We have Sheltered Living Schemes across Northern Ireland and each one is a place of community and connection.
Gordon Robinson is our scheme co-ordinator at Victoria Court, a sheltered living scheme in Whitehead, County Antrim, and we are delighted that he is a finalist at this year's CIH All Ireland Housing Awards. Gordon has been shortlisted in the Best Housing Story category which celebrates contributions that have made a positive difference to the lives of tenants, residents or communities.
The key benefit of sheltered living is the provision of our scheme co-ordinators and 24 hour emergency assistance. This helps our tenants feel safe and secure – knowing that assistance is on-hand in an emergency.
Social activities and contact with other residents enables sheltered living tenants to maintain an active social life even as life circumstances change. Our tenants in sheltered living have overcome issues such as social inclusion, loneliness, isolation, anxiety and depression.
Our scheme co-ordinators are on hand to organise support services and all our sheltered schemes are linked into social help and care services.
A resident of Whitehead himself, Gordon walks to work each morning through the community in which he plays such a vital role.
Victoria Court contains 14 self-contained apartments and it is ideally situated at the heart of Whitehead, adjacent to the train station, meaning tenants can easily remain independent. Sheltered living schemes bring many benefits to tenants eg:
While Gordon is of a similar age to the tenants at Victoria Court, he is much younger than his years, he is active, engaging and embodies the values that underpin sheltered living.
Gordon creates a varied events calendar at Victoria Court, everything from day trips to arranging local storytellers to visit the scheme to tell amusing anecdotes. Throughout his years of dedicated service Gordon has built and nurtured strong relationships with the tenants, local community and partner organisations. Gordon successfully delivered cross community sessions with a group from Ahoghill in partnership with Mid and East Antrim Age Well Partnership, funded by Peace IV, as well as developing a working relationship with the local primary school to develop intergenerational workshops.
2023 saw the 25th anniversary of Victoria Court friends, family, staff and community gathered together to celebrate.
Carol Ervine – Choice Group Director of Tenant and Client Services – spoke at the event saying,
“This is a very proud moment for the residents at Victoria Court and everyone at Choice. 30-year anniversaries do not come around all that often which is exactly why it is important to set the time aside to mark and celebrate this occasion.
“The scheme has been a tremendous success for Choice and that is largely down to the people who call it home and our dedicated scheme co-ordinator.”
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