York’s first social care hub welcomes first tenants

York’s first voluntary and community social care hub has welcomed its first tenants.

York Blind and Partially Sighted Society and The Resource Centre for Deaf People have already moved into the new facility in Rougier House, which they will share with other voluntary and community organisations, together with York Learning, the city’s adult and community education service.

The new social care hub will play a key role in supporting voluntary and community organisations to complement health and social care services across the city and improve the lives of vulnerable residents.

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Charity shops to run one of a kind event in Newgate Market tomorrow (Tuesday)

york_newgate_market
A special event is being held in Newgate Market in aid of a variety of local charities.

St. Leonards Hospice, the RSPCA and the British Heart Foundation will each be selling their wares in Newgate Market and will be driving a hard bargain to help raise funds for the charities on Tuesday 20 August.

The stalls will be open from 10am and is part of Accelerating Enterprise, a partnership between York CVS, York Cares and Your Consortium, which provides services to the voluntary and community sectors and aims to share resources and maximise the income that each charity receives.

York Council empty home shame

Oliver House York

The York Council is refusing to say when the former elderly person’s home at Oliver House will be brought back into use. The last residents moved out in April 2012.

Freedom of Information questions

Freedom of Information questions

Oliver House is located at the end of Priory Street in a prime City centre location near the Bar Walls. It has been valued at over £1 million.

Labour Councillors have refused to explain why the home has not been brought back into use.

It appears that the only occupants were a “secured by occupation” group who – in return for free accommodation – provide a security presence at the site.

York CVS announced in October 2012 an ambitious £1 million plan to house “22 charities” in the building. Media report

The planning application for the project was approved in February. The cost to remodel the building had by then increased to £1.3 million with most apparently to come from ”loans, grants and local businesses”.

It was unclear who would pay for the running costs of the project.

Despite being asked for an explanation of the delays at two successive Council meetings, Labour Councillors have remained tight lipped.

Now a Freedom of Information request has been submitted to the Council. This will force the Authority to reveal its plans within the next 4 weeks.

With over half the people registered on the housing waiting list requiring single bedroomed accommodation, many residents are puzzled why prime sites like these are not being scheduled for residential use ahead of green field sites.

To leave a building like this empty for over 18 months, and apparently with no prospect of occupation for at least another year, is shameful.