Andover gets festive

Augusta Park residents are invited to enter their festive door wreath into a competition to win a Christmas hamper. Let Sharon (01264 368622 sgoodridge@testvalley.gov.uk) know if you'd like to be entered into the competition and judges will walk to your house to view your festive decoration and the winners will be announced at the evening get together on 20 December. Good luck.

There are a number of events being held for Andover residents during the festive season.

Monday 19 December

Free Christmas activities and crafts for children age 4-11 and parents/carers. 10.30am-noon at the Community Centre, East Anton Farm Road (corner of Sunflower Way). To book a place contact Sharon Goodridge on 01264 368622 or email sgoodridge@testvalley.gov.uk.

Monday 19 December

Winchester Christmas Market Trip, £5 per seat. Leaving from King Arthur's Hall at 12 noon. Call Juliet Rendell, Turnaround Activity Assistant on 07927 517764 to book your place.

Tuesday 20 December

Residents at Augusta Park are invited for an evening get together, mulled wine, mince pies, carols and chat. 7-9pm at the Community Centre, East Anton Farm Road (corner of Sunflower Way). RSVP to Sharon on 01264 368622 or sgoodridge@testvalley.gov.uk.

Thursday 22 December

All welcome for a Christmas walk to help fitness and meet new people. 10-11am, leaving from the Community Centre, East Anton Farm Road (corner of Sunflower Way) and followed by coffee and mince pies at the community centre. Please wear suitable and comfortable shoes, boots or trainers, and bring a waterproof coat, umbrella and a drink of water. For more details contact Sharon Goodridge on 01264 368622 or email sgoodridge@testvalley.gov.uk.

Elliott's got talent

Tadley talent Elliott Venables first came to our notice last year when he entered our Get With's Got Talent contest at Everest Community College. The judging panel, which included two local radio hosts, awarded him first prize for his brilliant voice and impressive stage performance. "Elliott's been singing since the age of five", explains mum Sarah, "he has ADHD and had the chance to join a singing class which helped to channel this into something positive. When he was eight he started having lessons with a singing teacher and since then has gone from strength to strength."

He has an impressive list of musical and acting achievements, starring in school and Spotlight productions and reading the final of Festival Factor last year in Basingstoke, as well as being selected to sing in the stage choir for The Voice in a Million performance at Wembley next February.

We wish him the best of luck for his next big appearance when he competes in the regional finals of UK Live and Unsigned at Princes Hall, Aldershot on October 30th. You can support Elliott by liking his facebook page or by subscribing to his YouTube channel.

Pooling resources in Winklebury 

Young people at the Winklebury youth project can now enjoy a range of new activities thanks to one of our Community Chest grants. Money donated by Sentinel helped to buy a new pool table, football, table tennis, basketball and baseball equipment to ensure that the new youth project got off to a great start over the summer holidays.

This is one of many initiatives made possible by a Community Chest grant. Our Community Chest offers all our residents funding help for neighbourhood improvements or community projects that benefit everyone living in the area.

More information about the Community Chest grant

Read on for more information about the Winklebury Youth Project, set up by local mum Lea Jeff and supported by Winklebury Community Association and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

New home for youth project

Young people in Winklebury are benefitting from a new youth club building thanks to the Winklebury Community Association and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. The Winklebury Youth Project was set up nine years ago by local mum Lea Jeff, “local kids needed somewhere they could meet up that wasn’t too formal like most youth clubs are”, explains Lea, “it’s taken a long time to get this far but we’re really pleased to be getting a proper base.”

The drop-in style club provides a range of free activities for local youngsters from computer games to football as well as a place to chill out with friends. Local newsagent Greenways supplies sweets for the tuck shop and any profit from sales is given back to the project in the form of play equipment.

The new building, next to the cricket pavilion, off Winklebury Way, will also throw open it’s doors on Tuesdays between 3 and 5pm to anyone who’d like to drop in to begin or improve their computer skills. Sessions are free but any donations are welcome and will help to cover electricity and water bills. For more information contact Winklebury Community Association on 01256 330375.

Here comes the sun

There’s a real buzz in the air around Burney Bit as neighbours gather on the footpath to see money saving photovoltaic solar panels fitted to the first of 300 Sentinel homes.

"We’re all very excited about this" explains neighbour Mrs Bone, "I’m just waiting to find out when the panels will be fitted to my roof".

Plans to fit the panels to another 300 homes will be rolled out over the next four months. This £3.3m investment will generate overall savings of £45,000 in energy bills for customers, an average yearly saving of £150 off electricity bills per household.

Executive Director Val Bagnall said: "This is great news for our customers and the environment, especially with the latest hike in energy costs from the utility companies. Solar photovoltaic panels are not suitable for all homes. To be effective rooflines must face South and shouldn’t be overshadowed by trees. We’ve carefully selected suitable homes for this project and will explore alternative technologies and funding options for those homes which aren’t suitable so they don’t lose out."

New homes completing a year early

A wealth of new homes are almost ready for completion in Augusta Park, Andover. Completion of the last 11 new homes on the Taylor Wimpey Southern Counties development is expected by the end of March. The Bellway Homes development, which includes a total of 75 new affordable homes, is expected to be finished by the end of July, a whole year ahead of schedule!

A community event will be held in Augusta Park this summer providing a chance to bring the new community together.

Hampton Court residents harvest new friendships

Sheltered residents in Winklebury were treated to a performance of children’s songs as part of local Harvest Festival celebrations.

Children from the nearby Castle Hill Pre-school also drew pictures and took food they had collected to residents of Hampton Court sheltered scheme as part of the Harvest Festival tradition.

Denise Carlton-Sales, Sentinel’s Sheltered Scheme Manager said: “We run a coffee morning every Tuesday so residents can meet up and get together for a chat. They thoroughly enjoyed meeting the children and joining in with the singing, receiving the Harvest Festival food was an added bonus.“

In Britain we’ve celebrated successful harvests for centuries. Communities would come together bringing food grown on their land to give thanks for the good harvest and then distribute the food to older residents or those less fortunate. Many schools continue the tradition today and children collect tinned, packet and other non perishable food to be given to local residents.

“We really wanted the children to learn a bit more about the tradition of the Harvest Festival and to meet some of the people who would benefit from the food they’ve collected, explains Des Martin, Manager of Castle Hill Pre-school. “We contacted Sentinel because they have sheltered housing on a nearby estate and we felt it would be a great way for the children to mix with some of our older residents. Community involvement is something that we strongly encourage at Castle Hill Pre-School, and although it was quite a long walk for our two to four year olds, they enjoyed their visit, and are looking forward to welcoming the residents of Hampton Court back to our pre-school.”

Residents of Hampton Court are hoping to develop the relationship with the pre-school by visiting classes, reading stories and bringing history to life with old photographs.

Burney Bit residents do their bit

Burney Bit residents have been supporting community work we carried out with the Probation Service this October. The team, who were clearing the area of overgrown plants and weeds, greatly appreciated the teas and coffees that were provided by local residents.

The Probation Service and Neighbourhood Team would like to send their thanks to the supportive Burney Bit residents and look forward to joining forces again next year.

If you’ve got ideas for improvements in your neighbourhood, get in touch with your neighbourhood team.

Greener affordable homes for Andover

More than 500 people will benefit from energy-saving technology on Andover’s newest suburb. With more than a quarter of the affordable homes at Augusta Park already occupied, the £41m affordable homes project on the former East Anton Farm is providing 303 homes to rent or part-buy part-rent over the next two years.

Sentinel is working with Taylor Wimpey and Bellway Homes to deliver the affordable portion of the new 2500-home suburb. The project, as well as the local construction industry, has benefited from £13.7m of investment from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

Two new primary schools, a community centre and small local shops are all in the pipeline, while a new Community Officer has been appointed to ensure new families settle in.

Our Chief Executive Martin Nurse said: “These are our first homes in Test Valley, and by investing now to cut customers’ energy bills in the future, we hope to prove that great homes shouldn’t cost the earth.

“We’re grateful for our partners in government and the housebuilding industry for helping us deliver this on such a large-scale, which will also have a big impact on local waiting lists.”

James Rowley, Area manager at the HCA, said: “It is fantastic to see families settling in to their new homes at Augusta Park and they will benefit from the energy-saving features for many years to come. I’m delighted that the HCA were able to support the efforts of Sentinel, Taylor Wimpey and Bellway Homes to provide Andover with this exciting and sustainable new community.”

Elsewhere, we've also started to redevelop the former Merrie Monk pub in New Road as 15 affordable apartments to rent.

It's good to talk

Residents of the new Kempshott Park estate in Basingstoke got together with their Neighbourhood Team for a chat and a bite to eat.

“It’s always good to meet new residents in this kind of informal way,” our local neighbourhood manager Beth Holmyard says. “These events are a great way for new residents to meet each other and for us to find out what they think about their new home.”

Home straight for rural regeneration

Workmen are on the home straight of the £20m regeneration of Bishops Green estate, near Newbury.

We welcomed Sir George Young MP to the flagship development, delivering even more affordable homes, as the final 68 homes next to Greenham Common get underway.

Our chief executive Martin Nurse says: "I'm pleased that the residents here are so much happier. The final phase is now underway, and once complete, it'll be as obvious to everyone else as it is to us that the community here have a place to be proud of."

Sentinel and Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council teamed up with the local community in 2006 to improve the quality of life in less prosperous areas, resulting in the demolition of 95 outdated homes, and replacement with 148 homes, a new village hall, shop, youth centre, and playground.

Sir George Young has been a big supporter of the project, and called in last week to launch the final phase.

He says: "This is a model regeneration scheme, and now with more shared ownership and homes for sale, a wider mix of people will be able to enjoy the great amenities.

"Everyone's done really well to get more housing on a constrained site without it looking overcrowded."

The first phase completed in May 2008, the second phase in September 2009, and the keys will be handed over on the final phase in mid-2011, and is Sentinel's fourth community regeneration project in a decade.

Bin it skip it

We swung into action after residents in Kingsclere reported an increase in fly-tipping and the dumping of household items. We hired a skip for Strokins Road and residents filled it up so quickly we had to hire another! It’s worth remembering that the borough council offer a collection for unwanted bulky goods, and if you want to get rid of unwanted electrical goods, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) will come and collect things such as TV’s and printers free of charge. Phone 01252 338414 or email collect@weeecollect.it

High and Dry

We’ve provided a further 91 affordable homes to help meet the growing need in the local area. We invested £12m at the Highfields development, Old Kempshott Lane, after teaming up with Barratt Homes. The site is on the western edge of Basingstoke town and the overall development will provide more than 300 new homes for the area.

Titivating Tadley

We’ve teamed up the probation service again to help improve the communal areas around Tadley. The Community Service Programme carried out clearance work in the communal areas around the apartment blocks in Reynards Close and Maple Grove. We’ve got plans to do some more work in the Silchester area soon. If you’ve got ideas for improvements in your neighbourhood, get in touch with your neighbourhood team.

The magic of Christmas

All the festive decorations have been put away and you’ve probably just finished the last of the Christmas cake. If you live in Bishops Green or Winklebury you may well have joined in the festive fun at the Magic of Christmas events. The Winklebury event, was organised by the Winklebury Carnival Committee, Community wardens and sponsored by Sentinel, with loads of fun and games including; magic shows, Christmas crafts, carol singing and Christmas goodies from Santa. If you’ve got events coming up in your neighbourhood why not share them with us? Drop us a line, give us a call, email us or use the contact us form.

Everything stops for tea

Delighted residents of Firth Close in Silchester relaxed over a cup of tea and a cream scone in their newly completed communal garden. The garden, made possible through Sentinel’s Community Chest Grant scheme, provides residents with an oasis of colour and a rustic gazebo seating area.

Residents in bungalows in Penwood, Woolton Hill, and Burghclere that were previously managed by our sheltered housing team, got to meet their new Neighbourhood Team over tea and scones. The summer social got everyone together for tea and chat and gave residents a chance to talk to staff about any issues or concerns they have about their neighbourhood.

Magic of Christmas

The Winklebury Carnival Committee, Sentinel Housing, Community Wardens and local businesses are working together to bring some festive cheer to Winklebury this Christmas. The Magic of Christmas event is on Saturday 19 December from 5pm-9pm in the Winklebury Centre off Winklebury Way. There's loads of free kids fun including free gifts from Father Christmas, free magic shows and carol singing. There's also loads of festive stalls a Hog Roast and residents can win great prizes by getting into the Christmas spirit and decorating their windows.

Coffee and cake for cancer charity 

Residents in Bishops Green near Newbury have rallied round to help raise money for the MacMillan Cancer Charity. The September event held in the community centre was organised as part of the worlds biggest coffee morning campaign, and raised nearly £500 for the charity. If you’d like to find out more about the charity or make a donation visit www.macmillan.org.uk.

Thinking Green

Pupils from Burghclere School got their hands dirty at this years Residents’ Week Roadshow in Bishops Green. Neighbourhood Panel Member Kathy Hine invited local schools to take part in our Thinking Green campaign. Children not only learnt about drought-tolerant plants, but also got stuck in by planting up containers. They got to take their handy work back to the school and incorporate the containers into the school’s communal garden.