WGHC Welcomes Fiona as our new Housing Officer
WGHC is delighted to announce the appointment of a new Housing Officer, Fiona Dodds. Fiona has joined us from Lister Housing Co-op and has over 13 years of experience in the Social Housing sector. She is passionate about the Social Housing Co-op model and is looking forward to getting to know our tenants.
OFFER! Sign up for a free book
every
month for your children
WGHC is a member of the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library book gifting programme, and we would like to sign up as many of the qualifying children within our community as possible.
Any children from birth up until the age of 5 qualifies for the book gifting programme. All we require is the written consent of the parent/guardian of the child and we can add that child to the Imagination Library. Every month each child will receive in the post a high quality, age-appropriate book. The books are specially wrapped and addressed to the child and are delivered at no cost to the family. If you have a child in your family that may be eligible, a member of our Housing Team will be in touch with more information. Alternatively, to sign up please contact our office on 0131 551 5035 or email us at hm@westgrantonhc.co.uk
Are you interested in joining the Committee?
We recently sent details to all our tenants on how you can join our committee, via a flyer that was posted through your door.
This is a wonderful opportunity to participate as an active member of your Co-op. Without our volunteer committee members WGHC could not exist. As a committee member you will receive full training and develop skills and experience within the management and running of the Co-operative.
Please let us know if this is something you’re curious about and we can arrange an informal chat with our existing committee members about what’s involved. Contact our office on 0131 551 5035
All new committee membership applications will be put forward for election at the AGM in September.
WGHC Annual General Meeting,
Saturday 5th September
The WGHC Annual General Meeting is on Saturday 5th September 2026 at 11am (doors open at 10am for complimentary breakfast rolls and tea and coffee).
For the AGM to take place, we need 40 members to attend.
It would be extremely helpful and greatly appreciated if as many tenant members as possible could attend. A strong turnout helps demonstrate tenant involvement and supports WGHC’s co-operative values. Further information about the AGM arrangements will be shared with tenant members nearer the time.
Household Details Forms
Over the next few weeks and as part of our legal obligations as a landlord, WGHC will be sending out a Household Details form to our all our tenants to complete and return. We can then use this information to provide the best support for our tenants at all stages of their lives.
Your tenancy agreement places a legal requirement on tenants to inform us of any changes to your household within 4 weeks of the change taking place.
We’re
If there have been any changes to who is living in your home that you may have forgotten to notify us about, you can do this when you receive your form.
We understand that there may be barriers to returning the form to us, and our Housing Officers will be happy to collect any forms that tenants are unable to post back or drop into the office.
Here to Help
If you have additional needs, or receive assistance from carers, please let us know if there is anything we can do to support you in your tenancy.
This can include regular visits from our Housing Officers for informal chats, sign posting to further support (where applicable) or requests to make adaptations to your home that may make your life easier.
You can also advise us of any preferences you may have for contact with WGHC, such as telephone, email or text message. We can also provide letters in large print. If have a preferred next of kin contact, or have a family member with Power of Attorney, you may also choose to share this information with us, if that would be helpful.
If you, or someone you know is struggling with the cost of living, please be aware that the Fresh Start Community Pantry is available.
Members of the pantry can purchase £20-£25 worth of food for a weekly membership fee of £5.
Memberships are available for one person per household, one visit per week. Please note, you cannot be a member of more than one ‘Your Local Pantry’.
Your nearest pantry is at: 22-44 Ferry Road Drive, Edinburgh, EH4 4BR.
It’s open:
Monday: 9:00am – 12.30pm
Tuesday: 9:00am – 12.30pm
Wednesday: 2.30pm – 5:00pm Friday: 9:00am – 12.30pm
You can find more information at: www.freshstartweb.org.uk
A few things to do locally (that are free or by donation)
North Edinburgh Arts centre (NEA) at 12C MacMillan Square, Edinburgh is an amazing resource for the local community. The NEA run a yearlong programme of activities, many of which are free, or can be accessed for a small donation usually £5.00. To get to the NEA It’s a 15-minute walk from West Granton. If you are using public transport, you can get the 24 Bus from Edinburgh College to Muirhouse Hub. The selection of activities offered below are the perfect opportunity to socialise or learn a new skill, or both!
The Sunshine Social Club
This is a dementia friendly social club taking place on Mondays between 10:30am – 12:30pm. This group is for people who are living with the early stages of dementia, are newly diagnosed, or are awaiting a diagnosis. All activities and lunch are provided.
First session is free, thereafter a suggested donation of £5. Carers come free.
Nit and Natter
A free, friendly group that come together every Tuesday morning from 10am-12pm to enjoy knitting, a cuppa and a chat. Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided.
Community Shed Sessions
The Shed is a welcoming, safe space where people living in North Edinburgh can come to make or mend stuff using recycled wood. Members can meet new people, learn new skills, and feel supported to realise their creative ambitions. Tuesday – Thursday, 10am-2pm.
There are many more activities on offer. Please look at the NEA website to see their full timetable. https://northedinburgharts.co.uk/whats-on/
Free Family Activity at The Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop
Dates: Saturday 8th, 15th, 22nd 29th between 11am-3pm at the Bill Scott Sculpture Centre, 21 Hawthornvale, Edinburgh, EH6 4JT
In August as part of the Edinburgh Arts Festival, the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop in Leith will be offering free Sculpture Workshops for all ages, families are welcome. Event Info:
➜ This event will take place at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, at the Outdoor Learning Studio in the Courtyard. The Courtyard and facilities are accessible and step-free.
➜ Participants can book a place on the workshop or arrive on the day.
➜ The workshops are outdoors and under cover, so please dress for the weather.
➜ All materials will be provided.
➜ All ages are welcome, and children and teenagers must be always accompanied.
Please see the website for more details: https:// edinburghartfestival.com/event/sculpture-saturday
t 0131 551 5035
e mail@westgrantonhc.co.uk
w www.westgrantonhousing.coop
Out-of-office emergencies: 0131 608 1447
House Exchange Update
For those of our tenants who are currently registered on the House Exchange website, where you can find a new home anywhere in the UK, please be aware that this service will no longer be available as of the 31 of July 2026.
If you are interested in finding a new home, please contact either Laura, Fiona or Sheena in our office to discuss the options that are available to you, or ‘phone 0131 551 5035
New Tenancy Agreements –
1st August 2026
The Scottish Government has published statutory guidance for social landlords on the domestic abuse tenancy provisions introduced by the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021, alongside new 2026 Model Scottish Secure and Short Scottish Secure Tenancy Agreements.
Every social landlord should adopt the new 2026 model tenancy agreements for all new tenancies created on or after 1 August 2026. The new models replace the 2019 versions and have been updated
Your
Committee
Your Committee work tirelessly in the best interests of all tenants, your homes and the wider WGHC estate in general. We have 7 x fully elected members and 1 x co-opted member. We are seeking more tenant members to give some of their time in support of the Committee and your co-operative.
Minutes of Committee meetings are published on our website and can be found here: https://www.westgrantonhousing.coop/about-wghc/ work-of-the-committee/
Please take the time to look and see the work and effort that Committee members and WGHC staff take in support of all WGHC tenants.
to reflect the domestic abuse tenancy provisions, changes introduced by the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 and other forthcoming legislative requirements.
The immediate action for landlords is to ensure that new tenancy agreements issued from 1 August 2026 use the revised model agreements, and that policies and staff training reflect the new domestic abuse provisions.
Further details will be included within a separate flyer to be inserted within this newsletter.
Committee members have given so much of their free time to attend further meetings and training events in order to better understand the issues facing the co-op in an effort to ensure the ongoing viability and resilience for the near and distant future.
Your Committee members are: Colin Fraser (Chair)
• Lynn Jameson (Vice Chair) • Amanda Aitchison
• Alan Lamont • Cheryl Miller (co-optee) • Liz Robertson • Elizabeth Stewart • George Thomson.
If you are interested in a position on the Committee and want to have a say in your local community, please contact Larke Adger, CEO or David Mills, COO –either of whom, will be delighted to help you. Please feel free to call on 0131 551 5035