Orchard Village community development

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Our services - what we can offer you:

Since Old Ford took over the Orchard Village stock (formerly known as the Mardyke estate), a number of door-step services have become available to residents which were not previously there. This includes a youth service, Citizens Advice Bureau, accredited IT training, drama workshops, street dance for young people and much more. Please click here (169 KB) to see a timetable of services that the Community Development team currently offer at Orchard Village.

Please contact Monica Majumder (details below) for more information about the activities and programmes on offer.

We are also currently running the following programmes. Please click on the links for more information:

• Accredited Construction Training (769 KB).
• Basic DIY skills workshops (497 KB)
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  !! Our key achievements so far:

Some of the key achievements of the Orchard Village Community Development Programme include:

• The converstion of an under-used board room on the Orchard Village estate into a dance studio after sucessfully fundraising £15k. Street dance classes, along with other projects, currently take place in the newly refurbished space.

• The conversion of a vacant shop on the estate into a Construction Training Centre using external funds. A number of non-accredited workshops take place in this centre.

• Old Ford are working with Willmott Dixon to appoint apprentices to work on site on the regeneration scheme and attend college to gain a Level 2 qualification in a construction trade. To date six young people have been appointed with a further six to be appointed over the next two development phases.

• The Community Development Partnerships Manager is working with Havering Council, local community groups and residents to decide what equipment people want in the open space as part of the Open Space Enhanced Scheme. The fundraising group has secured over £100k that will go towards this project. Please click here (1.5 MB) for more information on the Open Space Enhanced Scheme.

Find out how we're ensuring the needs of the residents are helping to form our community development plan.

Orchard Village part I

Orchard Village part II

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Contact us:

To find out more about Old Ford's Orchard Village Community Development Programme, please contact Monica Majumder, Community Development Partnerships Manager, on:

Tel: 0207 315 1603/07807 958 578 | Fax: 01708 253 724 | email: Monica.Majumder@circle.org.uk
You can find us at: Old Ford Housing Association, Orchard Village Neighbourhood Office, Chantry Way, Rainham, Essex, RM13 8PX
Website: www.orchard-village.co.uk
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Case study:

Orchard Village Parent & Toddlers – a great place to grow

Hayley has young children and is very active on the Orchard Village estate. She wanted the parent and toddler group to provide parents, carers and toddlers with an opportunity to get together, socialise, make friends and have fun. But as numbers were dropping and volunteers struggled to run the project due to time, Hayley approached the community centre about taking over the project. Hayley also approached Old Ford to support her in purchasing equipment, promoting the group, giving it a new name, and encouraging parents and carers to return as well as new people to attend. Old Ford are supporting the group by contributing £200 to help purchase the equipment for the group and a further £150 to design, print and distribute fliers across the estate.

The aims of the Parent & Toddler Group is to provide a safe and friendly environment for parents, carers and toddlers; provide parents/carer with an opportunity for to socialise with one another, provide fresh fruit for toddlers which they may not have at home, and to provide toddlers with an environment were they can start developing social skills

The project is run by volunteers (local residents) who are who are supported by both Old Ford staff and MYCA (the local community centre). Several local people are attending the group from the estate as well as from outside of the estate resulting in a weekly attendance of approximately 20 people.

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Last modified 25/04/12