A pillar of the community who has played an immense but understated role in the life of local people has called time on one part of her stellar volunteering career after 20 years of service to social housing in Midlothian.

Barbara Shearer (2nd from right), who lives in Mayfield on the outskirts of Dalkeith, has sat on the Board of Melville Housing Association since 2004, first as a member and then as secretary while attending over 200 meetings and playing an important role in the organisation’s expansion.

“When I joined the Board Melville weren’t building new homes and, thanks to right to buy, stock levels had plummeted,” said Barbara. “It’s one of my proudest achievements that we’ve added almost 500 homes since we started developing, a huge increase which has helped some of the many, many people in Midlothian desperately in need of a quality affordable home.”

Barbara, who turned 75 earlier this year, was born in Edinburgh but has called Midlothian home for almost 50 years. She joined the Melville Board when she became a tenant in 2004, having retired from her job at a local plant nursery after it became too physically demanding.

“I wasn’t very confident before joining the Board and it was a bit of a leap of faith,” explained Barbara. “But I got plenty of training and that quickly got me up to speed and taught me new skills. I was soon getting involved with major home improvement programmes that have made a real difference to people’s lives. Our homes are now almost unrecognisable from the ones inherited by Melville in the 90s and I’m proud of the part that I played in that.”

Even though she’s retiring from the Board, Barbara isn’t stepping back from Melville entirely. She will continue in her role as a tenant rep, attending regular meetings and acting as a spokesperson for residents in Mayfield. She is also considering an offer to join the Board of Ironmills, the subsidiary company that owns Melville’s mid-market rent properties.   

“I’ll miss the Board but it was time for me to go,” said Barbara. “I felt I’d done about as much as I could and didn’t feel there was much more for me to give. I would say that it’s really important that organisations like Melville don’t lose touch with their communities and should always have Board members who understand the local issues. 2004 doesn’t seem that long ago to me but in many ways it was a very different time. We’ve achieved a huge amount but the challenges ahead are complex and will need fresh ideas to solve them.”

Barbara is also a keen volunteer in the community. Even more impressive than her time with Melville is the 32 years she’s spent helping out as a Guide leader, a role she still carries out, although now in a reduced capacity.

“I’ve been working with the Guides and also the Cubs for almost as long as I can remember,” said Barbara. “It’s hard work so I’m not quite as involved as I used to be but it’s extremely rewarding and I’ll continue to help out for as long as I’m able.”

Keeping busy is not a problem for Barbara. She also volunteers at the Grassy Riggs project in Woodburn, helping out with a talking group for older people. She’s also an active member of their knitting group which in recent years has sent hand knitted clothing to premature babies, local people struggling through difficult times, and even to those in desperate need due to the war in Ukraine.  

“To give 20 years of your life, as a volunteer, to one organisation is a fantastic achievement and testament to Barbara’s dedication to her community,” said Donna Bogdanovic, Chair of Melville Housing. “Barbara has been an ever present and an extremely valuable member of our Board. Her knowledge, experience and understanding of our local communities will be very hard to replace. We’ll all miss her enormously.”