Muirhouse Housing Association’s long-standing director Brenda Tonner has resigned following 23 years of service with the area’s largest housing association.
Muirhouse Housing Association (MHA) was formed shortly after the start of the regeneration of the Muirhouse area, established by a group of residents in 1992. Their original objective was quite simple: to improve the housing within the area and make Muirhouse a desirable place to live. Sounds simple, but anyone who remembers the reputation of the area back then knows the scale of the challenge.
Brenda was the first member of staff to be appointed and she worked alongside a strong board of community directors that included activists like Maureen McMillan, John Davidson and Jenni Marrow.
The original plans way back then centred on the Muirhouse Green, Muirhouse Park and Muirhouse Terrace areas but regeneration successful housing partners with the city council, Communities Scotland and private builders resulted in MHA expanding both within Muirhouse and further afield into Drylaw.
Through sheer hard work, Brenda and an ever-growing team built MHA into a thriving, community-based housing association with over 500 homes across North Edinburgh, the latest being a development of 52 units completed just last month.
Last summer the Muirhouse Medway-based organisation expanded to create a subsidiary called Muirhouse Homes, set up to manage a number of mid-market properties in the area, and in February this year new homes were opened in Magill Drive on the former BT site.
It’s not all been plain sailing for the social housing project, however, and there have been problems too. In December last year the Scottish Housing Regulator identified ‘serious and urgent risk to the financial health of Muirhouse’ and serious weaknesses in its governance and financial management. It used its statutory powers to appoint a manager and to make three statutory appointments to the governing body.
The Association also lost it’s long-serving Chairperson Michael Woods, who retired due to health problems in April. Michael first joined as a member in 1999 and he twice served as the organisation’s chairperson.
Since problems were flagged up MHA has taken steps to address the immediate risks faced and is developing plans to strengthen its governance and financial management to address the serious weaknesses it faces.
The Regulator has since extended the appointment until December 2015 and has published a revised regulation plan which sets out how it will work with Muirhouse to resolve outstanding issues.
Ian Brennan, Director of Finance and Risk, said: “The action taken has dealt with the immediate issues which led to the statutory appointments being made in December 2014.
“During the next six months, the manager and appointees to the governing body will work with Muirhouse to help it address the underlying causes so that it is able to comply with our Regulatory Standards of Governance and Financial Management.”
Now, having overseen the completion of a significant new build scheme and helped secure a new chair for the Association, Brenda (pictured above (second from right) at MHA’s 20th anniversary celebrations) feels the time is right to move on and let a new team take MHA forward.
After her final Board meeting last month, Brenda said: “Inevitably I feel some regret about leaving MHA. I have worked with a great team both within the board and the office staff.
“However, 23 years is a long time and now is the time for others to take up the challenges ahead. I am looking forward to having a bit more time for myself and my family and to take time to assess a new direction and opportunities with my career.”
Brenda Tonner’s commitment to MHA has never been in question and her outstanding dedication has been recognised by the board, the staff and the tenants of MHA.
Acting chair, Alison Blezard said: “We will miss Brenda’s unquenchable optimism and sheer determination, but she can look back with pride at the role she has played in growing MHA. We all wish her the very best for the future.”
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