Local Songs To Celebrate Retirement Housing Scheme
Press release
For immediate release:
7 July 2011
Local Songs To Celebrate Retirement Housing Scheme
Guests at the official opening of a new extra care housing scheme in North Tyneside were treated to a concert of local sea shanties sung by local children.
The £8.2 million Linskill Park mixed tenure development, which welcomed its first residents a year ago, was celebrated in an official opening event on Tuesday 28th June which included entertainment by the pupils of King Edward Primary School. Joining the residents in the celebration was also Mrs Linda Arkley, the Elected Mayor of North Tyneside who presented a plaque to residents Maggie Dixon and Vera Burdis.
Commenting on her new home, Josie Clarke, another resident said: "Since moving to Linskill Park, I have been very happy. The most important advantage is staying independent whilst having lots of company. I can go to bed every night feeling comfortable and secure. That means my family have peace of mind.
"Everyday I have someone to talk to and I can have a few laughs with the other residents. I enjoy having my lunch each day in the restaurant, the food is good and everyone is sociable."
Linskill Park provides 63 two bedroom apartments for rent and sale to older people and four bungalows for people with learning disabilities. On-site facilities include a communal lounge, activity room, restaurant, hairdressing salon, laundry, library, treatment room, assisted bathroom and guest suite.
Tayo Bilewu,director of property development for Housing 21 said: "Linskill Park is a delightful scheme and it's very nice to know that the residents are enjoying life here. With the many community facilities too, this development is an asset for other older people living nearby."
Linskill Park is one of two extra care schemes which have been developed in North Tyneside through a partnership between Housing 21, North Tyneside Council, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and Frank Haslam Milan (FHM) North East.
North Tyneside Elected Mayor Linda Arkley said: "I'm delighted that this scheme is so successful and has become such an asset for the whole community. With an increasingly ageing population it's vital that we have housing that enables people to retain their independence. That's why extra care schemes such as this, and our huge programme to modernise our sheltered accommodation, are so important"
The new development received funding of £1.8 million from the HCA and £1 million from the Department of Health. "A well-designed extra care scheme like Linskill Park can provide both privacy and the benefits of a real community, making retirement years much more enjoyable," said Anne Mulroy, head of area at the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). "Our role is to help councils like North Tyneside and housing providers like Housing 21 to make things happen in their own communities, and this scheme is a great example of that local approach in action."
It is the latest in a series of local projects funded by the HCA, which is also supporting the development of new housing for older people at Eden Court in nearby Wallsend.
David Mellor, managing director of FHM North East said: "The official opening of Linskill Park has been be a memorable occasion which has brought the local community together. I am sure the residents were delighted to meet and listen to the children perform.
"Extra care schemes such as Linskill Park play a major role in supporting local communities, allowing people to maintain their independence. People like Josie Clarke just show how important these projects are and the impact they have on people's lives and we are delighted to have been involved in the development of such an important scheme."
For further information, please contact Wendy Gornicki, PR & Information Officer, Housing 21 on 0370 192 4338 or email wendy.gornicki@housing21.co.uk
Housing 21's mission is to promote independence and choice for older people through quality care, health and housing services. It provides around 124,000 hours of community care each week and manages 18,200 sheltered and extra care apartments.
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is the single, national housing and regeneration delivery agency for England. Its vision is to create opportunity for people to live in homes they can afford in places they want to live, by enabling local authorities and communities to deliver the ambition they have for their own areas. For more information, visit www.homesandcommunities.co.uk
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