NGHA Holds Celebration for International Women’s Day
On Wednesday 4th March, New Gorbals Housing Association hosted a special appreciation lunch to mark International Women’s Day 2026.
The event was held as a thank you, giving gratitude to the many female volunteers who work with the Association across various groups and disciplines.
All of the attendees play their own important part in helping Gorbals thrive, from members of the Association’s Management Committee to those who volunteer at events or go out and litter pick in the community.
The event took place at New Gorbals Housing Association’s office and featured an informal lunch with a presentation on the history of Gorbals women and their great achievements. This was followed by some mindfulness body scanning from the Association’s multi-talented Participatory Budgeting Officer, Melissa Gillen.
Tracey McCauley, Head of Maintenance at NGHA, spoke at the lunch to voice appreciation for all the women that make vital contributions to the Association:
“From providing hot meals for local residents at our Community Meals to shaping decisions on the Management Committee, our volunteers are the heart of this community.
“I am so pleased Gorbals has so many opportunities for people to get involved, including new volunteer groups like Gorbals Community Pantry and G5 Cinema this year.
“I’m even more delighted that more and more women are relishing these opportunities and helping the Gorbals thrive.
“So, I’d like to take this opportunity today to say thank you to our female volunteers, for your drive, resilience, dedication and kindness.”
As a community-controlled housing association, NGHA is run by members in the form of a Management Committee. The Committee is made up of tenants and residents in the Gorbals who give their time, knowledge and expertise throughout the year to ensure the Association is run to the benefit of the people of Gorbals.
Housing Association tenants can also contribute to the work of NGHA in the form of a Tenant’s Panel or Tenant Scrutiny Group. These groups are designed to scrutinise the work of the Association and put forward feedback from tenants.
The International Women’s Day event is the first in the calendar for the Association’s volunteers, with additional events for volunteers taking place in June and November.
Another important way local people can contribute to Gorbals is through the Gorbals Ideas Fund. This is a participatory budgeting project, which means local people can put forward their ideas and decide how a pot of community funding is spent on projects to help improve the Gorbals. The project is run with the help of a number of volunteers, known as Community Advocates.
NGHA is always looking for new and enthusiastic volunteers to join them in making the Gorbals a thriving community. Anyone interested in this should contact communities@newgorbalsha.org.uk or call 0141 429 3900 and ask to speak to a member of the Communities Team.