Congratulations in order as Glengorm wins housing prize
Tom Nelson of Glengorm Estate on Mull has won an award for the estate’s affordable housing project at the Helping It Happen Awards.
Run by Scottish Land and Estates, the Helping it Happen Awards recognise exceptional contributions to the rural economy, employment, inspiring education, precious wildlife conservation, community wellbeing and critical environmental stewardship.
Glengorm Farming Partnership won the Rural Property Award, sponsored by Bidwells, for its work - with support from the Mull and Iona Community Trust (MICT) - on delivering much-needed affordable housing on Mull.
Mull’s housing crisis is one of the island’s main problems, but Glengorm came up with the clever solution of converting the estate’s abandoned barn building into a community of homes.
They received funding from the Government’s Rural and Islands Housing Fund for the project, becoming the first private landowner in Argyll and Bute to do so.
Now over a year since the project’s completion, the new community at Glengorm is thriving.
The project was such a success that it caught the attention of Scottish Land and Estates, who got in touch to learn more about the project. A short time later Glengorm found itself shortlisted for the award, something that was "completely unbeknown" to Tom.
A party of 10, including Tom, his wife Marjorie, Helen MacDonald from MICT and workers on the project, went to the awards ceremony in Edinburgh on October 2.
Following their win, the award now sits proudly in the Nelson family home.
Tom Nelson said: It’s amazing to have won the award and be appreciated and recognised for what we have done.
"I think we have a desire to do something similar again, but we have no other buildings on the estate of that size.
"I take pride and satisfaction in what we have done here, if we manage to inspire someone to do something similar, it would be great."
Tom expressed a desire to further help Mull’s housing crisis in the future with more affordable housing projects, however these would be new builds, as Glengorm has now used up all the old buildings on the estate.
But future projects could still follow the example set by Glengorm, as it is on the radar of the Scottish Government.
Housing Minister Paul McLennan has been contacted by Scottish Land and Estates to discuss how Glengorm’s work could be repeated throughout the country.
The minister said: "I met with Scottish Land and Estates members in June and heard about this and other projects by landowners in delivering more affordable homes for communities in rural and island areas.
"I welcome landowners continuing to bring forward proposals working collaboratively to deliver more affordable homes to meet the needs of local communities."
Tom said: "Throughout the west coast of Scotland there is so many traditional stone buildings that have sat there for 100 or 200 years that could be repurposed into homes."
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