Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children, Carl Sargeant visited two projects at Caernarfon Tre’r Gof site this week to see the social value of Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd (CCG)’s work in the community.
The visit showed how the largest housing association in North Wales, CCG, are providing much more than bricks and mortar, working in partnership to support vulnerable people as well as the positive effect of their work on people’s health and wellbeing.
Meeting with CCG Chief Executive, Ffrancon Williams, Chairman of the Board, Medwyn Hughes and some of CCG’s frontline staff, the Minster saw for himself how the support CCG provides is making a real impact and difference to people’s lives.
He met Mrs Denman, who is a frail and vulnerable tenant who receives support from CCG’s tenant support team. The intervention work by the team has enabled her to stay in her own home and improved her health , and demonstrates how CCG can acts as a partner within the health sector.
Ffrancon Williams, CCG Chief Executive said: “I’m very pleased and grateful that Carl Sargeant has taken the time to visit us to see first hand some of the work we are doing to improve tenants’ lives and also what we are achieving by working in partnership.
“The good work that we do from day to day has such a positive impact on the economy, communities and also reduces the pressure on other sectors, such as health and social care.”
Carl Sargeant also saw how working in partnership with local charity GISDA is helping the lives of local young people. CCG works with GISDA to support and maintain successful tenancies so that young people who may not have had the best start in life can eventually move forward and gain their own tenancies.
GISDA use six of CCG’s flats at Tre’r Gof as ‘moving on’ flats for young people who have been homeless or faced difficulties in the past in securing accommodation. He met Tyron Williams, a 17-year old who has been living in Tre’r Gof and discussed his journey so far and future ambitions.
The Cabinet Secretary said: “It was a pleasure to meet Mrs Denman, Tyron and the staff who support them. Tre’r Gof is a very impressive facility which proves that housing is about so much more than putting a roof over someone’s head. Not only does the support provided to a wide variety of vulnerable people help to improve their lives, it also helps to reduce the burden on other public services such as the NHS and homelessness services. I congratulate Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd on the excellent work they do at Tre’r Gof.”
Sian Tomos, Chief Executive at GIDSA said: “We are very proud of our ‘moving on’ flats at Tre’r Gof. The partnership between us and CCG is based on the similar values of both organisations, which is to provide support and quality tenancies. We strongly believe that securing a nice new flat makes a difference in the way that the flats are respected and better the outcome for young people.
“We work closely with staff at CCG and our young people have been welcomed by their neighbours. It is a very comfortable place for them to live and so far we have been able to move a number of young people forward into work and gain their own more secure tenancies. This work could not have been achieved without the support of the Welsh Government’s Supporting People programme.”
