Wrekin Voices have their say on new bungalows
Wrekin Voices have been having their say on a new development in Dawley.
A group of 15 involved customers were given exclusive access to two bungalows on the Castle Lodge site before the new tenants move in. Members of the Wrekin Housing Group development team were on hand to listen to any feedback and ideas they had to offer and answer questions.
The site is made up of 14 one and two bed bungalows, all of which are accessible and adaptable homes. The scheme even includes one home that has been fully adapted for an individual with very specific needs.
Jon, a wheelchair user, spent the visit understanding more about the adapted kitchen, which included units and a sink that can be raised and lowered and windows that opened with the press of an easy reach switch.
He said:
“It’s been really interesting to see what help is available. I knew lower units existed but didn’t realise there was an option to raise and lower them. There are so many different types of wheelchairs so it adapts as things change. Little things like that, you wouldn’t have thought about it but it’s so helpful. It also enables my partner and I to both use the space.”
Katy, who will soon be moving into a Wrekin bungalow with her two teenage children, was excited to see the new development.
“If you’re disabled and need housing you don’t often have much choice. Many people think bungalows are just for older people but they’re not. I think these houses have been done to a really high standard. The details such as the doors and the handles give that feeling that you’re not in social housing.”
Katy has recently joined Wrekin Voices and is looking forward to learning more about how Wrekin operates. She said:
“I used to work in social housing so have always had an interest in the sector. I’m just learning more about Wrekin and what is considered acceptable practice. As a mum I don’t always have much time free but that’s the great thing about volunteering as a Wrekin Voice, you can dip in and out when you need to."
The visit was organised following requests from Wrekin Voice members to see the type of new homes that are being developed.
David Lewis, Customer Engagement & Feedback Manager for the Wrekin Housing Group said:
"It was great to see so many of our customers take up the opportunity to see one of our new developments and the comments we received from them were positive. Feedback from our tenants is really valuable to us, by working with our customers we can make sure we provide excellent service. We're sure the new tenants at the Castle Lodge site will be very happy in their new homes."
Would you like to become a Wrekin Voice?
There are lots of reasons to get involved. Maybe there are services that you feel could be improved or you may just want to know how we do things here at Wrekin. You can get involved in many ways, working around all the other things you have going on in your life. Here are just some of the ways you have had your say this month:
Wrekin Voices online: Our new dedicated web pages are live! There’s lots of information about getting involved and what we are achieving together. There is also a What's On calendar with events and opportunities from across Wrekin. Thank you to everyone who took a look at the original plans and helped make this happen.
Brookside Walkabout: Following tenant concerns about rubbish in the area we joined the local Housing team for a walk around the Brookside area and took our litter pickers along too! It was great to see residents out and about in the spring sun.
Affordable Homes and You Workshop: An affordable homes and you workshop took place last week. Customers, staff and the local Police came together to discuss and learn about the history of social housing, the importance of tenant involvement and how to get involved. We will be holding an online version of this training on 21 March at 6 pm if you would like to come along please email getinvolved@wrekin.com
Ashwood ShireLiving Visit: Kathryn and Michele spent the morning in Oswestry with Ashwood residents to talk all things ShireLiving Voices. Representatives from across all of our ShireLiving schemes attend quarterly meetings to look at the services Wrekin provides and help develop the service.
12th March 2024