Our major campaign for 2011 has been launched to champion the role of sheltered housing as a valuable community resource whilst helping cut Government spending and meet the needs of the ‘Big Society’.
The national consortium for sheltered and retirement housing, ERoSH, launched its campaign ‘Reaching out – sheltered housing, a community resource’ at the House of Commons.
Starting in February, the six-month campaign will see ERoSH work with its 200 members across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to demonstrate how sheltered housing can be used as a community resource to benefit the wider community.
The campaign also highlights how sheltered housing can help the Government meet its localism and ‘Big Society’ agendas through public sector organisations, individuals, charities, social enterprises, and private companies using sheltered housing resources in innovative ways to deliver public services.
ERoSH members and partner organisations attended the launch event sponsored by Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP.
Speaking at the campaign launch on behalf of Iain Duncan Smith MP, Minister of State Department for Work and Pensions Chris Grayling MP, said: “There are some great examples of projects which are helping promote sheltered housing as a hub for wider community activity and I’m sure ERoSH will help drive many other initiatives in the year to come.
“In doing so let us hope you can start to redefine the role of sheltered housing, so that it comes to be seen not just as vital provision for the elderly and disabled, but as a resource for the entire community.
“I would urge everyone here to get behind this new campaign. Get involved, give it the impetus it deserves, and help to make this vision into a reality.”
Director of policy for ERoSH, Rebecca Mollart, said: “Given public spending cuts and the growing need for public sector organisations to work better together to achieve more for less and demonstrate their effectiveness, ERoSH wants to highlight how sheltered housing can help achieve cost-savings while benefiting the wider community.
“Sheltered housing services and buildings are valuable, cost-effective resources for residents and people living in the local community. We want to promote existing and develop new examples of best practice within our membership that showcase sheltered housing at its best with a great community impact.”
Campaign activities will include highlighting best practice in sheltered and retirement housing provision, a ‘Big Read’ event in housing schemes nationally to celebrate World Book Day on March 3, as well as community activities where schemes ‘buddy’ up with local organisations such as clubs, colleges, schools, businesses and charities.
The aim of the campaign is to encourage local people, young and old, into the sheltered schemes to use and benefit from the services available, as well as the outreach support services based at sheltered schemes benefiting other older people living in the community.
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