Minister urged to help Hillhall community as it works to help itself

HILLHALL Regeneration Group has welcomed Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland to the area to look at the pensioners’ bungalows in Hillhall Gardens and see how the local community has rallied round to try and improve them despite the absence of a much needed improvement scheme.

A representative from the local group explained that several years ago the bungalows were part of a Housing Executive scheme which included major works but this was pulled due to financial restraints.

At the end of last year the Hillhall Regeneration Group, SOS Bus and the Housing Executive got together and developed a project that would enable community volunteers and young people from the local youth project to help with financial assistance and improve the bungalows.

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A spokesperson for Regeneration Group said: “This project showed the pensioners that they have not been totally forgotten about and provided them with some level of improvement to their homes.

“The project also connects the elderly residents with the young people in the area and builds healthy relationships between the different generations. Elderly people can fear young people who stand about these bungalows at night and this project helped the young people understand how their presence can make them feel anxious. Both the young people and the elderly have said they have got a lot out of the work have a better understanding and relationship with each other from the project started.”

They continued: “Although this a very good and worthwhile project it does not deal with the major work still needed to these homes. The Hillhall Regeneration Group would ask for those whose remit these bungalows come under, to look at putting the previous scheme of work planned back on to the housing executive programme of work.

“The Group would like to take this opportunity to thank the local councillors and MLAs for organising this visit by the Minister to Hillhall.”

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Local MLA Edwin Poots, who accompanied Mr McCausland, said he would be impressing on the Minister on the need for the required modernisation of the bungalows which he described as “requiring fundamental refurbishment to modern living standards”.

Alderman Paul Porter also thanked the local representatives who organised the visit by the Minister and praised the work of the Hillhall Regeneration Group.

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