housing forum and a member of Albyn RHA Committee of Management. Albyn were the first tenant led stock transfer in Scotland. I feel it is important to put the rural perspective across. Rural life can be totally different from urban life, but none the less just as important.
Maureen Cairney
I have been involved in housing since 1996 when my home was part of a stock transfer in Invergordon and I became a member of the local tenants group there. I am a committee member of the Invergordon Albyn Residents Association and in the past have been Treasurer and Vice Chair of the Group. For the last six years I have also been a member of the Committee of Management of Albyn Housing Society.
Jennifer MacLeod
I have been a tenant of the Highland Council for over 29 years and have been involved in working for tenants since 1994 when the Firhill group was formed and became chair of West Alness Residents Association (WARA, est 1976) in 1997. I am also a member of the Ross-shire Area Forum, Alness Community Partnership of tenant groups, the Tenant Consultative Group and its TP Strategy Group and Alness Community Council. I have been involved in Tenant National Engagement since the initial meeting and am currently a committee member.
Dawn Beaton
I am one of the newest committee members having just come on board in March of 2009. I am the Chair for Glendoe Terrace Residents Association and have been for 8 years. For the last 17 months I have chaired the Inverness area forum and I am on the committee for Merkinch Healthy Matters and Merkinch Partnership. I am also a Sunday school teacher and youth leader in my church. I am married with two teenagers and a very mad dog. I work the occasional day in Inverness Coffee Roasting where they roast their own coffee beans and the smell is fab. At the moment I am enjoying a ceramics decorating course.
Sonja Aitken
Since I retired I have been involved with Kirkmichael RTO and have been Treasurer since 2001. I am on the ACHA area committee as an independent and I am on Dunbritton HA management board. I have been a member of Argyll Tenants Panel since its inception as well as being involved with the setting up of the Regional Networks. I am also a Community Representative and through that role with many organisations in my area.