Residents of The Green in Marlborough with White Horse Operations Director Belinda Eastland. From left, Terry Rickards, Suzanne Whelan, Belinda Eastland, Brenda Stevens, Anne Tucker, Tetiana Lichman, Patricia Pollard and Maureen Blundy, front
TENANTS living in affordable flats in Marlborough that were taken over by White Horse Housing Association say they are delighted by the service they are receiving.
The 16 flats at 10, The Green, were transferred from Marlborough and District Housing Association (MDHA) on January 1 following a two-month consultation. The homes, which were built by MDHA in 1969, are for people over 55 with links to the area who are able to live independently.
At a meeting with residents at Marlborough Town Hall, Chief Executive Steve Warran promised a high level of service and long-standing tenants Patricia Pollard and Anne Tucker say that so far he has delivered on that promise.
“The service is really good and we feel very reassured,” said Mrs Pollard. “If there are any questions we've got, we've only got to pick up the phone and there is someone there to speak to. All of the ladies in the office are equally nice and helpful.”
Anne said she was anxious when she first heard the news about the takeover. “My mind is at rest now though,” she said. “Since January I've had so many little things that needed doing done and even the big things that needed doing are getting done so it is reassuring,” she said.
“White Horse are making sure everybody's having what needs to be done sorted out as soon as possible and they're very caring as well.”
Patricia has been a resident for more than 20 years after returning from Australia. She emigrated as a ‘£10 Pom’ in 1968. “I had a friend I met in London who was a New Zealander. Her parents and sister had gone to Australia and settled there so I went to Sydney,” she said.
She worked in a fashion store before a customer hired her, first as a holiday nanny but then full time. She came back to England and married a childhood friend but he died just eight months later.
“My eldest sister Mary and her husband lived in Marlborough so I stayed with them and they put my name down for a flat here,” she said. She was offered an upstairs flat but held out for one in the old house that used to be part of the scheme.
When MDHA sold it off she moved into another flat and then moved again into her present one.
“I like it here because I look out onto the garden, which is beautiful and it is near to the town, it's just really pleasant,” she said.
Anne came to The Green in 2008 after her home in Swindon was burgled. “It was unnerving and the sense of security was gone,” she said. “I had three friends who'd moved here and they suggested I go on the waiting list.
“You had to have a reason for moving to Marlborough and my father worked at Hayden's Bakery and so did my brother, who used to live in Marlborough. My dad was still coming from Swindon to work at the bakery, doing all the speciality baking, in his mid-eighties. He used to come and work and then go into the Conservative Club, have a drink and get the bus back home again.”
She was working in HR at WH Smith in Swindon when she was given a flat and reduced her hours to cut down on travelling before she finally retired nine years ago. She said she loves the flats’ location and the sense of community.
“We're very friendly and we look after each other, so basically if somebody's not very well somebody does their shopping or gets a prescription – everybody helps out,” she said.
“It feels a lot safer here and there's always somebody you can call if you've got a plumber or an electrician coming or something like that, whereas if you're on your own you don't know who's coming to your door.
“Most of my family has moved away so being on my own it’s good that I've got friends and nice neighbours around.”