River Clyde Homes (RCH) has launched an 'Up Close' campaign, breaking the mould of community engagement across the country.

This signals the organisation's commitment to engaging the community and the wider business sector to ensure a unified approach in raising housing standards across the area.

The show piece of the campaign is a major community exhibition which profiles social housing in Inverclyde across the generations and recognises six of the area's 'Real Community Heroes'.

The exhibition was launched on Friday at Oak Mall in Greenock where it will run for 10 weeks allowing hundreds of visitors to experience the past, present and future of the area.


RCH is Scotland's newest and third largest social housing landlord and aims to challenge traditional perceptions of the sector. It is delivering positive change on a massive scale over the next seven years with the demolition of 2,500 unpopular flats, the modernisation of 5000 existing houses and the building of 1,050 new homes.

Roy Steele, chair of Rive Clyde Homes, said: "RCH is all about the people who live in our homes and the ‘Up Close’ campaign recognises the important part these people have to play in recording the history of the area but also planning for the future."

The exhibition demonstrates how Inverclyde has developed over the centuries, how the regeneration process will deliver 21st century housing for Inverclyde and how this fits into the overall resurgence of the area.

The campaign is supported by Riverside Inverclyde, Wates Living Space, Connaught Partnerships, Lovell, Morris & Spottiswood in association with Impact Arts, Turner & Townsend, SFHA, Hypostyle Architects, Anderson Bell Christie and the Greenock Telegraph.

(GK/JM)