Over the past five years or so, I have been involved with the planning and development of the Oakfield site here in South Swindon. This pioneering development, launched by Nationwide Building Society, is one of our great Swindon assets, so it was good to be back last week to see the first show homes opening.
Oakfield comprises of 239 properties, with a good proportion of these social housing. It is an exciting addition to Walcot and Park North, and I am impressed with the energy efficiency, the sustainability of the design, and the layout of this new estate. This award-winning development is of national significance and is another feather in Swindon’s cap.
Over the past few weeks, I have been contacted by several Stonewater Supported Housing residents here in South Swindon, who have raised concerns with me about increases in their rent, which is being raised to absorb the full cost of energy price rises. I have also been in close contact with Lydiard and Freshbrook Ward Cllr Caryl Sydney-Smith, who has been supporting local residents and recently attended a meeting at Windmill Court.
I am very concerned that Stonewater Housing appears to be passing on 100% of the utility charges to residents, and I have contacted the social housing provider to request an urgent meeting with the CEO on behalf of all of the local residents affected. I have also written to the Secretary of State for Housing to ask that the Government steps in and takes urgent action.
There has been encouraging news for our Goan community here in Swindon recently, who I work closely with, as they seek to find local premises which can be used as a community centre. Following a tour of a vacant building in Theatre Square, community leaders have given permission for further exploration to be conducted on the feasibility of it being the new Goan Community Centre. I am very supportive of these plans, and I am pleased to see that Swindon Borough Council is working hard to support this move.
Finally, my charity of the week is Alzheimer’s Society, who I am working closely with here in South Swindon, as part of my ongoing campaign to raise awareness of dementia. It is important that we work to boost diagnosis rates locally so that we can help more people to access vital care and support.
The word 'dementia' describes a set of symptoms that over time can affect memory, problem-solving, language, and behaviour. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia.
Alzheimer’s Society is made up of people with dementia, carers, trusted experts, campaigners, researchers, and clinicians. They are the UK’s largest collective force of people with unparalleled knowledge and over 40 years of experience addressing the biggest challenges facing people living with dementia.
Dementia is the biggest health and social challenge of our time. There are currently estimated to be 900,000 people in the UK with dementia. Many are undiagnosed and facing the realities of their condition alone. Alzheimer’s Society are working hard to change this.
Sadly, many people affected by Dementia feel that society fails to understand the condition they live with. By becoming a Dementia Friend, which is an Alzheimer’s Society initiative, you can help by raising awareness and understanding, so that people living with dementia can continue to live in the way they want. I became a Dementia Friend a few years back now, and I would encourage anyone who wants to help people living with dementia in their local community to do the same. It is a simple process, which is available to everyone. You can find out more here: https://www.dementiafriends.org.uk/WEBArticle?page=become-dementia-friend
