Stanhope residents star in their own success story

Local residents are the stars of the show in a campaign which promotes the changing face of Stanhope, in Ashford, Kent.

People who live in the community and local school children feature in a series of photographs which are now being used across billboards, building banners, bus sides and online in a promotional campaign for ‘Vision at Stanhope’.

Mike Baker, operations manager for Chrysalis, the consortium behind the massive regeneration project, says: “The transformation of Stanhope is making a very real difference to real people’s lives and, for this reason, we very much wanted to include the people who live here in our promotional campaign rather than use models who have no connection with the area.”

Among those invited to take part were local mum Lauren Russell and her two daughters, aged eight and five.

She said: “The children really enjoyed being involved and still get excited every day when they walk past their giant picture. All their friends and our neighbours have been supportive and say what a good thing it is that they are the ‘face’ of Stanhope.

“The campaign is all about Stanhope coming together as a community so I think it’s great that local families were invited to take part instead of bringing in outsiders.”

Lauren has lived at Stanhope for four-and-a-half years and she is an active member of the local tenants’ and residents’ association. She says she is really pleased with how the regeneration project is shaping up.

“There’s a great community spirit here. When we first moved here I’d never even been to Stanhope and we heard some negative reports but it’s a great place and the work Chrysalis is doing is making it even better. I’m a home owner, but everyone is benefiting from the changes that are taking place whether they are council tenants, housing association residents or owner occupiers. The work that’s being done is improving things for everyone,” added Lauren.

Another local resident who features in the campaign is Mark Smith with his 18-month-old son. He said: “It was good fun taking part and much more natural to use real people who are affected by the changes. We’re very pleased with how the regeneration is going; now the old blocks of flats are coming down you can really see a difference.”

The Stanhope neighbourhood is undergoing a £150 million regeneration after a 30-year PFI contract was signed with Ashford Borough Council in 2007. The Chrysalis consortium comprises Gleeson Capital Solutions, Nationwide Commercial and Moat. The contractors for new build / refurbishment are Denne Construction, part of the Leadbitter Group, and for repairs and maintenance along with delivering the facilities management and life cycle works on the estate for the next 25 years are Powerminster Gleeson Services.

By 2012, this massive regeneration project will see the refurbishment of 323 homes and the replacement of seven blocks of apartments with 442 new high quality homes. Seventy percent of these (309 homes) will be available for rent or shared ownership through Moat, while thirty per cent (133 homes) will be for sale on the open market through Gleeson Homes & Regeneration South.

For more information go to: visionatstanhope.co.uk.