Mull housing project wins national award

A housing project in a small community on the Isle of Mull has won one of the 2017 SURF Awards for Best Practice in Community Regeneration.

The Ulva Ferry Housing project took home the Housing award at the award ceremony on 7 December. The project is delivering affordable family housing in a remote rural community on the West Coast of the Isle of Mull, tackling depopulation and socio-economic decline. 

The SURF Awards are delivered each year by SURF, a regeneration forum with over 260 cross-sector member organisations across Scotland, in partnership with the Scottish Government. The purpose is to highlight, celebrate and share the achievements of initiatives that address physical, social and economic challenges in communities across Scotland.

Andy Milne, Chief Executive of SURF, said:

"The SURF Awards exists to demonstrate that regeneration does work, that communities and partner agencies can deliver meaningful and sustainable improvements by collaborating intelligently. We hope the inventions profiled provide inspiration and practical learning to everyone involved in Scottish community regeneration."

The five winners in the 2017 SURF Awards are:

• Creative Regeneration: The Broomhill Project (Greenock). Delivered by RIG Arts, with support from River Clyde Homes, the project connects local residents with artists in creative collaborations, empowering people in the community, to develop their ability and impetus to affect change.
• Youth Employability: LinkLiving Step On (Edinburgh, Falkirk & Fife). Provides support to young people seeking employment, education and training by helping identify goals and removing barriers to progress using approaches such as a ‘Steps to Resilience’ programme.
• Community Led Regeneration: Dundee International Women’s Centre. DIWC’s vision is to provide a space where women and girls from black and minority ethnic communities can achieve their personal goals, reach their full potential, and prosper in their community.
• Housing: Ulva Ferry Housing Project (Isle of Mull). A remote rural small community in the West Coast of the Isle of Mull are delivering affordable family housing as a basis for tackling depopulation and socio-economic decline.
• Scotland’s Most Improved Place: Irvine (North Ayrshire). The Irvine Vision is an effort by North Ayrshire Council, in partnership with the local community, to drive a strategic approach to the town’s economic and physical development.

Visit the SURF website to find out more about the awards.

And you can read about all the shortlisted projects in the 2017 SURF Awards Publication 2017