Looking to the future on our 20th anniversary

​Ancho has celebrated their 20th anniversary at their 2020 annual general meeting, two years after tenants voted to become a subsidiary of the Cairn Housing Group.
 
Reflecting on the last year, Mary Black, Chair of the Ancho Board, said:
 
“We have faced up to a challenging year as we responded to the national lockdown that put restrictions on our ability to provide housing services.  Housing associations are not immune to the impact of Covid-19 and the benefits and support of our partnership with Cairn Housing Association are clearly showing.  Being part of Cairn Housing Group has made both organisations more resilient to the challenges of this year and those that are still to come.  In the year ahead, we will be looking at how we can further integrate operations and strengthen the bonds between our organisations, to plan for the best possible services to our communities.”
 
Mary Black said, “The AGM gave an important opportunity to mark the retirement of Jackie Brown after 19 years’ dedicated service as a member of the Ancho Board.  Jackie served as Vice Chair and Chair and her commitment and energy to the work of Ancho, including steering the Association into the partnership with Cairn, is very much appreciated and we wish Jackie well for the future.
 
“Our Board are delighted to announce Bill Finlay’s election as Vice Chairperson.  Bill brings many skills to Ancho from his career as a Chartered Accountant, where he provided audit, accounting, corporate governance, legal compliance and business advice to company boards and CEOs.  Bill’s wealth of experience is a great asset to our team and I look forward to working with him in his new role on the Board.”
 
Jason MacGilp, Chief Executive of Cairn Housing Group, said:
 
The Ancho team has kept focus on service delivery in a challenging year.  As part of the Cairn Housing Group we continued to roll out our five-year programme of improvements in Irvine, with £2.1m spent on upgrades including kitchens, roofs, windows and doors.  Ancho tenants are also benefitting from a five-year rent guarantee as part of the partnership with Cairn, which offers reassurance of continued affordability at a time when every penny counts. 
 
“We are grateful to our team for their hard work and commitment during an incredibly difficult time for everyone, and the incredible support they’ve offered to our tenants in North Ayrshire.”