VAN DAY for KCAH - 2nd APRIL 2009

On 2nd April 2009 we hired a transit van from WVC on the Cambridge Road.  Matt and I went to collect it and we shared the driving – although I kept stalling it as I am used to driving an automatic!  We met Vicky and Sunil at the South Lane house where Harry was waiting and ready to be moved.  We were re-locating tenants from this house because we had decided not to sign a new lease.  Harry had loads of stuff but, with the help of Sunil’s excellent van packing skills, we managed to fit everything in.  We drove the short distance to our flats in Kingston Road where Harry will have his new home for the foreseeable future.    The flats are both above a shop opposite an out of town shopping area and they have outside steps up the side of the building to the front door. We were a bit concerned that, for health reasons, Harry would not be able to negotiate the outside stairs leading up to the flat but he said it would not actually be a problem.  He enjoys being on the same level once he’s up there and the bathroom is next to his bedroom.  He quickly made friends with the other three tenants and they were cooking meals in no time. 

Next stop was Fleetwood Square where there were months of accumulated rubbish - dumped by numerous different tenants – old carpets, bits of computers, broken bits of furniture and general junk which almost filled the van.  Then we went to Waters Road to collect an old broken wardrobe and a mattress before making a trip to the Waste Disposal Site. 

Lastly, we dropped round to Leatherhead Road to collect more rubbish accumulation from outside the kitchen door.  This exit will now be the main access to the garden instead of the door from the rear reception room.  This clearance now allows us to use the downstairs reception room as a bedroom instead of the small upstairs bedroom which Frank is now moving out from.  It has always been difficult to find tenants willing to take that small room due to its size so it makes sense for the reception room to replace it as a bedroom.

With the van now packed to capacity we headed off to Kingston Waste Disposal Site in a convoy of the van and Vicky’s car. Mark and George from Leatherhead Road joined the work party.  We made an excellent team and quickly distributed the various sorts of rubbish to their correct recycling areas at Kingston’s well-organised site.

Then, back to Leatherhead Road where we enjoyed a well deserved slice of pizza and soft drinks sitting, enjoying the warm sunshine outside in the garden.  While we were eating, Matt Hatton quickly loaded up the van with many of Frank’s things and whisked him off to his new flat which he had just got the keys to.

The last trip of the day was back to South Lane where Jason was patiently waiting his turn to be moved.   We were moving him to Chessington Hill Park.  Jason had very little belongings so, with the additional help of Mark and George, it was a breeze and we finished in no time.  With Jason safely installed at Chessington Hill Park we returned the van back to Cambridge Road by just after five o’clock and congratulated ourselves on an extremely successful and well-organised moving/rubbish clearing day and with five tenants helping us “many hands made light work”. 

Jan Ganney
Housing and Support Worker