Transform Housing & Support celebrated the successful opening of its newest housing project on Thursday 4 December.
The development of seven new flats at Charter Court in Englefield Green will provide supported accommodation for seven local people.
We held a drop-in event to celebrate the completion of the Charter Court project, with guests from the local community, partners, supporters, donors and Transform clients. The Deputy Mayor and Mayoress of Runnymede, Cllr Derek Cotty and Mrs Susan Jones, attended to mark the opening of the new property.
The new flats are built behind our existing Elm House property, which provides supported housing for six people. The new flats are designed to help people adapt to living with less support from Transform, so they can eventually move to independent housing.
Charter Court has been named after the Magna Carta or ‘Great Charter’, which was signed at nearby Runnymede meadow in 1215. Next year will mark the 800-year anniversary of the Magna Carta.
Gina has moved to one of the new flats at Charter Court and said at the celebration event:
“I was living with Transform at Holloway House and was offered the opportunity to move to the new flats at Charter Court. I was really happy because my mum lives just round the corner in sheltered housing, so it was a chance to live nearer to her. I have schizophrenia and Transform helps me to look after myself so I can look after my mum. I grew up in Englefield Green so moving to Charter Court feels like coming home. It’s wonderful to be back in this community, which is a really important part of my recovery.”
Transform provides housing and support for more than 1,000 homeless and vulnerable people each year. We give each person a safe and comfortable home, with one-to-one support from Transform staff. People are assisted to gain essential life skills and build up their confidence, so they can live independently and support themselves.
The project was supported by Runnymede Borough Council and Surrey County Council, and received grant funding from the Homes and Communities Agency. We raised £64,000 through fundraising, including grants from The Garfield Weston Foundation, The Beatrice Laing Trust, The Steel Charitable Trust, The Albert Hunt Trust and The Erica Leonard Trust.
The new development is part of Transform’s Building Chances programme, which will create more than 65 new homes for homeless and vulnerable people in the Surrey area by 2016.
