Farewell Paula & Anne, and Welcome Gary & Angi!

It’s all change at ELHA as our Director of Finance, Paula Oliver, retired at the end of June after 29 years.  

Paula was only our seventh staff member and has seen the Association grow from just 200 homes into the Group it is today, not just a housing association but with R3 as a thriving subsidiary maintenance company and a Care & Repair service too.  

But as one chapter ends, another starts, with the appointment of Gary Alison as ELHA’s new Director of Finance & Corporate Services.    

Gary joins ELHA having worked in the social housing sector for the last seven years with Loreburn Housing Association, with roles including Head of Finance and Procurement, Director of Finance and Corporate Services and latterly as Director of Property & Development. 

Our Money & Home Energy Adviser, Anne Rattray, left at the end of July.

Anne joined us eleven years ago to provide our tenants with an independent Money Advice Service via Castle Rock Edinvar (now Places for People Scotland). Her background included working with the Department for Works and Pensions making her ideally suited to help our tenants apply for benefits. During 2020, Anne increased her qualifications and extended the Service to provide Home Energy Advice.  Over her time with us, Anne has accessed over a million pounds for our tenants in benefit claims, grant funding, charitable donations and more, and has supported hundreds of tenants to make the most of their income, and run their home in an energy efficient way.

We’re sad to see Anne go, but thank her for her exemplary work over the years, and  wish her all the best for the future.

We also have a new face joining Nicola and Alison on Reception, with Angi Grieve joining our Corporate Services team as a Senior Assistant.  Angi previously worked in the pension industry and within the school system, so moving over to social housing is quite a change!