FOR decades Gordon Sloan has worked flat out to improve the lives of thousands of people.

For 20 years he was a reporter with the Children's Panel in Glasgow and he has just stepped down as chairman of Glasgow Housing Association which provides homes for around 100,000 people.

Mr Sloan, 70, was born in Dennistoun and has spent most of his life in the East End.

When he left school, he went to work for British Rail before joining the Civil Service and moving to Strathclyde University to work in personnel.

In 1992 he became a reporter with the Children's Panel and spent two decades helping children in need.

Mr Sloan said: "I loved it. You saw kids come in with real troubles and within a reasonable length of time, many of them were turned around.

"Their lives were better and that made it worthwhile and although it had its moments, you get used to it."

In 2003, it was a problem with his GHA home in Carntyne that was to put him on the road to the top job with the housing organisation.

The 900 Winget properties, constructed in the late 1920s using a reinforced concrete design, had been designated structurally defective 20 years previously due to their construction type.

GHA announced it was going to try and find a solution and Mr Sloan decided he wanted to be involved in the process.

He became a member of the Winget strategy group, was a member of the local housing committee and became chairman of the housing association in 2010.

In his years with GHA, one of the UK's biggest social landlords, Mr Sloan says he has seen the character of the city change dramatically.

He said: "In my view, the organisation is a real powerhouse in the housing sector, not just in Glasgow or Scotland but in the UK and beyond.

"We have spent £1.3billion on regenerating existing stock, demolition and new building and have changed the skyline of Glasgow.

"People were living in properties that were not really fit for purpose but they have come down and been replaced by new, very modern housing.

"The quality of houses GHA building is remarkable. If you go around Glasgow you can probably tell which are GHA homes because they are the best."

The housing organisation has around 45,000 properties which are home to about 100,000 people.

In 2012, the Wheatley Group was formed with GHA at its heart. It is made up of six registered social landlords, two care organisations and two commercial subsidiaries.

The group spans 17 local authority area across Central Scotland providing homes and services to 200,000 people.

Mr Sloan said: "Wheatley is now undertaking the biggest house building programme Scotland has seen for many years.

"It is a high performing organisation. When I joined, the first awards we got were Scottish awards but we are now winning awards nationally and in Europe.

"One of our aims is to create warm, safe, secure housing in good neighbourhoods. Our strap line is betters homes, better lives, better Glasgow.

"That is what the staff of this organisation do on a daily basis and they are all so enthusiastic.

"I have had a fantastic six years with GHA. I have got more out of it than I have put into it and I really have enjoyed it."

In his years with the organisation, Mr Sloan came to realise how many people in the city were working to improve their communities.

One of his highlights of his time has been being involved with the Evening Times' Community Champions and Streets Ahead campaigns.

Mr Sloan said: "I didn't realise how many groups of people were out there doing work and Community Champions and Streets Ahead have put that into real focus.

"I was amazed at the number of organisations and people who get involved and the work they were doing.

"I will miss GHA but I have interests outside the organisation which has dominated my life for the last six years but I was able, willing and wanted to do it.

"GHA touches the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and I have always been available to tenants whether they were complimentary or not.

"I made myself available because I think that is important. I got tenants coming to the door and talking to me in the street and even got emails on Christmas Day.

"However, if you are going to do something, you have got to do it properly."

Wheatley Group chief executive Martin Armstrong said: "Gordon has steered GHA through a period of significant change, most notably playing an instrumental role in setting up Wheatley Group.

"He leaves behind a lasting legacy and should be proud of everything he has achieved over the past six years."