Book online at www.sfha.co.uk

29 & 30 October 2015 | Macdonald Aviemore ResortScottish Rural & Islands Housing Conference

sponsored by:

What Next for Rural and Island Housing?

40 Years of Housing Scotland

Conference Hosts:

What Next for Rural and Island Housing?

Scottish Rural & Islands Housing Conference | 29 & 30 October 2015

Main Sponsor: Conference Hosts:

Booking Your PlacePlaces at the conference are being offered on the following basis:

RESIDENTIAL DELEGATES RIHAF Members

Non-Members

Single Occupancy Room £390 £445

• Attendance at all conference sessions and delegate materials• All teas and coffees at designated breaks• Lunch on both days• Dinner and entertainment on Thursday• Bed and breakfast accommodation in a sole occupancy room

on Thursday

DAY DELEGATES RIHAF Members

Non-Members

Thursday 29 October £180 £235

Friday 30 October £170 £225

• Attendance at all conference sessions on relevant day(s) and delegate materials

• Teas and coffees at designated breaks• Lunch on relevant days

Please note that the drinks reception and dinner on Thursday evening is not included in the day delegate rates.

Wednesday 29 October

Bed and Breakfast £90

Dinner, Bed and Breakfast £120

• Price is per person based on sole occupancy of a Classic Guestroom

RIHAF wish to thank the following for their support of this year’s Scottish Rural and Islands Housing Conference:

About the ConferenceThe Scottish Rural and Islands Housing Conference covers a range of topical issues concerning rural housing and communities in Scotland. As ever, the conference aims to update and inform delegates of the changes and initiatives that are taking place and to provide an opportunity for frank and open debate.

We are delighted that once again we are able to offer a price freeze on residential places at the conference, which are discounted for RIHAF members. This is the 6th year in a row we have been able to do so. We have also frozen, for the second year, the day delegate prices.

For the third year, RIHAF would like to thank the conference sponsors, Edison Energy, for their support of the event which helps keep delegate costs low, making this conference one of the least expensive events in the sector.

Wednesday 28 OctoberThe traditional coach tour by the host association will take place on Wednesday 29 October. The RIHAF meeting will also take place on this day, following the coach tour.

Accommodation is available on Wednesday night at the hotel for the cost of either £90 on a bed and breakfast basis or £120 dinner, bed and breakfast (single occupancy rooms).

About the VenueThe Macdonald Aviemore Resort is situated in the Strathspey and Badenoch area of the Highlands. The Resort is located just off the A9 trunk road and is also served by train and bus links from across the country.

The conference meeting rooms are located in the Conference Centre at the heart of the resort. Accommodation will be in the newly refurbished 4* Morlich and Aviemore Hotels. The majority of delegates will be located in the Morlich (formerly Aviemore Inn) which is situated right next door to the conference centre and the remainder in the Aviemore Hotel (formerly the Academy Hotel), a two minute walk from the centre.

The Resort offers excellent meeting facilities, 4* star accommodation with excellent leisure facilities, many of which are complimentary for residential delegates. Free Wi-Fi is available through the Conference Centre and hotels for delegates, via The Cloud.

For more information on the hotel visit their website at www.macdonald.co.uk/aviemore

Who Should Attend?The conference will be of interest to all organisations and anyone with an interest in rural housing issues, including staff and committee members from housing providers.

Tell Us What You Need!Please remember to detail anything that you think may help us to ensure your time at the conference is as trouble free as possible. This should include any special dietary requirements or mobility problems (such as difficulty with stairs) as hotel accommodation is located in a separate building to the conference sessions.

SFHA ContactsThe conference is being administered by the SFHA on behalf of the Rural and Islands Housing Association Forum (RIHAF). If you have any queries about the conference, please contact:

SFHA Events Team

Telephone: 0141 332 8113

Email: events@sfha.co.uk

Dinner Sponsor:

Programme

book online at www.sfha.co.uk

Wednesday 28 October 201512.30 Study Tour with Albyn Housing Society

15.30 Study Tour returns

16.00 Rural & Islands Housing Association Forum Meeting

19.00 Meeting Concludes

Thursday 29 October 201509.30 Conference Registration with Tea/Coffee

10.30 Conference Welcome Owen McKee, RIHAF Chair

10.45 Opening Plenary: Scotland’s New Powers?

Speakers: Dr Mary Taylor, Chief Executive, SFHA

This opening session of the conference will look at the outcomes of the Smith Commission and the Scotland Bill which is currently passing through Westminster. The session will provide insight into the deliberations and publication of what is contained within the Bill and the importance of these for the housing sector, particularly around welfare, energy and fiscal powers.

11.45 Tea and Coffee

12.15 Workshops – Block One

1A Local Energy Challenge Fund – Free Electricity for Rural Tenants

Both East Lothian and Berwickshire Housing Associations have been working in partnership with Edison Energy to install solar PV panels to generate free electricity for tenants. ELHA have gone a step further, working in partnership with Castle Rock Edinvar Housing Association and using grant funding from the Local Energy Challenge Fund to add a form of battery to the system - resulting in even more free electricity for tenants. This workshop will outline the principles of the approach - as well as the practice as the majority of systems are being installed by ELHA’s in-house maintenance company, R3 Repairs Limited.

1B Making Rural Development Work

This session will look at the innovative ways that two organisations have increased affordable housing supply in their areas. Ronnie Macrae of the Highlands Small Communities Trust will discuss their rent to buy scheme whilst Tighean Innse Gall will discuss their empty homes proposals and collaboration with Hebridean Housing Partnership.

1C Alternative Sources of Funding

How do you make a successful bid for funding? How do you discover the funding opportunities that are available? What makes the difference between a successful application and an unsuccessful one? This workshop aims to help answer these questions and give practical advice to delegates.

1D Engaging Rural Tenants

Housing associations must have strong tenant engagement strategies in place. However, this does not always happen naturally. Lesley Baird will discuss how you can develop and establish proper channels for tenant engagement in rural and island areas. It will particularly focus on scrutiny panels and tenant profiling.

13.15 Lunch

14.15 Workshops – Block Two

A repeat of the earlier workshops.

15.15 Tea and Coffee

15.45 Plenary: Community Empowerment

Speakers: Dr Sarah Skerratt, SRUC Hugh Donaldson, Highlands and Islands Enterprise

By the time of the conference, the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill is likely to have passed into legislation. The Bill aims to empower community bodies through the ownership of land and buildings and increase their voice in decision making. As well as community empowerment, the other aim of the Bill is to increase the pace and scale of public sector reform as laid out by the Christie Commission. This session will look at the new powers contained within the Bill and what opportunities this can bring for rural and islands communities and housing providers and how you can enable and empower your communities to get involved in better decision making closer to home and planning for better outcomes.

Dr Sarah Skerratt is a Reader in Rural Society and Policy at Scotland’s Rural College and was a member of the Scottish Government’s Working Group on the Community Empowerment Bill. Sarah will give an overview of the powers contained within the Bill.

Hugh Donaldson is a Community Growth Manager at Highlands & Islands Enterprise who will discuss the practical ways in which it can help your organisation benefit your communities.

16.45 RIHAF Annual General Meeting

17.15 End of Sessions

19.30 Drinks Reception

20.00 Dinner with After Dinner Speaker, Raymond Young

To celebrate the launch of his book on rural housing, Raymond Young will provide an entertaining insight into his experiences in the research and writing of the history of rural housing in Scotland.

Friday 30 October 20159.30 Ministerial Address: Richard Lochhead MSP,

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment

(to be confirmed subject to diary commitments)

10.15 Plenary: What do We Want from Housing Associations?

Speakers:Jim Hayton, ALACHO Grant Moir, CEO of Cairngorms National Park Authority

This session will look at how different agencies view working with housing providers – what should and can housing associations do from their perspective; what already works well and what can be improved as well as establishing stronger relationships.

11.15 Tea and Coffee

11.45 Panel Session with Political Commentators

Chaired by BBC Scotland’s Political Editor Brian Taylor, this promises to be a lively and entertaining panel session to close the conference. In the aftermath of a general election result which resulted in a majority government, and in the run up to the Scottish parliamentary elections next year, this is a great opportunity to hear the opinions of some of Scotland’s leading political journalists and commentators.

12.45 Conference Round Up

13.00 Lunch and Depart

BOOKING FORM

Please photocopy one form for each attending delegate.This form secures your conference place. Please ensure that you read the details carefully before completing this form. Please complete the form clearly, using BLOCK CAPITALS.

ORGANISATION DETAILS

Contact Name:

Organisation:

Address:

Telephone:

Fax:

Email:

Please circle as appropriate: RIHAF Member/Non-Member

DELEGATE DETAILS

Name:

Position/Job Title:

Please inform us of any special dietary requirements you may have:

Please inform us of any additional special requirements you may have to help you participate fully in the conference, e.g. mobility/access needs etc. This is important as some rooms may be located a distance from the hotel lifts.

Important NoticeThis programme is correct at the time of going to press. We reserve the right to make alterations or substitutions if necessary. All timings may be subject to change. Views expressed by speakers at the event or in documents or notes provided are their own and may not necessarily by the views of the SFHA or RIHAF.

Cancellations and substitutionsAll cancellations must be made in writing. Please note that if cancellation occurs prior to the closing date SFHA will charge an administration fee of £40. If cancellation occurs after the closing date the full fee is payable. A substitute delegate can be named at any time free of charge.

The SFHA’s Full Terms and Conditions of booking are set out under each event on our website www.sfha.co.uk.

PLEASE ENCLOSE PAYMENT WITH YOUR BOOKING FORM

Confirmation of your booking will be sent by e-mail.

Method of Payment - please tick the relevant box:

Cheque: I enclose a cheque for £ _________ made payable to: Scottish Federation of Housing Associations Ltd

BACS: Bank: The Royal Bank of ScotlandSort Code: 83-06-08 Account: 21692096Name: Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA)

Please return the booking form, including payment, to:

Finance Department, SFHASutherland House, 149 St Vincent Street,Glasgow, G2 5NW

Please note that the closing date is Friday 2 October 2015

I agree to SFHA’s terms and conditions.

Signed:

Print Name:

Date:

events@sfha.co.ukwww.sfha.co.uk/events

book online at www.sfha.co.uk

ATTENDANCE OPTIONS (prices are per person)

RESIDENTIAL DELEGATES

RIHAF Members

Non-Members

Single Occupancy Room £390 £445

DAY DELEGATE PLACE80

Thursday Only £180 £235

Friday Only £170 £225

B&B WEDNESDAY 28 OCTOBER

Single Occupancy Room £90 £90

DB&B WEDNESDAY 28 OCTOBER

Single Occupancy Room £120 £120

I wish to book a place on the Study Tour on Wednesday 28 October (please tick)

Scottish Rural & Islands Housing Conference29 & 30 October 2015 | Macdonald Aviemore Resort