A partnership between Orkney Housing Association (OHAL), Orkney Blide Trust, Women’s Aid Orkney and Voluntary Action Orkney (VAO) has come together to organise a homelessness prevention conference in Orkney. The Big Ask will focus on ‘Ask and Act’ - a new approach aimed at preventing homelessness earlier and more effectively.
'Ask and Act' forms part of the homelessness prevention duties in the new Housing (Scotland) Bill 2025. Informed by people with lived experience and those working on the frontline, Ask and Act is designed to help people access support before their situation becomes critical.
All community groups, organisations and services play a crucial role in helping to identify housing issues much earlier - not just those who directly work with homelessness. The conference aims to bring together representatives from organisations from across the community, to explore jointly how homelessness can be prevented locally. The event is aimed at members of staff, volunteers, board and committee members.
Funding for the conference was secured by OHAL through the Scottish Government’s, Upstream Tenancy Sustainment Fund via the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA). Craig Spence, OHAL Chief Executive said:
We were delighted to secure this funding because this event is incredibly important for our community - helping us to work together to prevent homelessness before it happens. The funding has enabled us to bring specialist experts here for us to learn from.
Two guest speakers have been invited to present at the conference. Professor Vikki McCall from the University of Stirling will explore how stigma shapes experiences of ageing, disability, housing adaptations and homelessness, and why these challenges are often intensified in rural and island settings. Her work connects academic research with real-world practice. She explains complex housing, health, and homelessness systems in a way people can understand, helping others build empathy, reflect on their work, and plan more inclusive futures.
Grant Campbell, Head of Partnerships and Consulting at Homeless Network Scotland will host ‘Acting with Hope’, an interactive session which will help attendees understand the impact of ‘Ask and Act’ and how everyone can work together to tackle homelessness. About the conference Grant said:
Preventing homelessness is a key pillar for more than just housing services it is the foundation for creating stability in which people and society thrive. ‘Ask and Act’, or the prevention duties, has enormous potential to be a real game changer. This event starts a journey of exploration to help us all unlock the potential of homelessness prevention.
The Big Ask – A Conference on Acting Together to Prevent Homelessness in Orkney is being held on Monday 2 February in King Street Halls from 9:30am to around 4:00pm.
Alongside the guest speakers, attendees will also hear from local community groups, organisations and services on their work to prevent homelessness in Orkney.
The event is free to attend and registration in advance is essential. Book your place by visiting: www.ticketsource.co.uk/voluntary-action-orkney.
For more information about the conference contact Tracey Longworth, Director of Housing and Operations at OHAL by email: tracey.longworth@ohal.org.uk or by phone: 01856 875253 ext 501.
