Frantic Theatre visits Home retirement scheme

Published by Debbie Pack for Home Group in Housing

An anniversary event took place at Vernon Court, Ealing recently to celebrate 25 successful years.

Vernon Court is a highly successful retirement scheme managed by housing association Home Group. The event was held in the beautiful communal gardens and attended by; residents, staff from Home Group and family and friends of residents. 

Resident Mrs Barbara Ward spoke and cut the celebratory cake on behalf of the oldest resident Mrs. Kay Flatt, 94, who has lived at Vernon Court for over 14 years.  She said: “It is wonderful to see so many people here today enjoying themselves. I have seen many changes in the residents here and there has been always a friendly group.  We are lucky to have such a wonderful manager who has been with us for several years and is so caring and interested.”

Entertainment was provided by the Frantic Theatre Company, a one-man show who tours all over the UK.  He kept the audience enthralled with a range of hilarious characters from a singing nun, pearly king, to a hilarious rendition of Monty Python’s four Yorkshire men sketch by himself and two puppets!

Vernon Court has flourished over the past 25 years and is very much part of the local community.  Customers love living here and all enjoy an active and varied social life.  For example, regular fish and chip evenings, bingo, strawberry and cream teas, ‘fruit fusion’ events celebrating different fruits from across the world.

Customers living at Vernon Court come from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, including British, Irish, Polish, Sri Lankan, Indian, Italian, African and Greek. Future events are planned to celebrate these cultural differences including; curry afternoons and an International Food Day.

Vernon Court has built up excellent partnerships with local agencies, such as Ealing Council, GP surgeries, local churches and local Questors theatre who offer customers free tickets for shows.

Scheme Manager, Lalita Diniz-Day says: ‘We had a fantastic day celebrating Vernon Court’s 25th birthday.  Customers contributed to a wonderful display of poems, messages and photographs all marking special occasions held here over the years. One former resident even travelled from Worthing to join in our celebration!”

www.frantictheatre.com

www.homegroup.org.uk

Ends

Notes for Newsdesks/Reporters:

A selection of photographs taken at the even are attached.

For all press enquiries relating to Home please contact Debbie Pack, PR Officer on 020 8582 2203 / 07985 339551 or email her on debbie.pack@homegroup.org.uk

About Vernon Court  

Home has managed Vernon Court since it opened in 1984. The scheme comprises 20 one-bedroom and 6 two-bedroom apartments on three floors, served by a lift.  As with all Home retirement schemes, each property has an 24 hour emergency pull cord alarm system providing direct audio contact with Lalita, the Scheme Manager during working hours and to Careline after working hours. 

About Home:

Home was established in 1935, in response to the deprivations faced in the North East during the Depression.  Seventy five years on, we continue to adapt to changing economic conditions.

We are proud of our heritage and our people and strive to bring neighbourhoods to life, shaping them into great places to live and work.  Customers are at the heart of everything we do and are actively involved in deciding what we do and how we do it  at both management and community level.

Over 4,500 people work at Home Group, supporting over 200,000 customers in 55,000 homes. We help over 20,000 clients in 520 support schemes across England and Scotland. 

Home Group was the first housing association to raise private finance and one of the first to recognise the difference that affordable housing can make to rural communities.  We were a key player in the early development of neighbourhood management, supporting whole communities and have been leaders in care and support since 1976

Our ultimate aim is that by working together with our customers, clients and partners we are able to offer improved quality, better value, increased choice, opening doors to better lives.

Home has a well-established development and regeneration function, producing 800 new homes per year. 

About Home’s retirement schemes:

Home currently manages 2500 retirement leasehold properties (57 schemes).  The majority of these are based in the south east.  Many of Home’s leasehold residents formerly owned larger properties that became difficult to maintain, so the option of moving into a fully equipped modern flat with the added comfort of a Warden Call system and communal amenities becomes a tempting alternative. 

 The high quality and support provided in a Home leasehold property ensures that new residents quickly settle in. The emphasis on these schemes is to ensure residents maintain their independence, but with advice and support available if needed.  Each scheme has its own manager who, as well as helping with practical issues, support residents in arranging a variety of activities, from fish and chip nights to Yoga classes.  This means that each scheme develops its own character and social life.