Our Specialist Housing Teams in the Midlands, including Albany House in Nottingham, Eden Park in Corby, Abbey Mill and the Wolsey Extra Care Scheme in Leicester held events for the National Housing Federation's ‘Starts at Home’ campaign.
These events also saw the launch of our ‘Say Hello’ benches at the schemes, where residents and PA colleagues can sit and chat.
The focus of our Starts at Home Day was tackling loneliness and social isolation. At PA, we know that a decent home is an essential part of a person’s wellbeing, and even more so when individuals need support to live independent and fulfilling lives.
The support we provide across the Specialist Housing Services helps our residents to:
- Maintain their tenancies
- Stay independent for longer
- Live in a safe and secure environment
- Be supported by colleagues across PA whilst being signposted to external agencies who offer more bespoke services
- Reduce hospital admissions
- Prevent social isolation by engaging in activities with fellow residents and colleagues
- Have the opportunity to mix with Intergenerational support
- Build confidence and life skills
- Live well.
Great Conversations
The launch events for our benches were well attended and sparked some great conversations between residents and colleagues across the business as well as those who work in the schemes. We gained insightful information about our residents from this, including their likes, dislikes, and hidden talents. The interactions were great to see with residents chatting about hobbies, families, gardens, health and – of course – the weather with each other and colleagues.
Eden Park, Corby
Eden Park, our scheme for young parents and their children, decided to celebrate Starts at Home Day by having a community picnic and funday for current and past residents. Everyone came together to share their current experiences of Eden Park or, in the case of former residents, how they've been doing since moving into their forever homes. They were able to share how well they've done in fulfilling their hopes and expectations which may not have been possible without Eden Park and the support of the staff team and their peers.
It's more like a family
The children enjoyed arts, crafts, play, bubbles, a bouncy castle, and glitter tattoos by our helpers on the day. It was great for families to sit on the bench and share their experiences too.
One former resident summed up the event perfectly when she said that, for her, Eden Park was so much more than a home, "It's more like a family". Residents and former residents also made sure to leave a special message on our Eden Park canvas to celebrate Starts at Home Day 2025.
Wolsey and Abbey Mill Leicester
As well as the usual onsite team at Wolsey and Abbey Mill, a group of PA colleagues from around the business came along to sit on their new bench too. There was a lot of interaction between residents and colleagues which provided a great opportunity for office staff to get to know our residents and see the scheme first hand.
The event was lively, and residents enjoyed refreshments, sharing their stories, and having the opportunity to meet new people. A fun activity at this event was a residents versus colleagues dart challenge. Who’d have known we have a darts champion amongst our residents? It's amazing how simple conversations can make a difference.
I had a lovely chat with Guprit (PA’s Director of Technology). We talked about how well I’m being cared for at The Wolsey and discussed the positive changes that have been made for us. We even discovered a mutual connection from another country — such a small world! It was a really nice conversation, and he was very friendly.
We were delighted with the turnout for this event. Our residents thoroughly enjoyed tea, cake, and wonderful conversations with each other and our dedicated colleagues. A big thank you to Dawn, Lisa, Gurprit, and Adam for volunteering their time, and to PA for the lovely new benches, which our residents are already enjoying regularly.
- Shereen, Extra Care Scheme Manager
Albany House – Nottingham
We had the pleasure of welcoming local Cllr Corall Jenkins to Albany House to sit on our bench and chat to residents alongside the usual staff team and others from around the business.
Sitting on the bench was actually a life-changing experience for one resident as they felt comfortable enough to share their concerns about the external care service they receive. These were acted upon and resolved immediately, but without that conversation with one of our colleagues, we would've been none the wiser. Taking the time to chat and listen is so important, especially for our most vulnerable residents.
What a difference a bench makes
Sitting on the bench has not been just a one-off event. We want it to be ongoing. If you find yourself visiting one of our extra care schemes, why not stop for a chat on one of our benches and stay a while? You never know the difference it may make to your life and the life of the person you’re talking to.
