West Kent Neighbourhood ENews September 2017 No Images? Click here ISSUE 75: SPRING 2017 "Welcome to Beeches" - a sign of a great community Our aim of giving our extra care apartments for older people a community feel were highlighted when guests at the opening of Beeches in Dover were welcomed by seven year-olds from a nearby school. Cookery skills provide food for thought A group of Eynsford youngsters learned new skills before sitting down to enjoy a splendid lunch when they joined one of our Summer FunFest events. What made the lunchtime feast even more enjoyable was the fact that the group - aged from nine to 14 - had prepared and cooked it all themselves.
Work starts on new homes at Northview, Swanley We’ve made a start on more stunning new homes for older people who want to enjoy independent living with a communal focus. The Emerald scheme being built for us by the Chartway Group at Northview in Swanley will provide much-needed accommodation for the over 55s in modern, one and two-bedroomed apartments. The air smells of sweet success The air smells of sweet success at Montgomery Court in Medway, West Kent’s Emerald Extra Care scheme for over 55s, after five of their tenants and staff have successfully quit smoking, three of them kicking the habit after smoking for more than 50 years. Your vote mattersEach year from early August through to the end of November your local council writes to everyone in the district, publishing a new and updated electoral register on 1 December 2017. Every home receives a Household Enquiry Form with a unique two part security code listing all the people currently registered to vote at the property. You must reply whether the details are correct or if they need to be changed or updated - if you don't you may be liable for a fine of up to £1000. Re-housed, helped and happy That's the positive result for one of our tenants who now lives in Swanley's White Oak Court, thanks to the keen eye and extra interest taken by Lauren Downs, Senior Tenancy Support Officer. Lauren saw that Anthony Craggs was struggling to cope with living on his own. Lauren worked with various agencies and secured a flat for him in one of our extra care schemes, helping him move and coordinating the furnishings he needed to make his new flat into a home. Residential fun for West Kent’s 8-12 club membersGroups of children from some of the communities where West Kent has homes have enjoyed an exciting residential trip to Thriftwood Scout camp in Essex. The groups attend West Kent’s 8-12 clubs and include children who are on the autistic spectrum, have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or anxiety. These clubs are run weekly by West Kent staff across the Sevenoaks district, providing regular, low cost, locally based activities in a safe environment, providing opportunities to develop socially and emotionally with an emphasis on behaviour and positive communication. RSPCA Community Animal Welfare Footprints awards A total of 118 awards have been earned this year and once again West Kent is proud to be one of ten housing organisations in the country to receive a gold Housing Footprint award for the fifth year running due to our proactive approach to encouraging our residents to be responsible dog owners Government must commit ongoing funding to supported housing Chief Executive Frank Czarnowski took the opportunity to highlight the value of supported housing when Dartford MP Gareth Johnson visited Wellfield Community Hall in Hartley to mark Starts at Home day. Celebrating triple success at Kent Housing Group Awards Apprentice Hayden Wynn, who was described as having “raised the bar for future apprentices” was among the winners at a ceremony that celebrated “the innovation and dedication” of professionals who deliver services that support people in Kent and Medway. New extra care scheme is already part of the communityThe newest members of our “West Kent family” were welcomed to their homes at the official opening of Spires in Tenterden on 28 June. The extra care scheme was opened by Graham Gibbens, Kent County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, who was joined by our Housing Director Deborah White and Ashford Mayor Cllr Winston Michael.
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