Large turnout at Sussex Housing & Care meeting

Nigel Waterson MP, Shadow Pensions Minister and Shadow Minister for Older People was the main guest speaker at the meeting which was held at the Kings Centre.

Also in attendance was Bexhill Town Mayor Cllr Bridget George, the Venerable Phillip Jones, Arch Deacon of Lewes & Hastings, Phyllida Stewart-Roberts (until recently the Queens representative in Sussex), Cllr Sylvia Martin, Chairman of Wealdon District Council, Mayors from Eastbourne, Seaford, and Peacehaven, SHC Chairman Brian Porter and Marguerite Patten OBE.

Many SHC residents, including approximately fifty people from SHC's four Bexhill residences also attended the meeting.

A charitable housing association founded in 1946, SHC provide sheltered housing and residential care 'to make a positive difference to the people in Sussex'.

In his opening address Martin Burke, SHC's Chief Executive announced their commitment to keeping dedicated on-site Sheltered Scheme Managers.

He said: "Some sheltered housing schemes have moved away from on-site scheme managers, instead replacing them with a team of visiting managers.

"This works for them in their wider community role but here at SHC we are committed to keeping our dedicated on-site scheme managers."

Mr Burke also outlined plans for a major capitol project in the form of nineteen new apartments and bungalows in Sussex

In his speech, Nigel Waterson praised the work of SHC. He said: "SHC plays a vital role in our community, looking after more than eight hundred people. Hard-working and dedicated SHC has an outstanding legacy for providing care and homes for older people in the community and is still thriving and growing.

"I acknowledge and appreciate the efforts SHC make to provide security and dignity for so many older people in Sussex."

Marguerite Patten OBE, presented the Patten Plate to SHC's top rated Chef of the Year, Jim Roberts who is based at Cheneys residential care and nursing home in Seaford.

Deemed to be the original 'Celebrity Chef', with a career that spans over sixty years and close to a hundred and seventy cookery books to her name, Marguerite gave a heartfelt speech which touched the audience.

Reminiscing about imaginative cooking during the war years Marguerite said:

"It makes me laugh when celebrity chefs come to me to say how inventive they have been and I just say, 'you should try cooking with war rations then then you will know what inventive means'!"

She added: "To be a chef in a restaurant or hotel is hard, but to be a chef in a care home is even more challenging because you have to keep within a budget, have to deal with people who may be on special diets, and have overall responsibility for their nutritional health."

A large exhibition showing the talents of many of the artistic residents was also staged and the meeting was rounded off with an extensive buffet.