A project that could transform the future homes and communities of three distinct Scottish neighbourhoods has won the annual Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) award for Best Partnership.
Blackwood Housing & Care’s Peoplehood project was honoured for its innovative collaboration with nine non-housing partners, including the University of Edinburgh, imaging equipment specialist Canon Medical, car rental giant Enterprise, and The Data Lab.
Three Scottish neighbourhoods to trial future-proof housing model
The £12 million Peoplehood project is being rolled out across Charleston in Dundee, Buckie in Morayshire, and Cardonald in Glasgow and sees participants benefitting from assistive technologies such as free tablet computers and WiFi access. The project also delivers e-bikes, electric cars, and a host of equipment and activities within the communities, according to local demand.
The three-year pilot will create a blueprint for active neighbourhoods with age-friendly homes, supported by cutting-edge technologies, making independent living achievable and sustainable as people grow older, with safe outdoor spaces to sustain physical activities.
Promoting independent living for longer
Alzheimer’s Society’s ‘Assistive technology – devices to help with everyday living’ report states that assistive technology can bring benefits that help people to live well.
Assistive technology helps to promote independence and autonomy; improve confidence and quality of life; help manage potential risks in and around the home; support people to live at home for longer; help with memory and recall; maintain certain abilities, such as medication reminders; and provide reassurance to carers and help them to feel less stressed.
The Peoplehood project aims to show how sustainable communities of the future can help people – particularly those with age-related conditions or disabilities – to live longer, healthier lives while remaining independent in their own homes.
“Working in partnership is key to delivering an exemplar project and we believe it has been vital in our work to create a future-proof model that will allow people to live healthier and happier for longer.
“Winning the partnership award for Peoplehood signifies the importance we have placed on co-design. We’ve not only worked in partnership with experts providing specific industry knowledge but also real people living in our neighbourhoods.
“We believe through doing this, we’ll really learn what it really takes to develop thriving healthy neighbourhoods of the future and to be recognised by CIH is a great start.”
Simon Fitzpatrick, Development and Commercial Director, Blackwood Housing and Care
The partnership category celebrated those across the housing sector that have developed, delivered or driven progress through collaboration with other organisations.
In Peoplehood, Blackwood has worked closely with nine partner organisations: University of Edinburgh; Canon Medical Research Europe; Carebuilder UK; CENSIS; Cisco International; Enterprise Rent-a-Car UK; Lewis & Hickey Architects; Mydex CIC and The Data Lab.
Peoplehood develops and delivers products, services, and business models with other partners to support people to achieve five more years of healthy ageing while living independently in their own home.
“We are committed to being at the forefront of innovation in supporting independent living and healthy ageing through a neighbourhood approach. We recognise that a focus on partnership working is important to capture a host of expertise and viewpoints.
“It’s fantastic to see Peoplehood recognised on a national level acknowledging the hard work of everyone involved in the project and showcasing how it is already making a major different to the lives of those in these three diverse Scottish neighbourhoods.”
Peter Moir, the Peoplehood Project Chair on Blackwood’s Board
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