A PROJECT to engage local housing association tenants in Greenock has culminated in their art work being put on display.

The display at Auchmountain Community Hall included zen colouring, print work and mosaics and was open for all local people to view the works.

The exhibition was officially opened by Cloch Housing Association director Paul McVey and the chief executive of Oaktree Housing Association, Nick Jardine.

The ArtWorks project, funded by the European Social Fund, Aspiring Communities Fund,aimed to meet and engage with local housing association tenants in Strone, Maukinhill, Pennyfern and Bowfarm areas.

The idea was to use art as a way to talk to tenants who may otherwise go under the radar.

The fund paid for a community development worker, Lisa Lees, to bring art and chat to the communities. It also funded artists Sam MacGregor and Duncan Wilson who were employed by Rig Arts.

The six month project, which included sessions on mosaics, zen colouring, costume making, printing and window art saw the residents efforts on display and resulted in 143 local people being spoken to about what they liked in their community and what they would like to happen in the future.

The next and final part of the project will be the production of Art master Plans for all of the areas, looking at ways to build on the success of the project.

Nick Jardine, chief executive of Oaktree Housing Association believes that the project has been very positive.

He said: "It has brought our tenants together and allowed them to try new things, meet new people and tell us what is important to them in their community. The work they have produced looks fantastic.“

The director of Cloch Housing Association, Paul McVey hoped the project was something that could be continued.

He said: "This work has helped us find out the opinions of local tenants who we might not otherwise have spoken to. We were delighted with the art work and will look at the surveys carried out, to hopefully keep the conversation going.”