Past and present Committee and Board members, existing and former members of staff, contractors and others associated with the organisation over the half a century gathered for the very special occasion.   

It is the policy of Glasgow City Council to mark special occasions from city organisations “celebrating either fifty years or centenaries” and the invitation comes directly from the Lord Provost’s office.

Around 100 people were welcomed to the City Chambers by Bailie Marie Garrity who spoke of the importance of community-based housing providers and the vital work they do to provide good housing.

Bailie Garrity praised Elderpark and said it had, over half a century, fulfilled a crucial role - not just to the wider Govan community - but to the city itself.

Gary Dalziel, chief executive of Elderpark, thanked the City of Glasgow, the Lord Provost and Ballie Garrity for honouring Elderpark with a civic reception. He said: “Those early days in the mid 1970s saw Elderpark Housing being formed through necessity - quickly acquiring the deteriorating homes within the local area.

“The preceding decade saw the comprehensive refurbishment of these tenement flats before building our first new build homes in the early 1980s which has continued right through to present day with our most recent development of 82 new homes and our office move to the historic Hills Trust former primary school in 2021.

“But organisations are as much, if not more, about the people and Elderpark would not be what it is without the dedication of many volunteer management committee members who have dedicated time and energy over the last fifty years to lead Elderpark Housing for the benefit of the organisation and the local community.

“I am particularly delighted to see Elspeth Millen BEM in attendance. Elspeth dedicated 23 years to Elderpark Housing, most of these as chairperson. Elspeth was rightfully awarded a British Empire Medal in 2021 for her ‘services to social housing and to the community of Govan’.”

Gary also recognised a number of other volunteers and employees who played a key role in the association’s history including its current Chairperson Maureen McDonald who has been associated with Elderpark for over 20 years, Eddie McEachran, the Association’s first Chairperson during the creation of the organisation and his daughter Ann who has been involved on the committee for the last twenty years.

Elderpark was delighted to welcome back former colleagues to the event, many of whom contributed over forty years of their working career to Elderpark and, quite remarkably, will have worked with every one of the five Chief Executives who have led the organisation during its fifty year history. 

In a special part of the event, the attendees heard from Elderpark’s first-ever director, Dave Le Sage who took the helm in 1975. He  spoke of his memories of the organisation when it was in its infancy.

Also attending was Dr Mary Taylor, former chief executive of the SFHA, who was also director of Elderpark Housing in those earlier years from 1982 to 1988 and thanks were also made to Robert Brown and Christine Murphy, who sadly passed away in 2016, for their leadership.

The civic reception is a milestone event for Elderpark Housing and forms one part of its programme of events to mark the occasion including the production of a specially commissioned film, a new mural which complements the existing Govan murals and a series of community-focused events including support for the Elderpark Community Festival taking place this coming Saturday in Govan.