Forres [Varis as it was originally known] is a rapidly growing family town on the western side of Moray. The town has several award winning parks and some beautiful woodland walks all within its boundaries. The town hosts 3 junior schools and 1 secondary school. Forres is now the new commuting town for Aberdeen by train. As well as having a tenants group the town has an active community council, neighbourhood forum and 4 councillors.

The council office for the area [Auchernack] is a "one stop office", everything you need under one roof and can be found on the western end of the high street. The area housing team is managed by Ms Joan Main.

The Forres area tenants' forum has been in place and constituted since 2000. During this time we have met on a monthly basis.

Forres area forum not only covers the town of Forres but all the villages within its catchment area. These include Brodie, Dyke, Kinloss, Findhorn, Burghead, Hopeman, Duffus, Alves, Aafford, Dallas, Kellas and all property still belonging to the council within the Dunphail area.

Every year the forum receives £500 to help with the dat to day running costs, postage, room hire etc. the forum also receives, but not banked in our account, £28,000 from the moray council., this money is to be used for environmental improvements. Over the years this money has been used to provide extra parking bays within housing estates, moss removal, upgrading of drying/seating areas within a supported housing complex and in conjunction with the moray council we replaced a run down play area within the Pilmuir estate. These are to name but a few.

At present the forum has 2 reprehensive at the Moray Tenants Core Group, Heather Anderson and Robert Amos. Heather is also a reprehensive on the northern light committee and a member of TRAG.

For more information on the forum please contact the secretary [Heather] on 01309 671154 or call your local housing office on 01309 694000.

A TENANTS FORUM

What is a Tenants Forum? A Tenants Forum can be what the tenants decide. It can be a loose group of tenants who meet occasionally to discuss maters that affect them, or wish to be consulted by their landlord on such matters as the next rent increase, the repair service they receive from their landlord, upgrading of their house, etc. It can be a group of tenants who meet regularly for the same reasons or it can b a formal group of tenants with a constitution and office bearers. All forms of a tenants forum will receive support from their landlord to cover the costs of a meeting place and travel expenses, however a formal forum will receive a grant to run the forum. Being constituted means that the forum has to be consulted by the landlord on all matters that affect their tenancy. It also means that they have access to funds from their landlord and from external sources such as the lottery, the Scottish government, etc to finance projects which will enhance the lives of the tenants. There are only two rules, the forum must be independent and it must cover a specific area such as a street, an area in a town, a town, a village, several villages, a rural area, etc.

ARMCHAIR TENANTS

Armchair tenants are tenants who do not wish to belong to a formal or informal forum but wish to be consulted by their landlord on all matters concerning their tenancy. The council has a register of armchair tenants and when the forums are consulted the tenants on the register are consulted. Any tenant can join the register and be consulted. Armchair tenants can attend their local forum, as can all tenants in the forums area, without joining the forum to give their opinion on the consultation or any other matter.

For Further information about Armchair Tenants or to register please contact Graeme Davidson at the Moray Council on 01343 563588 or Heather Anderson of the Forres Tenants Forum on 01309 671154.